Eyes of Lightning

I have issues . . . more than I can count.  I’m stubborn, prideful, a so-called religious fanatic, and a tomboy with freakish eyes.  My family and upbringing are both abnormal, and I might be harboring a thousand-year-old spirit.  Most relevant of all -I hate showing weakness.

Eyes of Lightning (Thunderbird Legacy), by Erin Keyser Horn.  2012, 267 pages.  Age/interest level: 14-up.

Meet Ivy.  She might summarize herself in three sentences, but readers will spend a whole book getting to know her.  As they do, readers will realize that Ivy’s issues stem from a lifetime of circumstances and cannot quickly be “fixed.”  Ivy’s life, like life itself, is hardly neat and clear-cut.

Ivy’s life is also unusual, as you might have noticed in her own description.  Early in the book, Ivy learns that her family can be traced back to ancient Native American mound builders, particularly the Thunderbird clan.  Members of this clan have a special connection with the Thunderbird spirit and also suffer from an ancient curse.  Before Ivy can learn much more, tragedy strikes, and circumstances threaten to take her away from the only place she has had her questions answered.

Unlike many current books, Ivy has a real Christian faith.  She clings to it, while accepting that there are good powers in world, powers like the Thunderbird.  (For this reason, readers should be mature enough to understand the line between fantasy and reality.)  While Ivy is not a mature Christian, her faith is realistic.  It does not come across as kitsch or tacked-on.  Her Bible is read, and she turns to it and prayer in times of need.  Ivy realizes that she cannot make it on her own.

For weeks I’d tried to do everything on my own, and I’d learned the hard way . . . that I couldn’t do it.  . .  Somehow I hadn’t thought of asking God for help.  I’d been too busy to read my Bible, too mentally exhausted to pray.  Those were my excuses anyway.

As Ivy bluntly summarizes her own failings, she shows that she is a character with whom readers can empathize.  She does not fit in, nor does she attempt to by compromising her values.  She is without friends, a tomboy, a book lover, and a cook.  She is a reminder, a representative even, of the talented young people across this country who by virtue of their faith are unquestionably different.

While there is virtually no language, one character does make a sarcastic remark about loss of virginity, and lust is implied once.  The target audience is largely teens who will be mature enough to handle these issues, but I do want to include it as a caution for younger readers.

For older, well-grounded teenage readers who enjoy paranormal reads, this will certainly be a treat!

Like River Rats in yesterday’s post,  this book is published by a smaller press, and may not be readily available in most libraries.  If your library doesn’t have it, try inter-library loan.  It’s worth tracking down. (It’s also available on Amazon.com: Eyes of Lightning.)