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Twisted

by Laurie Halse Anderson (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 16,369 ratings · 1,767 reviews

High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background—average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury,...more

Hardcover, 250 pages

Published March 20th 2007 by Viking Juvenile

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Aug 31, 2009 Annalisa rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: language, masturbation, edge for the sake of edge

Recommended to Annalisa by: library

Shelves: young-adult, issue, contemporary

Long rant about my library system: I wasn't intending to read this book. I put another YA book on hold and after two days of "in transit" status when another book came in, I figured it should have been pulled off the shelf by then. No.
I ask the librarian.
Blink.
I explain, a little slower this time, that I put the book on hold. It's no longer on the shelf, but it's not in the hold department yet.
"Maybe it's in the shipment from today," she says with a big smile.
"No, you see it's in transit from...more Long rant about my library system: I wasn't intending to read this book. I put another YA book on hold and after two days of "in transit" status when another book came in, I figured it should have been pulled off the shelf by then. No.
I ask the librarian.
Blink.
I explain, a little slower this time, that I put the book on hold. It's no longer on the shelf, but it's not in the hold department yet.
"Maybe it's in the shipment from today," she says with a big smile.
"No, you see it's in transit from this library. I was the only hold and it says the copy from this library is in transit. It's in this library."
Blink. "Do you want me check out your other book?"
I look at my other book on hold that after two months of waiting, is not the *$#% audio version I was waiting for. I throw up my hands and peruse the YA fiction shelves. Anderson happens to be at the beginning. I liked Speak. And a friend on goodreads just liked one of her books. Which one was it? Her new book. Hmmm. Not on the shelf. It's probably stuck in the hold department somewhere. I browse the backs. This one looks the least cheesy. I smile at the librarian as I check it out and dump my hold book in the return basket. I get home and guess what's showing up as arrived on my library account?
So when I say the library recommended this to me, it didn't really, but I'm glad I got to explore more of Anderson's work.

I started off liking this. I tend to prefer male protagonists and Tyler is funny. And then I start cringing. Anderson gets how shocking teenagers are because she's cool like that. You know, every girl's a little easy dressing like a tramp and just waiting to get laid and every guy's a pervert doing you know what on the internet and in the shower. And they have to throw around the f word and party like crazy. It would not be authentic at all to write about teenagers and not use that shock value, to the extreme, because that's what teenagers are like and it's what they want to read, right? I appreciate the stamp at the beginning of the page that says the book is not for children, but I'm not a fan of edgy YA just for the sake of being edgy and this felt more gratuitous than authentic.

But about the story. Did I relate to Tyler? Yes, Anderson's characterization is very well done. Tyler is one of the good guys. I wanted to root for him and I felt for him when things went wrong. She did a great job of switching from light-hearted to heavy. A story is only as strong as its characters and Anderson nails it in that department. Did the story wrap up to give you that good hope for the future feeling that defines young adults? Absolutely and I liked that it didn't do it with a bow.

So I liked the story, just not all the superfluous material there to make it edgy. For that I'm downgrading a solid 4 read to a 3, maybe even 3.5. It's one of those cases where if I like a book, if it's a good book, and if I would recommend it, don't match up.(less)

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Aug 04, 2007 Trevor rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: LHA fans, teens looking for excellent realistic fiction

Laurie Halse Anderson’s Twisted is one hell of a hand grenade launched into the canon of teen lit! Tyler’s senior year is about to start and things are looking like this: community service for the Foul Deed is about over, classes are going to be hell, and the hottest girl at George Washington High has Tyler on her radar…as does her a**hole brother, Chip. Ty has changed a bit as well - the summer of landscaping has given him a new physique, and a new confidence, but like Aunt May says to a transf...more

14 likes · like · see review

Jun 05, 2011 ivana18 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, favorites

A former geek Tyler Miller got himself in trouble because of a prank ("The Foul Deed") he pulled at the end of his junior year. He was sick and tired of being a nobody (a zit on the butt of the student body) so he decided to to something that will put him on the map. But things don't go exactly as planned and he gets caught. Judge ordered him to do community service all summer (helping janitors in his school). Plus he had to pay for the damages he caused, so he sold his car and worked for a land...more A former geek Tyler Miller got himself in trouble because of a prank ("The Foul Deed") he pulled at the end of his junior year. He was sick and tired of being a nobody (a zit on the butt of the student body) so he decided to to something that will put him on the map. But things don't go exactly as planned and he gets caught. Judge ordered him to do community service all summer (helping janitors in his school). Plus he had to pay for the damages he caused, so he sold his car and worked for a landscaping company all summer.
Tyler doesn't mind hard work, it's something he's good at and it's a cleansing experience for his mind and body (especially his body).
I decapitated dandelions all morning, leaving carnage and death strewn in my path….I was good at digging holes. It was the rest of the life I sucked at.

