Saturday, May 16, 2009

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson (audio)

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson. 2007.
Audience: Grades 9th and up; 12 yrs. and up
My Rating: 3*s of 5
Summary: After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again. He must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.
Comments: The first half of this book absolutely worked for me. I was completely empathetic with Tyler and on the edge of my seat to know what would happen with Bethany. His feelings (eh-hem) for her are palpable (I wonder if guy readers would agree?). But when gears shift to other areas of focus, the story lost momentum for me. The drama amped up and seemed a bit over the top, but hey, what do I know about 17 year old boy-brains? I was glad at how things played out eventually, but would have stayed more glued to the story had the Bethany storyline remained a key player. Overall, an interesting male point of view equivalent to Speak.
Awards:
Read-alikes: Antsy books by Shusterman, Paper Towns by Green

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