Book Review: Where the Lightning Goes

I was sent an ARC of Where the Lightning Goes by Jackary Salem. The book is a fun and whimsical YA fantasy with a complex magic system.

The novel follows Elle, a teenage girl who has been held captive in the House in the sky for the past 10 years. She has no memory of how she got there or anything about her life before then. All she’s been is that if she leaves she’ll be attacked by demons. But, Elle desperately wants out and to figure out who she is. She manages to escape and falls from the sky, landing on earth.

Her quest to find out about her past and who she is leads her to Adair, Leslie, and Honeycutt who help her learn how to use her magic and find the way to the castle in the sky, where she thinks the answers to her questions lie.

I really liked this book. It was a fun and whimsical adventure. I think the grumpy Adair was my favorite character. There was a twist in the book that I didn’t fully see coming, but when it did I wasn’t surprised so maybe I had an inkling. Nonetheless, I’m not sure how I feel about the twist, because it left me with very bittersweet feelings in the end. That’s all I can say about that without spoiling it!

Overall, I enjoyed the book and think it’s an easy fantasy to read especially for those new to the genre. This is the first book in a series so I can’t wait to see what happens next for Elle!

Where the Lightning Goes releases on 5/30!