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The Twisted Window

by Lois Duncan (Goodreads Author)

3.49 of 5 stars 3.49 · rating details · 961 ratings · 101 reviews

What does he want with her?

Tracy Lloyd can feel handsome Brad Johnson watching her.He's not a student at her school. He doesn't even live in Winfield. But Brad has plans for Tracy......more

Paperback, 192 pages

Published September 1st 1988 by Laurel Leaf (first published 1987)

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May 08, 2013 Andrea Hussey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Plot spoilers
The beginning was just pain creepy. He’s scoping out girls like a total creep.

This goes to show that older people shouldn’t write as teenagers. Her high school students sounded like stuffy old middle aged adults.
For ex: “It’s hard to generate action when you’re holding a tray that’s dripping spaghetti sauce.”
Seriously? What teenaged way uses the word generate?

Tracy was not likable as a character. She was cool and distant to guys, like she was better than them. And the whole she-act...more

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May 06, 2013 Dani Gustasven rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Twisted Window, by Lois Duncan in 1987, is about one girl, Tracy Lloyd who is a junior in High School. She lives with her Aunt Rene and Uncle Cory because her mother had recently passed away and her father was busy working on a movie in Italy. One day during lunch Tracy was eating with her best friend Gina, when she notices a new kid staring at her. The boy, named Brad Johnston, comes over and decides to talk to her. What Tracy didn’t know was that Brad does not go to that high school. He is...more The Twisted Window, by Lois Duncan in 1987, is about one girl, Tracy Lloyd who is a junior in High School. She lives with her Aunt Rene and Uncle Cory because her mother had recently passed away and her father was busy working on a movie in Italy. One day during lunch Tracy was eating with her best friend Gina, when she notices a new kid staring at her. The boy, named Brad Johnston, comes over and decides to talk to her. What Tracy didn’t know was that Brad does not go to that high school. He is really from Albuquerque here to find his step dad. He is looking for someone to help him. One day his sister and step dad disappeared. Brad has come to Winfield because he thinks that his step dad may have brought her here. Gina thinks Brad is harmless so she gives him her number, but continues to feel unsure about Brad. Walking home after school she felt uneasy. She thought someone was following her. She started to run. A few seconds later she heard a car speed past on the road. She finally made it home.
That night someone rang her doorbell so she went to answer it. She opened the door to see Brad. Tracy asked If he really went to her school. He said no, and told her all about how his step dad, Gavin, and his sister, Mindy, had disappeared. He also told her that he thinks Gavin took Mindy to Winfield. He asked her if she could help him track them down. She says yes to Brad. Brad finds a house with Gavins car parked out front. Tracy and Brad to to the window of the house to see if anyone is there. They had found people in the dinning room all sitting there. Is it really Mindy sitting inside? Do they get her home? Read The Twisted Window to find out.
I thought this book was well planed out. After reading a few pages I knew that this was going to be a good book. This book was also very suspenseful when they found the house Gavin was living in and it had me wanting to read more. I highly recomend reading this book because it tells a story of how you should always watch out for your surroundings.
(less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: so-mysterious, young-adult, netgalley

Following the death of her mother, Tracy Lloyd doesn't want friends. She doesn't want her guardians to question everything she does. She just wants to be left alone. She certainly doesn't want to help Brad with the crazy favor he asked of her. But she can't help feeling that it's the right thing to do. Will she give up everything in her life for this strange boy?

This is a reprint of a 1987 story by Lois Duncan. It's a great tale that will suck the reader in and leave them wanting more. It does,...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Sheri Boston rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, realistic-fiction, reviewed, suspense, young-adult, netgalley, 2013-reading-challenge

Originally posted on my blog!! :) :)

Plot (3/5):

When I first read the summary, as I was browsing NetGalley, it seemed pretty interesting. I mean obviously right? I did request it. And it wasn't horrible. I made it through and it kept my attention enough. But it wasn't exactly great either. I think the idea behind the story was pretty good, it just could have been executed much better. It wasn't until after I had finished and was pulling stuff up to get ready to post this review, did I see on Good...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Kristin Curtis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eng-356-1-12

