The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

Lucy was struck by lightning, became an acquired savant in math, and also acquired obsessive-compulsive disorder. Lucy’s solution at middle school is to hide her genius, because her OCD already is there for all to see, and one unique character trait is all she can manage in public. Through a series of missteps and awkward encounters, Lucy discovers that her uniqueness doesn’t have to be something people mock but a quirky combination of oddities and brilliance that others accept and even admire.

As a new kid at school, Lucy’s OCD behaviors—sitting down three times, cleaning everything before she touches it, tapping her toe three times before entering a room—catch the other students’ attention, and they quickly mock her. One student, the cruel Maddie, quickly dubs her the “cleaning lady” and taunts her.

Luckily, a fellow bright student, Windy, befriends Lucy and doesn’t care about her OCD. Together, Windy and Lucy do typical, everyday things like watching movies, eating junk food, painting their nails, and talking about everything. Windy is Lucy’s first real friend since the lightning bolt; from Windy, she learns a lot about how to interact with others, appreciate them, and accept herself.