In addition with dealing with his messed up family (dad is a first class asshole, mom is a pet photographer, cake baker, and a nice lady who smells faintly of gin, and sister Hannah is just staring high school), he has to deal with his new reputation, his AP classes, his parole officer and his alarmingly high testosterone levels.
He's on a short leash AND on thin ice AND he really needs to keep his nose clean. „That's that. Work hard at school. Keep your nose clean, and come back in a month.“
Again with the clean-nose thing. Authority figures had a pathological fear of boogers, that's how I saw it.

But things are not all that bad, there's a upside to all this. During the summer he goes trough a growth spurt (he's six-three and one ninety-five now) and because of his hard work for the landscaping company he's packing some nice looking muscles, so the most popular girl in school Bethany Milbury is finally noticing him. Tyler has a huge crush on her but he's not exactly confident enough to do something about that, and when he finally makes a move, some unexpected things happen and he must figure out how to deal with them.

Tyler is a great guy and one of my favorite YA characters. He's a great brother to his younger sister, he's a great son to his mom, and his trying to please his over controlling (and a little bit psycho) dad.
One of the reasons I loved this book so much is because it's written from a guys POV, and Laurie Halse Anderson does a great job with Tyler.
He's not emo, but he's sensitive enough, and his hormones are working overtime, but he's not acting like a dog in heat. And he's really funny in a sarcastic and intelligent way.
I picked up one of the books and flipped through it. Don't get me wrong, I like reading. But some books should come with warning labels: Caution: contains characters and plots guaranteed to induce sleepiness. Do not attempt to operate heavy machinery after ingesting more than one chapter. Has been known to cause blindness, seizures and a terminal loathing of literature. Should only be taken under the supervision of a highly trained English teacher. Preferably one who grades on the curve.

There are some things about Tyler that are disturbing, but probably not that unusual for a teenager who's going trough these kind of problems. He has violent thoughts about hurting his father, and hurting other kids in school, and about hurting himself.(view spoiler)

This is a great book that deals with serious (and some less serious) problems that modern teenagers have to deal with. I wish there are more books like these.
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Jan 04, 2009 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

The more I think about _Twisted_, the more I think it is an effective--and unusual--contribution to any YA collection. Halse Anderson accomplishes two remarkable feats in this book. First, she gets the teenage male voice and preoccupations perfect; Tyler's hard-ons are just as much a part of his daily life as his social anxieties, crushes, and homework. And secondly, she manages to address the deep-level importance of family life, however dysfunctional, to adolescents.

The plot seems at first to...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-reads, books-read-in-2012

"Everbody told me to be a man - Nobody told me how"

Twisted is the story of a young man who's been a loser and a nobody until a poorly conceived prank at the end of his junior year lands him in legal trouble. That includes probation, a required job with a landscaping firm and a summer-time afterwork stint in the school's janatorial crew for restitution. However the hard work pays off in unanticipated ways. His new work-hardened physique and his newly minted bad boy reputation make him a personal...more

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Sep 14, 2008 stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008, young-adult, prize-winners, suicide, adolescent

i don't know why every book i've been picking up recently has to do with suicide - not directly, but indirectly. it's pretty impressive.

anyway, this is the first of Laurie Halse Anderson's books i've read with a male protagonist, and i have to say, i'm pretty impressed with how well she got into tyler's head.

