Book Review: Twisted

I've only read two other Laurie Halse Anderson books, Speak and Wintergirls, but knew this book would be good.  She is certainly a gifted author of young adult literature.  She gets the voice down perfectly, speaks their language, and knows the dynamics of the problems they face.

Twisted is another book written from a male protagonist narrator's point-of-view.  This one was very well done.  I will say that I found the narrator (perhaps because of the way the audio presenter performed the book) to have a stilted manner.  The sentences were short and choppy.  I'm sure this was intentional to assist in conveying the sense of personality and voice.  At times, I found this to be annoying.  Just me.

Tyler is a high school senior who is recovering from a bit of trouble.  After a fairly anonymous existence, he asserts himself one day with "the foul deed," when he spray-paints a message on his school building and earns probation and community service.  This "foul deed" has shifted the way he is perceived by his classmates, even to the point of earning the attention of the girl of his dreams, Bethany (the daughter of his father's boss).  But, one night, after Bethany invites him to a party because she likes him, he finds himself in a whole world of trouble when he is accused of something he didn't do.  Life appears to be so twisted that he contemplates his escape options.  In the end, he grows up and takes responsibility for some of the things he wants from life.

I think it was great the way the book highlighted how one action can alter the perceptions of others and create a whole climate of expectation for future behavior.  The protagonist had a clear antagonist (Bethany's twin brother, Chip) and even provided further complications created by the triangle of involvement his father and his father's boss presented.  I was satisfied with the resolution, although it felt like it could have used a bit more oomph (things sort of resolved on their own once the narrator began taking responsibility for what he wanted).  Moreover, I was thrilled to see the main character really grow and mature through the events of the book.

On the whole, this is a book I would recommend to teen readers and especially reluctant male readers.  The author provides enough character development to make the reader care about what happens.  Moreover, any teen will be able to relate to the situations that unfold in the story.  Once again, Anderson has a true gift for getting inside the teenage brain and confronting modern conflicts that are believable and dynamic.