The Twisted Window is a thriller about a young girl named Tracy Lloyd. Tracy lives with her aunt and uncle because, after her mother was killed, her father didn't feel like he was about to care for her. She is bitter and angry with her life. She meets an attractive new kid named Brad and asks a huge favor of her. His little sister has been taken by his stepfather and Brad wants to get her back. Tracy agrees, not thinking much about the possible consequences. It's his sister after all, so it's no...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Maxine McLister rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Brad, the new kid at school, approaches Tracy for help, she is reluctant. He wants her to help him get back his little sister, Mindy, who, he claims, has been kidnapped by his ex-stepfather. Tracy doesn't know him and parts of his story don't add up. Shouldn't he go the cops, his mother, anybody in authority? But Brad has a perfectly good explanation for all her objections. Finally, after seeing the beautiful little girl and, if she is being honest, partly because she is angry with her aunt...more

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Aug 19, 2012 C. Purtill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lois Duncan's novels are always page-turners. I read this book in less than a day. She knows how to keep the pace up, keep the thrill going and the mystery alive. That being said, it's obvious that this novel was originally written in 1987. While certain things have been updated (references to cell phones, for example), the overall plot feels dated.

A handsome stranger named Brad convinces high school junior Tracy to assist him in getting his kidnapped sister back. Despite her misgivings, she's t...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The twisted window by Lois Duncan
Faced with a challenge…. This is an interesting book you are left with more questions than answers as you see the lives of these two young teenage children. Brad is lost in a new town, looking for help with his plan. He has lost his kid sister, in his grief he believes that she has been kidnapped by her father, his stepfather. He does not know how to solve the problem on his own. He found her in a local high school, with his good looks, and charm. He was able to...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Nenia Campbell rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: x-1980s, netgalley, ya-baby-ya

You can read more reviews at my blog, The Armchair Librarian!

Back in junior high school, my favorite books were those R.L. Stine-esque thrillers about deadly parties, deadly vacations, deadly grudges, etc. etc. Some of them were about vampires, some about monsters, some were about serial killers. In retrospect, many of them were quite trashy and most of them did not hold up well at all over time.

When I found out that Open Road Media was rereleasing some vintage YA on netgalley, I was really exci...more You can read more reviews at my blog, The Armchair Librarian!

Back in junior high school, my favorite books were those R.L. Stine-esque thrillers about deadly parties, deadly vacations, deadly grudges, etc. etc. Some of them were about vampires, some about monsters, some were about serial killers. In retrospect, many of them were quite trashy and most of them did not hold up well at all over time.

When I found out that Open Road Media was rereleasing some vintage YA on netgalley, I was really excited and applied for everything. Who doesn't love a critical rehashing of their childhood nostalgia?

The Twisted Window is about a junior in high school whose name is Tracy, but I'm going to call her Idiot. Idiot's parents were movie stars and she never got over her mother getting killed by a mugger. She lives in Texas with her aunt and uncle, and has decided she doesn't want any friends. She hangs out with Slut at lunch, but only because being alone is the kiss of death. Mostly, she whines about how lame Texas is in comparison to New York, and what a podunk state Texas is.

One day, Slut and Idiot see a new boy at school, Attractive Psychopath. AP is drawn to Idiot because she is exactly what he needs for his plans. We are treated to vague ramblings in his POV about how he needs someone who looks mature, and who is also a loner. Yeah, because that's not creepy at all....

Anyway, it turns out that Idiot knows that everything he is telling her is a lie. She knows he doesn't really go to the school, she knows he was following her on the walk home, and when he shows up at her aunt and uncle's house uninvited (remember, kiddies--this is before there was MapQuest), she goes with him anyway. Alone. Because he's good-looking, and that means psychopathy is a-OK!

Idiot learns that AP wants her help kidnapping his sister back from his allegedly abusive stepdad. He claims that his stepdad was sore over his mother winning custody, and so he ran off with his half-sister. He has found out that his half-sister, Mindy, lives in this town. He wants Idiot to get hired as the family babysitter so he can kidnap Mindy as soon as his evil stepdad and his new wife leave. Nothing sketchy 'bout that at all!

As you've probably guessed, there's a twist. The twist is lame, but I do appreciate the effort.

Also, the 50s slang in this book is so bizarre. Because this was written in the 80s and takes place in the 80s, and yet there was mention of a cellphone? And AP refers to Slut as a "hot little number." And parents are referred to as "my folks," and I think there might have been a gee whiz or two in there. That was a little odd.

I vaguely remember reading Lois Duncan as a kid and not being impressed. I feel the same, only more so.

1.5 stars.(less)

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Oct 13, 2012 Andreea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I've never read anything written by Lois Duncan before and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It is a page turner and you have to read until the last chapter to receive the answers to your questions: Why and when has Brad became so disturbed and what exactly happened to Mindy, his little sister?