(i also really liked yoda.)

this book is centrally about identity and pressure, and, in a little like Thirteen Reasons Why, the repercussions of actions that we don't even know. tyler sta...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Shelves: books-i-own, young-adult, romance, mental-health

Twisted was a brilliant book. The average sounding description on the back definitely did not prepare me for what was inside. It started out pretty slow but once I got into the swing of it, I simply couldn't put it down. Tyler's character is just so real and raw. His voice is believable, witty and intelligent. I could really connect with him and really cared about how things would turn out. The book had me in suspense many times and was a real page-turner. Twisted is an excellent portrayal of fa...more

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Feb 09, 2009 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Excellent guy book. The main character, Tyler, has to learn to balance his preferences along with meeting the expectations or his parents, peers, and impressing the girl of his dreams, and making amends for past wrongs. Tyler has to face a father whose pressures at work spill over at home making him a tyrant willing to use force and intimidation to gain compliance. Peers and authorities at school and the community have not forgiven Tyler for a mistake/youthful prank/crime from the past. Tyler fe...more

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Jan 03, 2009 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

It is difficult to find a great protagonist who is a teen-aged male. Tyler Miller is an interesting and (from my observations) typical - ish high school senior. What's different about him is that as a nerd-boy junior, he tagged his high school, was caught, arrested and sentenced to community service. The summer prior to his senior year, Tyler works hard and ends up becoming a muscle-bound hottie. At least hot enough to attract the object of his desire, Bethany, who also happens to Tyler's father...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 17, 2011 Hira rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

First off,I started this book at almost two in the morning when I couldn't go off to sleep.After the first few chapters,I was completely hooked and I couldn't put it down till I was finished.I think I just set a kind of record for myself by finishing a novel in little under four hours.:)
Tyler's life is a big mess.His dad works all the time and is generally a big jerk.His mom is portrayed as a nice lady who tries in vain to hold things together with her family and is she is sinking deep into depr...more First off,I started this book at almost two in the morning when I couldn't go off to sleep.After the first few chapters,I was completely hooked and I couldn't put it down till I was finished.I think I just set a kind of record for myself by finishing a novel in little under four hours.:)
Tyler's life is a big mess.His dad works all the time and is generally a big jerk.His mom is portrayed as a nice lady who tries in vain to hold things together with her family and is she is sinking deep into depression with every passing day.His younger sister Hannah is dating his best friend Yoda.His parents fight all the time and things aren't much better for him at his school.He is bullied and doesn't have a lot many friends.In fact he is a nobody at school until he decides to make a statement by doing graffiti on school walls.After that he finally develops a kind of reputation at school which makes him appealing in the eyes of the queen bee and Tyler's secret crush,Beth.At first Tyler can't believe his luck but soon everything falls apart and Tyler is left contemplating ways to commit suicide.
This is the first Laurie Halse Anderson book I have read.I had heard a lot of praise for her work and so I was fairly optimistic when I picked this book.And I happy to inform it did not disappoint me.And I got a lot more than I had expected.What I loved about this book was...well,everything.You could completely relate to the characters.The plot was mesmerizing and the mental and emotional turmoil through which the kids from dysfunctional families like Tyler's suffer is greatly stressed.The way the writer portrays Tyler's fascination for death is just amazing.Anderson makes her readers feel the pain Tyler goes through.He is shown struggling to regain control of his own life and in the end he does muster enough courage to improve things for himself at his school and his family.
This is one of those rare books which leave a permanent impact on your mind and make it hard for you to forget them.The only reason this book didn't get five stars from me is because I am a bitch and four is the highest I give to any book.;)(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

If TWISTED is in your "to be read" pile, please don't wait - move it to the top.

This is a novel about pressure - the three P's - parental pressure, peer pressure, and personal pressure.

Tyler Miller is guilty of something he refers to as The Foul Deed. His punishment involves losing his driving privileges, doing community service at the school, working for a local landscaping company, reporting to a probation officer, keeping his...more

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Dec 26, 2007 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novelist-reviews

Of this group of YA novels, this is the least "heavy" of all the books, in part because humor is the main weapon of Tyler, the main character. The voice, like Melinda's in Anderson's classic Speak, is heartbreaking, honest and funny, as when Tyler describes himself as "a zit on the butt of the student body." Long an outcast nerd, Tyler commits a rebellious act that leads to a summer of muscle and confidence-building labor, transforming Tyler into a stud. He soon captures the attention of school...more

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Nov 24, 2008 Valerie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This book didn't really do it for me. The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking that if I was a teenager I would have had my jaw gaping open at some of the plot twists, but since I'm now a jaded adult I felt like the events that occurred were a bit more emotionally manipulative.

