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33rd out of 598 books
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Twisted
by
Laurie Halse Anderson (Goodreads Author)
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
April 1st 2007
by Viking Books
(first published March 20th 2007)
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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
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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 ...more
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...more
The plot seems...more
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 action...more
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 action...more
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
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
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 fa...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...more
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...more
I'm struggling to assign a rating to this one. 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.
Long rant about the 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 by then. No. I ask the librarian.
Blink.
I explain again.
"Maybe it's in the shipment ...more
Long rant about the 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 by then. No. I ask the librarian.
Blink.
I explain again.
"Maybe it's in the shipment ...more
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 ...more
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"...more
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"...more
Tricia
rated it
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...more
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...more
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 t...more
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 t...more
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 any...more
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 any...more
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
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
Chris Crutcher said "Laurie Halse Anderson is at the top of her storytelling game." He's right -- this is one is an amazing piece of writing. Edgy (some language and several hormonal daydreams), but I think on target for mature 8th graders headed for the high school. Tyler is a kid caught between his emotionally abusive father's expectations and his abilities. Gaming is an escape for him, but he can't escape the bullying that goes on at school. As the story opens, it's August, and...more
This book was read for Banned Book Week 2011. Even though Banned Book Week 2011 is now over, everyone can still support this great cause by reading a banned book or find out if your local library has banned any books. If so, make others aware of it because everyone has the right to read. To see the list of the top ten challenged books of 2010 go to the ALA's website. Support intellectual freedom and read one on the list.
Judged by the Cover: So very bi-polar!
I am calli...more
Judged by the Cover: So very bi-polar!
I am calli...more
Twisted was a great compelling story that draws you in from beginning to end. The story is about a boy named Tyler who goes from a nobody to a somewhat popular kid that is looked at as the bad boy. He has a crush on the most popular girl in school but hes not sure if she likes him. Earlier in the year Tyler was arrested for doing graffiti on school property. He had a negative picture for a while but once he started talking to Bethany Milbury everyone started looking at him differently. Everythin...more
As a general fan of Anderson's Speak and Fever 1793, I found myself once again captured by her rich language and dead-on sarcasm. Although the novel is by far inferior to her other works, readers are sure to be pleased with a book that offers vivid descriptions and phrases that are a refreshing break from the drab works of the modern day YA novel.
Anderson displays a mastery of language used to show the deeply rooted sarcasm in the modern day teenager. With phrases like "Don'...more
Anderson displays a mastery of language used to show the deeply rooted sarcasm in the modern day teenager. With phrases like "Don'...more
“Twisted” by Laurie Halse Andrewson is an interesting book about how protagonist Tyler Miller deals with problems that he’s faced with during his senior year at high school. The year before, Tyler had committed vandalism by spray painting the side of his school. He did this because he wanted to be remembered as someone who was a badass, not just as the nerdy kid. The consequence of doing this was a summer full of community service helping the janitors at his school. After doing a whole...more
The novel” Twisted “is about a high school senior named Tyler Miller. Tyler Miller is a teenage boy with many insecurities and has family problems. After a summer of probation work for a foul deed (graffiti prank on school property) he transforms from nerd white boy, to muscular tall hunk. Not only does he experience physical transformations, he also experiences a change to his social life. The most popular girl in the school, whom he liked for ages is finally showing interest in him and he is ...more
Twisted
Reading this book took me through a series of drama and adventure. Tyler the main character went through alot of stuff during Highschool, he was this nerdy skinny kid and no one liked him. So he thought that he would take time and do a prank within the school that ended up getting him arrested right in the middle of school. Students thought that it was cool to get arrested in school. Tyler began working off his Community Service through working on the school, he then got buff ...more
Reading this book took me through a series of drama and adventure. Tyler the main character went through alot of stuff during Highschool, he was this nerdy skinny kid and no one liked him. So he thought that he would take time and do a prank within the school that ended up getting him arrested right in the middle of school. Students thought that it was cool to get arrested in school. Tyler began working off his Community Service through working on the school, he then got buff ...more
The book "TWISTED" by Laurie Halse Anderson is a great book! The main character's name is Tyler. He is about to begin his senior year of high school when the book starts. He had been given community service over summer for the "Foul Deed" he had committed the year before. After a summer of landscape work, Tyler went from the tiny, whimpy loser that he was previously known as, to a ripped muscle man. Nobody was expecting this. Especially not Bethany Milbury. Tyler's dream girl...more
Kristen
added it
The book twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a boy named Tyler Miller. Tyler has always been nerdy, with one friend that goes by the name Yoda. Once Tyler gets busted for drawing graffiti on his school, his reputation changes. With his new ‘bad boy’ reputation, big muscles, and tanned skin, he attracts Bethany Millbury – his secret crush. And also the daughter of his father’s boss. Bethany’s brother, Chip, absolutely hates Tyler. Putting Chip in the back of his head, Bethany and Tyler star...more
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson is about the socially awkward Tyler Miller. It is his senior year of high school and after a tough summer of forced community service in response to his graffiti prank, he is ready to finish school and move on. His reputation is better after the prank and his crush finally seems to be noticing him, even if her brother is Tyler’s tormentor. After a troubling incident at a party he is invited to attend, his life starts to twist out of control. He is accused o...more
High school senior Tyler Miller was formerly known as an average joe kind of student. Average build, average grades, and an average dysfunctional family. So one day, Tyler decided to do the unthinkable. Something that no one would expect him to do. To tag (graffiti) his high school, but got busted. When he got caught for doing graffiti on the school, his summer was spent outdoor work to pay for the repaies. After all that hard manual labor was done and taken care of, Tyler visually stands out li...more
Twisted is a coming of age novel which discusses topics not appropriate for younger readers. There is actually a warning on the page before you start the book that says it isn't for children. But it seems to be targeted for ages 18-21.
It is about a boy, Tyler, who has been labeled a dweeb and loser his whole life. To make a statement and let everyone know he's alive, he tags the school the summer before his senior year and gets caught. That summer, he physically transforms from this sc...more
It is about a boy, Tyler, who has been labeled a dweeb and loser his whole life. To make a statement and let everyone know he's alive, he tags the school the summer before his senior year and gets caught. That summer, he physically transforms from this sc...more
Raw, real, and an emotional roller-coaster, Twisted tells the story of high school senior Tyler Miller--a nerd turned pseudo-delinquent--as he navigates the social, academic, and familial dilemmas of almost-adulthood.
At times hilarious, and at others heartbreaking, Laurie Halse Anderson's novel hits on big themes and issues--bullying, cliques, social pressures, teen sex, physical attraction, friendship, sibling relationships, family dysfunction, poor parenting, substance abuse, sexua...more
At times hilarious, and at others heartbreaking, Laurie Halse Anderson's novel hits on big themes and issues--bullying, cliques, social pressures, teen sex, physical attraction, friendship, sibling relationships, family dysfunction, poor parenting, substance abuse, sexua...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tylers sister | 6 | 40 | Feb 03, 2012 06:05am | |
| Domuracki - Period 6: Twisted Who's Better? | 1 | 2 | Dec 05, 2011 01:18pm | |
| Domuracki - Period 6: good books | 3 | 7 | Nov 04, 2011 01:52pm | |
| feeling lonely | 4 | 42 | Sep 25, 2011 10:43am | |
| Laurie Halse Anderson's use of characterization and good ending in Twisted | 5 | 56 | Sep 08, 2011 04:36pm |
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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...more
More about Laurie Halse Anderson...
Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as...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.”
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253 people liked it
“Everybody told me to be a man. Nobody told me how.”
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101 people liked it
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Mar 17, 2010 02:08pm