The Lightning Circle
Ages 12+
After having her heart broken, seventeen-year-old Nora Nichols decides to escape and takes a summer job as an arts and crafts counsellor at an all girls' camp in the mountains of West Virginia. There, she meets girls and women from all walks of life with their own heartaches and triumphs and learns how to heal and be healed. Told in a series of free verse poems accompanied by spot art, The Lightning Circle chronicles the beauty, magic, and transformative power of summer camp.
My own camp experience, which The Lightning Circle is based on, was an incredible time of self discovery for me. A summer at camp feels like a series of small but pivotal moments, something I think is captured best in poetry. I’ve always wanted to write about camp but struggled to capture the intimacy, beauty and magic of my experience until I decided to write in verse.
Nora is an artist, and I was thrilled to have her vision and sketches brought to life by Laura K. Watson. I have loved Laura’s delicate, earthy line-work since I first stumbled across it at TCAF may years ago. In many ways The Lightning Circle is Nora’s diary/sketchbook, and Laura’s art really helps the reader see the world through her eyes.
The Lightning Circle is about sisterhood, friendship, self-discovery, lake swims, trail rides, and fresh starts. It’s for anyone who has been heartbroken, made a wish on a full moon, or scream-sang around a campfire- the poets, the romantics, the introverts, the optimists, the horse girls, the Folklore girlies, theatre kids, and of course, my fellow camp counsellors. You can take the girl out of camp but you can’t take camp out of the girl.
I hope you love it!
Vikki
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What People Are Saying
“I have to say it’s the best coming of age book I’ve read in a long time.”
— Crystal S, Netgalley
“The Lightning Circle was a clear 5 star book for me. I read it in one sitting!”
— Callie J, Netgalley
“Whoa. This is one of those books that makes you want to drop everything and go on an adventure (to camp). Magical, lyrical writing. Sisterhood / friendship / camp / cozy vibes all the way though. I *loved* it. ”
— Madison W, Netgalley
“This book is so good, it feels like it is going to be a classic(but like the booktok classics).”
— Nova G, Netgalley
Trade Reviews
“An inviting take on feminine wisdom and the power of collective self-transformation..”
— Kirkus Reviews
“The text nicely captures experiences that will resonate with readers familiar with sleepaway camp and is beautifully illustrated with portraits of characters and glimpses of scenes from Nora’s days.”
— Booklist
“VanSickle paints a portrait of a classic mid-aughts summer camp in this slice-of-life verse novel…Sparse, exacting verse pairs well with Watson’s soft, sketchy line drawings in charcoal gray and sage green, which render the natural world, tidbits of camp life, and characters.”
— Publishers’ Weekly
“The intimacy of poetry provides a clear window into Nora’s sometimes painful but ultimately satisfying journey to self-discovery.”