The Electric Life of Lavender Lewis received a starred review by the School Library Journal!
“An incredibly moving YA speculative fiction story. An important novel about the complexities of life with epilepsy, the challenges of advocating for your own medical treatment, and accepting the loss of loved ones.”
Marissa Meyer, #1 NYT-bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles:
“Sharp, raw, and at times absolutely hilarious, this inventive romance manages to feel both otherworldly and achingly real. But the true magic comes from Lavender herself, who electrifies every page with her nonstop wit and relatable charm.”
Publisher’s Weekly:
“Emotionally honest novel…Sensate text renders a realistic depiction of living with a neurological disorder alongside a moving portrait of love, loss, and acceptance.”
Kirkus Review:
“An encouraging journey from believable despair to painful, hopeful reality.”
Booklist:
“Teen readers seeking stories about experiencing medical challenges (with a touch of magic) that avoid resolving those diagnoses or treating the MC as broken will enjoy this electric, slightly askew tale.”
@thebookeduptherapist (Instagram):
“The Electric Life of Lavender Lewis is a powerful young adult novel…A compelling read for teens and adults alike, offering a deeper understanding of what it’s like to live with seizures. Some books don’t “heal” chronic illness—they simply make the experience feel less lonely. And sometimes that kind of recognition is its own form of relief.”
Johns Hopkins University Press:
“Storti, who has epilepsy herself, nimbly straddles a line between science and magic. The experience of the seizures is written viscerally, almost poetically, and the story deftly captures one version of living with a life-altering disease.”
At seventeen, Lavender Lewis has had epilepsy for most of her life. Convulsions, hallucinations, you name it—she’s experienced them all, more times than she can count. No medication, therapy, or diet has helped. Forget surgery—no one is scooping out a chunk of her brain.
Her mom used to say epilepsy was magic, but how could it be, when all it’s ever brought is suffering? But after her mom’s death, Ven hallucinates a boy too real to be an illusion. Every time she seizes, he appears. Has her brain finally broken? Or is this the magic her mom always talked about?
All she knows is this boy needs her help. With her aunt, she road trips to Salem, MA, where Ven feels closer than ever to her mom’s spirit. All signs point to her mom guiding her from beyond the grave. After all, Ven couldn’t save her mom, but maybe she can save this boy, who truly sees the girl beyond her seizures.
As their journey winds deeper into New England, a tender romance blooms—all while Ven’s health worsens. She can’t help wondering: what if the person she needs to save was never him?