The story begins with Brad searching for a particular type of girl to help him out. We don't know why and what his plan is (for a few pages I actually thought he was a murderer wh...more I've never read anything written by Lois Duncan before and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It is a page turner and you have to read until the last chapter to receive the answers to your questions: Why and when has Brad became so disturbed and what exactly happened to Mindy, his little sister?

The story begins with Brad searching for a particular type of girl to help him out. We don't know why and what his plan is (for a few pages I actually thought he was a murderer who was looking for his next victim), but he finds Tracy who seems to be the right choice. She is attracted to him and she thinks he is interested in her, but soon she finds out that's not the case. He just wants her help to get back his sister who has been kidnapped by his stepfather. Brad has good answers to all of Tracy's questions (why isn't the police involved, why is he hiding from his mother the fact that he found Mindy?...) and he convinces her to help. She mainly agrees because she is angry with her father abandoning her to her uncle and aunt's home and she makes a connection between her story and Mindy's.
After succeeding in helping Brad she finds out that he is not exactly what he seemed, that everything was far from the truth. She realises that she made a bad decision trusting him and now she has to fix her mistake.

I liked that the story was told from alternating point of views, mainly from Tracy's and Brad's, that it was full of suspense, twists and turns and I think the author did a good job describing the characters.

I think that Tracy's decision of helping Brad was rushed...he was a stranger, a person whom she met only a couple of days before. I understand that there were some events that triggered her decision, but still...she could of seen that there was something odd about Brad's behavior. There were many signs that indicated the fact that she was making a mistake, but she saw them too late.

The Twisted Window is an intense YA thriller and I recommend it to others.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Open Road Media for sending me this e-book.(less)

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Aug 24, 2012 Levina C. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers, arcs

Thrillers, especially children's thrillers, are like the junk food of the literary world. They're a quick and easy way to provide entertainment and no one expects any thought-provoking introspection or unique premises from them. They're designed to deliver suspense, and Lois Duncan does exactly that and nothing more.

This novella starts out with two high school students trading narration as their eyes follow each other around the school. One is a boy with a mysterious mission which requires him...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Dani GR Motherfuqqer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: galley

~NetGalley acquired

This book was originally published in 1987. Yes I know, but it's making a comeback. It's re-released for 2012. While reading the book I wasn't paying attention but now that I'm done, I realize, yup it had to be revised because if anybody was carrying a cell phone in 1987 they couldn't exactly pull it out of their pockets with ease. I think at the time it was a freaking suitcase and only for those who could afford the extremely expensive contraption. Yeah, this one's been redo...more ~NetGalley acquired

This book was originally published in 1987. Yes I know, but it's making a comeback. It's re-released for 2012. While reading the book I wasn't paying attention but now that I'm done, I realize, yup it had to be revised because if anybody was carrying a cell phone in 1987 they couldn't exactly pull it out of their pockets with ease. I think at the time it was a freaking suitcase and only for those who could afford the extremely expensive contraption. Yeah, this one's been redone.
The story now falls into the category of a YA/thriller. There's so many damn categories for books now it's insane. It's becoming worse than modern music to classify things now. But that's what it should be labelled as.
The story has you scratching your head at first, yeah I know I don't read mystery's much so I can always predict them to some degree but not like the people who know what's going to happen a third of the way in and are absolutely correct. I'm not that good. I let the story come to me so I can be surprised instead of trying to figure it out completely and I don't want to ruin the damn time I invested into the book. I happen to enjoy reading. If I wanted to be a detective, I'd have gone into that line of work and would probably not have much free time for reading. It's not my thing. So all you junior detectives have a leg up on me in the mystery book department.
The book starts with the stories of Brad and Tracy. Tracy is the awkward girl in school who doesn't have any real close friends and Brad is the hot new guy in school who's scouting out a particular type of girl to help him out. He chooses Tracy out of the line up and cautiously approaches her for help but doesn't know how to broach the subject. Tracy is a no bull type of girl and calls him out on his bullshit right away, she gets Brad to spill on what exactly he really wants with her. It's sad that Tracy has such low self esteem as to think a hot guy like Brad wouldn't exactly want to date a girl who looks like her but in the end she's exactly right.
Brad needs help getting his little sister back. He tells Tracy the story of his mother and his stepfather having his little sister and how the stepfather he hated so much has stolen his little sister away from his Mom. The police will no longer help find the child and have no interest in following up the story. He even has a picture of her of a year before when she was first kidnapped. Tracy now knowing the full story, is undecided on what she's going to do but knows from personal experience that Father's can be disappointing and uses her own experience of her Father abandoning her to her Aunt and Uncle's home in Texas, to motivate her to help Brad out after all.
Tracy gets the information needed to find out where Brad's little sister is and even helps him snatch the girl back. She's now wanted by the police for helping Brad kidnap a little girl that she's now no longer convinced is his sister because she's missing a scar that Brad said she had on her stomach. She soon finds out the truth but she's far from home and Brad has already ditched her in a small town in New Mexico. His best friend Jamie comes to meet Tracy and Brad, but he's gone and Jamie and Tracy get to talk and piece together the truth about Brad's illicit activities.
Now I could give you the rest of the story and throw in a few more details but as I always say, what would be the point? What is the point of doing a review to entice you to read a story if you just, read my review with all the details intead? Right? So, now, I'm going to say that I recommend this book to younger readers as they will appreciate the absence of small details because their minds haven't yet been corrupted by the real world. Their minds will fill in those details with clarity and the story will still flow beautifully. They'll enjoy this book as it should be enjoyed. Go buy this one for young nephews, neices, daughters, and sons around elementary and junior high age and this book will be a great hit and will thrill them. Get to reading!