Main things that bugged me: the "fantasy" of a dorky guy who works all summer and comes back to school buff and suddenly semi-popular. The gun. The inattentive father and the "resolution" that occurs with their rel...more

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May 14, 2012 Carm rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, young-adult-juvenile, read-in-2011, library-books

Students really like this book. I thought it was decent but not as gripping as some. It's about a high school boy who is unhappy with his life -- from his overly-harsh father to his parents insistence on his enrollment in AP classes. Over the summer, Tyler worked on the roof of the school serving his court-mandated community service for an act of vandalism he committed. He's spent most of his life as the nerd but his recent work experience has transformed him into someone the bullies might fear...more

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Aug 08, 2007 Tricia rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Laurie Halse Anderson Fans, who probably don't need a recommendation

Astoundingly convincing male high school voice. Loved this character and stuck with him through ALMOST the entire book.

The main character's emotional downfall was not entirely convincing at the point in time that it occured, and his self-discovery was too vague to leave me satisfied. Additionally, the most "Twisted" aspect of the plot, was brushed aside with a way too typical explanation for a book donning such a title.

I am a huge Laurie Halse Anderson fan. Her books are always full of voice, d...more

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Oct 21, 2009 Prairie Star rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gateway-2009-2010, 8th-grade-star-reader-2009-2010

Mature* language, sex
Tyler is a high school senior who was never noticed for much living with a domineering father, a mother who is a fainting daisy who drinks too much and a younger sister trying to fit in any way she can, all in the façade of a happy rising middle class family. Tyler has spent the summer doing community service for a school prank, his claim to notoriety. But what everyone fails to see is that Tyler is really struggling with home life and fitting in. He has lots of violent thou...more

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Feb 26, 2009 Ali Cross rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was an excellent book.

I had visions of Nineteen Minutes (Jodi Picoult) going through my head through most of it, fearing that at any moment the MC of the book was going to snap and do something awful.

Whew. That didn't happen.

In truth, I really had no idea what this book was about when I first picked it up. I'm working my way through a friends' recommended reading list (Elana!) and this just happened to be on her list. The back cover really didn't give anything away, except for the brief blu...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-reads, library

So, here's the deal: I totally picked this book up at the library because it looked interesting. The cover looked a little edgy (nothing too bubble gum) and I've been on the lookout for YA books with male protagonists... I've been trying to get inside the minds of high school males (I know, it seems weird, right?) because I'm not sure I've been writing the guys in my novel very faithfully. After reading this (and starting to read Doing It by Melvin Burgess, authored by a guy) it appears that if...more

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Dec 06, 2008 Mirna Cruz rated it 4 of 5 stars

this book is about a highschool student who doesnt have many friends.hes always had a crush on a certain girl but knows ahes out of his league. throughout the summer he has to work for the school because he plans a prank and hets caught. his father also works for the father of the girl he likes and he is very dissapointed when he hurts her at their party. after apologizing she warms up to him and they become friends and she starts to like him. they go to a party and she comes on to him but he do...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Rebecca Dalton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 678-libs

This book is suggested for 9th grade and up and on the opening page of the book, it says that the book is not intended for children. I choose this as my quick pick. I thought that the story moved along and was easy and enjoyable to read. The chapters were short. The story was very interesting and followed a boy who had been labeled nerd find himself in a bit of legal trouble and then in a brief relationship and then some repercussions with the most desirable girl in the school. The whole family...more

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May 28, 2013 Dominic Rossillo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted has been one of the better books i have read in a long time and really sparked my interest in reading. The book allows for the reader to become engaged in a teenagers life, i for one am already living my own teen age life but being able to just sit down and read about another teenager's problems and struggles makes the experience of reading this book all the more enjoyable.

The book follows the story of Tyler Miller who once was a quiet nerd who just went through s...more

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May 19, 2013 Jerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

How could I ever forget this book? I was chosen for a group last year to read it, and despite not liking the class or the school year, the well-done novel stood out in my head. I decided to pick it up again and do a re-read. The book Twisted puts Tyler Miller, former physically weak loner, in the middle of a dysfunctional life. After months of taking advantage of his newly-found physique, he is falsely accused of sexually assaulting Bethany Milbury, who ironically happens to be his crush. My fav...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Biancaa Blanco rated it 5 of 5 stars

Twisted, what an amazing book. It’s about a boy, who was a senior In High school, Tyler Miller. He used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background: average student, average dysfunctional family, Average everything. Until he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, he somehow turned out to be the ‘’ bad-ass” of the school as some say, others’ say his “criminal”. Since his reputation changed for good or bad, he attracted one of the most popular girls’ at school , Bethany Milbury – Tyl...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Eric Liu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, black-comedy, depression, adolescence, family-dysfunction, transformation, manhood

Twisted is the tale of Tyler Miller, a sweet, kind boy who struggles with keeping his sanity. Ever since a young age, Tyler has been relentlessly bullied and humiliated to the point that when he entered secondary school, he was the most quiescent person in the entire school. He has all but one true friend, his best friend, Calvin. Calvin is bullied as much as Tyler is, therefore the two brothers have developed a sense of obligation to protect one another.

