My husband was the first to recommend this book to me. It was spoken highly of to him by his godfather and his copy was passed on to my husband. They both read it fairly quickly and explained that the book kept them captivated.
The way my husband told me to read the book took me off guard, however. I am fond of frogs and was discussing our pond – that was more or less a glorified mud puddle. I wanted to eventually fill that one in and have a better space for one to put tadpoles and lily pads. I then showed him a frog trinket I found at the thrift store that weekend, to which he responded, “I think you would like reading ‘Lightning’ by Dean Koontz.”
We both bounce from topic to topic fairly often so I thought nothing of it. I went and got a copy of my own because I tend to reread my favorite books, add notes in the margins and so on. I finished it in two weeks and was thoroughly impressed.
The book focuses on the main character Laura Shane. The story starts with the day she is born when her “guardian,” who is a repeat character throughout the book, prevents Laura’s would-have-been obstetrician from attending her birth. We are given his perspective first, as he is called into work as Laura’s mother begins having labor complications. He intended to go in, but was pleasantly drunk. The guardian stops him and forces him to call in and have his assistant take over. This prevents Laura from dying, though her mother passes, leaving her in the custody of her father, Bob Shane.
As she is raised by her father there is no other mention of this guardian until she is about 8 years old. You begin to question who or what he is. I relayed all of my theories to my husband and asked that he just listen and not to give me any hints if I was catching on. I thought perhaps he was an alien, an angel, a ghost and on I went with my babbling.
Unfortunately, Laura’s father passes and she is put in an orphanage, McIlroy Home. From this point on Laura’s life is a constant chaotic spiral. When you think she is going to catch a break you are caught off guard by the next unbearable event she has to navigate herself out of.
When she enters adulthood and is out of the orphanage someone continues to anonymously leave toad and frog trinkets for her. This is also a reference to a piece of her childhood and remaining years with her father. As I read this it clicked that my husband remembered this specific scene as I spoke about frogs to him and wanted me to read it. I got a great laugh out of it and an absolutely brilliant book.
This has to be the first science fiction thriller I have ever read, and that opened so many doors for me to read more. The characters in the story have so much personality and genuine places in the storyline that assist Koontz with his plot. As much as I tried to guess the ending – I couldn’t. I was kept drawn into the story and was forever amazed by this work of art.
“Lightning” ranks high on my list of books I wish I could forget and read to experience like new all over again.
