Random House Canada, June 6, 2017.
Four Stars
Be Ready for
the Lightning is a fascinating story about a
hostage situation on a New York City bus, as experienced by a young woman named
Veda, and the long-lasting connection she feels for her attacker. The novel is
punctuated by this extreme event, but it is also a close-up look at Veda’s life
before and after the incident, and her complicated relationship with her
brother Conrad and their childhood friends.
Veda and
Conrad grew up in Vancouver with loving parents and a close-knit group of
friends, including Conrad’s best friend Ted, and siblings Annie and Al. Veda
always had a crush on Ted, but it is not until he returns to Vancouver in their
early twenties that they begin a relationship, which is plagued by Ted’s
excessive drinking. Veda and Conrad had always been very close as children, but
Conrad’s violent tendencies – possibly caused by a childhood head injury – are increasingly
out of control. When Veda is injured as a bystander to one of Conrad’s bar
fights, she decides it’s time for a fresh start.
She ends things with Ted and leaves her career as an
audiologist to move to Manhattan and stay with Al and his new wife Marie. While
out looking for an apartment and exploring the city, Veda gets on a bus that
ends up changing her life. The bus is hijacked by a mentally unstable man named
Peter who is obsessed with Peter Pan
and thinks he can “save” the passengers by shooting them and taking them to
Neverland with him.
We do not know the complete outcome of the hostage
situation until the last line of the novel, as it is interspersed with Veda’s
backstory in Vancouver. The two timelines gradually merge, until we are able to
see the aftermath of the shocking, unpredictable incident and its ongoing
effects on Veda and the people who love her. Although this dramatic event is at
the centre of the novel, it is most of all a character study, exploring the
relationships between siblings and the bonds of childhood friends.
The literary connection to Peter Pan can be found in more than just Peter’s love for the story
– it can also be found in the siblings’ history of living with secrets, and
refusing to grow up. Veda is able to connect with Peter because of her own
unstable brother, although Conrad is troubled in a very different way. Veda
loves unconditionally, not only Conrad but Ted too, and her obsession with
Peter becomes yet another unhealthy relationship filled with misplaced loyalty.
There is much to explore in this novel, and the depth of character is impressive.
I really enjoyed the tight balance of thriller and psychological character
study, and I will certainly read more by Grace O’Connell.
I received this book from Random House Canada and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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