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Apr 16, 2013 Adrienne ツ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-to-review, ebooks, mystery-suspense, owned, stand-alone

**A million thanks to Open Road Media and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book for reviewing. I would truly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well-written, mind-boggling mystery.**

The Twisted Window is about a high school junior named Tracy Lloyd who has caught the attention of the cute new guy in her school (view spoiler). But despite Brad's friendly demeanor, golden looks and char...more **A million thanks to Open Road Media and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book for reviewing. I would truly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well-written, mind-boggling mystery.**

The Twisted Window is about a high school junior named Tracy Lloyd who has caught the attention of the cute new guy in her school (view spoiler). But despite Brad's friendly demeanor, golden looks and charming smile, Tracy's very wary of him and doesn't want him out on her doorstep ringing the doorbell. She knew he was trouble -- well, maybe not trouble, but she sensed there was just something unsettling about him -- from the very moment she laid eyes on him and she wanted nothing to do with him. But after he tells her that he needs her help rescuing his baby sister Mindy from the clutches of his evil stepfather who had supposedly kidnapped her when both his and his mother's backs were turned, Tracy realizes she doesn't want an innocent, helpless little girl in the possession of a madman and agrees to help him -- despite knowing that she could very well get into danger with his plan.

Tracy's sure she's doing the right thing by helping Brad out but after they've successfully carried out Brad's plans and rescued Mindy, details surface that suggests that nothing is what it seems. Soon you'll be finding yourself asking the question, "what really happened?" and struggling to find out who is really the bad guy in this novel. I know I had a hard time figuring out what stories were true and which people were... sane. Lois Duncan really knows how to jerk people around and confuse our minds to the point that all the words just seem to blur together. This is one of the many things I love about her, as an author, and I'm really happy that I got to add this to my collection of books.

Tracy was a very logical and mature teenage girl who didn't make any rash decisions. She bore a startling resemblance to Jamie, Brad's best friend who I originally thought was a boy, not only in appearance but also in character, which was probably the sole reason why Brad had singled her out and chosen her to be his accomplice. I felt sorry for Brad because of all the events that had occurred in his life that had distorted his view of reality (view spoiler). I was not all too pleased with the ending -- after all I wasn't sure about what would happen next to Brad and Tracy after all the drama they went through but I did find myself overall enjoying the story which is why I'm giving it a shining rating of three stars.(less)

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Jan 05, 2013 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, kindle

The Twisted Window has the same feel as the teenager-in-peril books I devoured as a melodrama-loving kid, back in the early-to-mid '90s. I don't remember reading anything by Duncan but the book felt familiar anyway.

In a nutshell: our heroine, Tracy, is approached by a boy named Brad, who asks for her help. Brad is trying to find his baby sister, whom he believes was snatched by his ex-stepfather, and he wants Tracy to be his sidekick. She agrees, and the book follows their mission to its conclus...more The Twisted Window has the same feel as the teenager-in-peril books I devoured as a melodrama-loving kid, back in the early-to-mid '90s. I don't remember reading anything by Duncan but the book felt familiar anyway.

In a nutshell: our heroine, Tracy, is approached by a boy named Brad, who asks for her help. Brad is trying to find his baby sister, whom he believes was snatched by his ex-stepfather, and he wants Tracy to be his sidekick. She agrees, and the book follows their mission to its conclusion.

