A SEASON FOR FIREFLIES

When a lightning strike robs Penny of her memory, she’s given a second chance at friendship, love, and self-discovery.

For Penny Berne, no place feels more like home than standing center stage, surrounded by a close-knit crew of the fellow drama geeks who’ve been her best friends forever—but a week before opening night the spring of her sophomore year, the white teen walks away from the show, her friends, her passion, and a chance at first love. Determined to keep the secret of her mother’s depression and alcoholism, Penny shuns the spotlight and her crew for the distraction of a new friendship. For the first time, she’ll play a supporting role, trading the stage for life as the No. 2 to the most popular girl in school. With her old friends no longer speaking to her and new friends that never quite feel like home, it takes a literal bolt of lightning in order for Penny to realize which role she was meant to play. Though an unfortunate jump in time forces readers to fill in the gaps in order to understand Penny’s cruel behavior toward her old friends, Maizel delivers a satisfying and fairly distinctive twist on the trendy teen-amnesia novel.

Cloaked in the glow of a mysterious and almost magical influx of fireflies, it’s a fresh take with a familiar feel