After a lifetime of invisibility and humi...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Stevenkkkkk rated it 5 of 5 stars

Twisted is a really amazing novel that is more than what I have expected to get from it. Before I read this book I was looking at it as a teenage fantasy which all the things are unrealistic and have a happy ending for sure. Nevertheless, since I have started reading, I found Twisted covers many common issues existing in our real world, instead of intensely focusing on love relationship between Tyler and Bethany, common issues such as the gap between teenagers and parents, the process of teenag...more Twisted is a really amazing novel that is more than what I have expected to get from it. Before I read this book I was looking at it as a teenage fantasy which all the things are unrealistic and have a happy ending for sure. Nevertheless, since I have started reading, I found Twisted covers many common issues existing in our real world, instead of intensely focusing on love relationship between Tyler and Bethany, common issues such as the gap between teenagers and parents, the process of teenagers growing up and becoming willing to take the responsibility are also well covered in the novel as well. However, there are always two sides for everything, I concern that some teen readers might consider the self-hurting and violent thoughts diffused from Tyler as a normal part in the process of growing up, the misleading might lead them to think in the same way as Tyler did.
I also really appreciate that the relationships between Tyler and his family are not fantastic but realistic. There are a bunch of families that having bad relationships with their children or parents due to the different causes such as alcoholism and work pressures, instead of showing us ideal relationships between Tyler and his parents and sister, I’m glad to see the more realistic and lifelike family structure is set in the novel.
The another part that I find resonant is how Chip, Bethany’s brother protected his sister throughout the novel, my own experiences support me a lot at understanding Chip’s unfriendly, even offensive attitude towards Tyler is understandable, to some people they might think that Laurie Anderson was expressly setting barriers for Tyler and Bethany, but what I think it’s a understandable, normal, and reasonable response that a brother has when he thinks that no one could ever be good enough to his sister, I found resonance here, and I want to stand up for Laurie here that the responses here are not made up. I appreciate the author’s efforts.
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Apr 19, 2013 Martine rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first chose this book for my class project and I no idea it would’ve surprised me as much as it did. Laurie Halse Anderson does an excellent job, writing from a teen’s perspective and a male’s point of view. Twisted is the tale of a young teen named Tyler Miller. Tyler is just like every other teen struggling to find his place in the world. “Everybody told me to be a man. Nobody told me how” (Anderson 184). With today’s society changing so quickly every teen is at a loss for where they st...more When I first chose this book for my class project and I no idea it would’ve surprised me as much as it did. Laurie Halse Anderson does an excellent job, writing from a teen’s perspective and a male’s point of view. Twisted is the tale of a young teen named Tyler Miller. Tyler is just like every other teen struggling to find his place in the world. “Everybody told me to be a man. Nobody told me how” (Anderson 184). With today’s society changing so quickly every teen is at a loss for where they stand.
Tyler who always blended in and faded out decides that one day he wants to play a prank of spraying graffiti all over his school, in hopes of gaining some recognition. But all goes wrong and he gets caught, sentencing him to a summer full of community service. He ends up working for the school janitors where he does hard labour, but grows to be 6 foot 3 with a strong pack of muscles. He starts school and his new looks attracts the most popular girl Bethany Milbury. Tyler finally gets the chance to spend time with the girl he’s had a crush in since forever. But unexpected events occur and Tyler gets thrown into a place where he finds himself and learns to make his own decisions.
I really enjoyed this book as it was humorous and sad at the same time. Anderson takes a typical teen story and changes the plot from happy go lucky teen to a sad and depressed one. She is so accurate with the facts that are represented the book relating to teens and the issues they face such as finding themselves. This book deals with growing up and having to face the challenges along the way. It takes on teen issues that many people have to face and gives you a front row seat of what happen. I also found it interesting to read from a male’s point of view which I really loved. If I didn’t know the author was a female I wouldn’t have guessed it was written from one because she conceals her tone so well. It was funny and was one of those books that I just had to keep on reading. I really connected with Tyler and found myself rooting for him throughout his struggles and hoping that he makes the right decision. This book will put you on the edge of you seat making you antsy with what will happen next.
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Apr 18, 2013 Spencer Vanderhoof rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book. Vividly realistic fiction. I haven't read any other of Laurie Anderson's books yet, but after this one I am surely going to look into it. I admit, i wasn't thrilled with the ending, but over all it is still a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone i know. I can't really point out any of the litterary techniques to give extra attention too because she knocks them all out of the park (wink wink). But really, the book is so realistic i would have believed without a doubt that the cha...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Cam2969 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I would highly recommend the fiction novel, "Twisted" by Laurie Halse Anderson. I feel it would be a perfect book for teen boys like me. It involves high school drama that everyone can relate to, Tyler the main charter who tells the story was a geeky kid that got bullied and pushed around until one day he acted out after so many years with dealing with people. He spray painted the the school and the same day he got caught. He had to work all summer long to pay back the school for the damages he...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Heather Hansen rated it 1 of 5 stars