It's a short read, and moves quickly, although there's a bit of unnecessary detouring here and there: the commercials that are on the teevee while Tracy's aunt and uncle are chatting, some out-of-place similes. Tracy is a likeable character for the most part, and I appreciated that she was aware of what was going on around her instead of being clueless. She had a few bratty moments but what teenager doesn't? Sometimes Brad behaves in a manner that would make Edward Cullen proud, so I found it hard to trust him, which kind of worked with the story.

I liked most of the adults -- with one or two exceptions, they're people dealt unexpected hands, doing the best they can. The Twisted Window isn't chock-full of adult interactions, but when they appeared (mostly as exposition) I enjoyed them; I'm used to the adult POV being absent from these books.

The story itself has a handful of twisty turns, most of which are telegraphed far in advance. I don't know if a younger reader would see them coming quite as easily; I guess it would depend on her level of media saturation. To Duncan's credit, I still kept reading despite the predictability, wanting to see how everything would pan out. I enjoyed it despite my crystal ball.

While it still has the tone of those books I used to mainline, the e-book version I just finished (which was a NetGalley find) has been updated, most noticeably with mentions of cell phones, and I guess that makes sense for the younger generation, who would probably be like "Why wouldn't he just use his cell?" or whatever. However, it still has elements that make it FEEL like an older book -- the slang, a Garfield clock, a forest green scoopneck dress and French braid being "exotic" -- so I'm not sure it totally works. I think it might have been better to trust the reader to know that not everyone had cell phones in the late '80s. It did make for a fun game of find-the-new-bits, though!

Oh, and there's a little mini-bio of Duncan at the back of the book, complete with photographs of a baby Lois and her parents and their FABULOUS holiday cards. It was like a little treat at the end of an already satisfactory trip to Nostalgia Land. (less)

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Sep 16, 2012 Heather Wood rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I was in middle school and high school, I loved the novels of Lois Duncan. Since it's probably been fifteen years since I last read one, I was curious to see how well the story would hold up. The copy I read for review is the updated ebook version published this year by Open Road. There were some aspects of the novel that kept me reading while others that really left me wanting more.

What I Liked: The characterization of Tracy and Brad was done very well. The alternating point of views were...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Christina Dudley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Like legions of others, I was a Lois Duncan fan back in the day, so I was thrilled to see a "new" release from her on NetGalley. Would she have aged as well as, say, the Betsy-Tacy series--equally wonderful to reread as an adult?

The answer is yes and no. The Twisted Window follows the story of A mysterious boy who appears at Tracy's high school, eager to recruit her for an equally mysterious task. The Twilight-esque cafeteria scene sucked me in and the quick pace kept me pressing the Next Page b...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Marius Viktor Aragon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rating ~ 5 out of 5 stars

When I requested this book for review, I really had no idea that it was republished and was originally published almost 20 years ago.

What makes this book amazing is how real the story was told. I seriously couldn't put this book down. I was immediately drawn into the story the moment I started reading it. The characters and the setting felt very real to me as well. They were realistic and had real depth. Like all good thriller books, this novel is such a suspenseful page...more

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Aug 24, 2012 W rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, 2012-read

She thought of the little girl in the yellow sundress and of the child's mother, immobilized by loss. She tried to visualize the father, the horrendous "child-snatcher." Even his name had an evil ring to it, like the stage name of an actor who played villains.

Brad is a teenager on a desperate mission to take back his little sister from his mother's child-snatching ex-husband. When he is refused help from his mother, his best friend, and the police, he turns to Tracy, a high school student in th...more She thought of the little girl in the yellow sundress and of the child's mother, immobilized by loss. She tried to visualize the father, the horrendous "child-snatcher." Even his name had an evil ring to it, like the stage name of an actor who played villains.

Brad is a teenager on a desperate mission to take back his little sister from his mother's child-snatching ex-husband. When he is refused help from his mother, his best friend, and the police, he turns to Tracy, a high school student in the town where he believes his sister to be. With a little persuasion, she agrees to join him, and finds herself in far over her head.

I know that I had read some of Duncan's books in middle school; in fact "A Gift of Magic" was one that I know I enjoyed quite a bit. I did not recall ever reading this one until I started chapter two -- the heart-pounding details of Tracy's walk home, knowing that she's being followed, jumped off the page at me, and I realized then that I had read this before, at least through that chapter. Either my twelve-year-old self had been too freaked out to continue past that, or I had forgotten the rest, though, because this book still managed to pull me in and keep me flipping pages, wondering what was going to happen next.

