A girl who developed "genius level" mathematical abilities after being struck by lightning has a thing or two to learn about life in this novel for young adults.
Lucy Callahan finds that after her accident she could easily multiply large integers in her head (e.g. figuring out the total cost of a car advertised on TV in terms of its monthly payment), recite the digits of π, and finds calculus a breeze even at age 12. But, she is also a homeschooled, anti-social germaphobe clearly suffering from OCD. With help from her Grandmother, she needs to break out of her shell so that she can go to college!
The author has a background in mechanical engineering, and so knows math well enough to get it right. I just worry that this story will reinforce the idea that mathematical ability is not something that young people can and should try to develop, but instead some sort of disease that afflicts a few unlucky individuals and should be avoided whenever possible.
|