I picked this up because I am reading another book by the same author and because the quote on the inside of the book intrigued me. "Everybody told me to be a man. Nobody told me how."

Crap!

This book was porn and vulgarity for tweens/teens. If I could give it a zero, I would.

I made it through page 8. In those 8 short pages I read about:

adult men who taught the boy how to steal out of vending machines, a boy who steals other things when the adults aren't looking, enough testosterone to power a nu...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Sarae rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Life handed me a lemon and it blew up in my face” -Tyler page 127. Some people have all the luck in life, our main character, Tyler, was not one of those fortunate individuals. In the novel "Twisted," by Laurie Halse Anderson describes the story of growing up in popularity poverty Tyler only had a single friend. Sick of being invisible during his senior year in high school he decides to change the rules. Daringly pulling what he thought would bring him from poverty to riches in popularity, Tyle...more “Life handed me a lemon and it blew up in my face” -Tyler page 127. Some people have all the luck in life, our main character, Tyler, was not one of those fortunate individuals. In the novel "Twisted," by Laurie Halse Anderson describes the story of growing up in popularity poverty Tyler only had a single friend. Sick of being invisible during his senior year in high school he decides to change the rules. Daringly pulling what he thought would bring him from poverty to riches in popularity, Tyler is caught in the act of vandalizing the school and sent to juvenile hall. Now in the biggest obstacle of his life Tyler has to overcome losing the popularity and the love of his life, as well as himself trying to take his own life.
Bethany Milbury was the love of Tyler’s life. Tall, blonde and gorgeous shes had Tylers heart in her hand since before elementary school. Now after committing his crime and no longer invisible to the schools general population Bethany starts to take a liking Tylers bad boy reputation. Things were finally looking up for Tyler before the unthinkable happened at a party they both attended. Bethany being the wild child she was, had too much to drink and blacked out from intoxication. People unclothed her and took inappropriate pictures of her while unconscious. Bethany embarrassed and extremely disgruntled about what has happened blames Tyler for the pictures. Tyler now losing Bethany also loses his popularity and people revert to beating him up on the daily.
Tyler, now feeling like he has nothing to live for takes a turn for the worst thinking about how to make the pain and humiliation stop. Thinking about taking the easiest way out, Tyler takes his dad’s gun and goes to the river. Holding the gun in his mouth having his whole life running through his head he can not pull the trigger. Lost and confused in life feeling as powerless of his existence as an ant, Tyler through the bullets in the river and returns home. His father greets him at the door understanding of the situation both in awe of what to do. To find out what happens in the remainder of the novel you’re going to have to read it yourself.
Twisted was an excellent novel that reminded me that my life isn’t so bad. I would recommend it to people seeking a vividly scary but sympathetic novel. Children should not be reading this novel however, it is strictly for a mature audience. I would rate this book an eight out of ten for its terrifying imagery of Tylers most life threatening moments.(less)

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About Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous ALA and state awards. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists.

Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes....more

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“I picked up one of the books and flipped through it. Don't get me wrong, I like reading. But some books should come with warning labels: Caution: contains characters and plots guaranteed to induce sleepiness. Do not attempt to operate heavy machinery after ingesting more than one chapter. Has been known to cause blindness, seizures and a terminal loathing of literature. Should only be taken under the supervision of a highly trained English teacher. Preferably one who grades on the curve.” — 343 people liked it

“Everybody told me to be a man. Nobody told me how.” — 130 people liked it

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