Really sweet story of a girl learning to make friends. ( )

This is a middle school book about a girl who was struck by lightning four years ago and then became a genius. Her grandmother took her out of school because she was having trouble fitting in. She's been homeschooled since then but her grandmother decides it's time for her to go back to school. Her grandmother wants her to try school for one year, make one friend, join one activity and read one book.
At first I found this book really, really sad. Lucy suffers from OCD and reading about how she has to do certain things otherwise she can't turn the numbers off in her head made me incredibly sad. At times she wants to stop doing these things but really can't. I actually almost dnf'd it but I am so glad that I stuck it out. This was a really sweet story about friendship and I ended up enjoying it.
I think it would be a really good book for kids to read so they have a better idea of what people with OCD live with. But it was also a really hopeful book which was nice. There's lots of talk about math and numbers for all those people who enjoy that.
I think there may have been a few instances of blasphemy but I'm not sure. Also it's mentioned a couple of times that one character has two moms.
This book was reviewed on the Literary Club Podcast Season 2 episode 23
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1984185 ( )

This book is about a 12 year old girl, Lucy, who gets struck by lightning, Resulting from this, she becomes a math genius! This book involves math vocabulary in a different and interesting way. This book is useful in the classroom because there are videos online that readers can watch as they read the book. ( )

This chapter book is about a twelve-year-old girl who gets struck by lightning, and because of this, she becomes a genius. She can go to college after the lightning strike, but her grandma makes her go to middle school to be around children her own age. She makes new friends and they plan to help a local shelter in need. ( )

Lucy Callahan is a cute, "average" eight year old girl, until she is unexpectedly (who ever expects it?) struck by lightning. Once she recovers from a brief heart stoppage, she begins exhibiting an intellectual ability she never experienced before: she is now a math genius. More than a genius: a savant, and a little girl who is obsessed with numbers. (The nature of her obsession is not pathological, and in fact is quite endearing.) As she approaches adolescence, she's home schooled. But her grandmother, worried about Lucy's lack of socialization, insists on enrolling her in middle school — a prospect that Lucy finds as appealing as being eaten by a dinosaur.

This book, which is an utter delight, recounts both Lucy's superhuman relationship with numbers and her fumbling, touching interaction with her peers. This is not merely a "clever" situation: it is the basis for a personal odyssey that will ring true to anyone who is being scorched (or has ever been scorched) by the flames of Middle-School Hell.

N.B.: The author, Stacy MacAnulty, has a legitimate scientific background, and seems determined to make concepts from the STEM fields appealing to young people. She is very blessed in being able to do this in a way that even makes a jaded adult like me laugh out loud.

Very funny, and very highly recommended. ( )