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.”
Kirkus Review:
“An encouraging journey from believable despair to painful, hopeful reality.”
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?