As the book progressed, it became obvious that there was going to be some sort of twist, that things weren't all that they seemed, and perhaps my twelve-year-old self actually did finish the book, because the surprise reveal wasn't all that surprising to me, though it did explain a lot of things from earlier on in the novel. The book is written with a lower reading level than I normally read, but it worked fine for this book. My only real complaint was with the character of Tracy and her gullibility and ridiculousness. Also, the "updating" played into this impression, and didn't really help the novel out at all. Nowadays, Tracy would have been on the internet Googling to find out about this mysterious stranger, and the plot would have never happened.

Overall: A great read for younger thrill-seekers with a love for mystery, but I'd recommend the original version over this one.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me a review copy of this book!(less)

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Jan 05, 2013 Sasha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, netgalley, mystery-thriller, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Tracy Lloyd is a high schooler who has attracted the attention of the new, handsome mystery guy at school, Brad Johnson. He watches her from afar, and one day decides to approach her, but not for the reason Tracy anticipated. Brad wants her to be his accomplice in saving his baby sister Mindy, who was kidnapped by his stepfather. While Tracy doesn’t know Brad that well, she sympathizes with his story and agrees to help him. However, it quickly becomes clear that Tracy is in way over her head, an...more Tracy Lloyd is a high schooler who has attracted the attention of the new, handsome mystery guy at school, Brad Johnson. He watches her from afar, and one day decides to approach her, but not for the reason Tracy anticipated. Brad wants her to be his accomplice in saving his baby sister Mindy, who was kidnapped by his stepfather. While Tracy doesn’t know Brad that well, she sympathizes with his story and agrees to help him. However, it quickly becomes clear that Tracy is in way over her head, and as new information comes to light, she realizes that she is in deep trouble.

The characters in The Twisted Window felt like cardboard cutouts of the roles they were supposed to play. Tracy is the naïve, idealistic teenager who is convinced that she’s doing the right thing, though she does it against her better judgment. Brad is the charismatic, handsome-yet-vulnerable boy who manages to manipulate the lead character. It doesn’t take much for the reader to tune into the fact that not only is Brad unhinged, but he is quite certifiably nuts, at that. What I didn’t quite understand is how someone like Tracy, who seems like an otherwise smart girl, didn’t pick up on that within the first five minutes of meeting him. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out all nine million ways Brad’s plan could go wrong… and that was assuming he was telling the truth in the first place. I think that Tracy was unrealistically trusting, and aside from playing her part as co-conspirator in Mindy’s (re-)kidnapping, she never really proved herself to be an engrossing or even three-dimensional protagonist. However, once the book started delving more into the mind of Brad, I started to really see a multi-faceted and interesting character, despite his unsettling nature. His motivations and the mysteries behind them kept me turning the pages, wondering “Why?” This book is excellent at making you ask questions and then waiting until you’re bursting with it to give away the dramatic reveal.

This book was written back in the eighties (older than me!) and so that might have been why the plot seemed a bit outdated and Tracy a bit more trusting/naïve than a modern teenage girl. The I think that people nowadays, especially young people, are taught to be inherently suspicious of everyone, especially strangers, given the number of psychotic whackadoos that roam around trying to target children. That is probably the main reason why Tracy’s actions (helping Brad, not suspecting things until it was too late) didn’t ring true for me, and why I wanted to reach through the pages and knock some sense into her head.

I was also rather let down by the book’s predictability. While I couldn’t say for certain what would happen next through most of the book, I did see the “big twist” coming practically from the beginning of the book when Brad revealed what his plan was. However, in between then the suspense certainly builds, if only in anticipation of when the other shoe will drop. I think that Lois Duncan is known for her high-quality suspense/thrillers for the younger set, and though the plot was transparent, the plot does succeed in taking you on a ride.

While the ending was abrupt and provided no closure whatsoever, I think that at the very least the situation resolved nicely. The alternating points of view were revealing, and the plot was fast-paced and interesting enough to keep me reading. However, I felt that in the end this was one of those stories where the main character made a really, really foolish and preventable decision which ended up putting a lot of people in danger, and therefore I couldn’t enjoy the story like I should have.

An ebook copy was provided to me by Netgalley for the purposes of review.
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For more book reviews, visit my blog The Bookshelf! (less)

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Jan 07, 2013 DubaiReader rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, netgalley, kindle

3 1/2 stars.

Once I realised that this book was first published in 1988, everything fell into place. It just had that sort of feel about it. It's hard to explain quite why, but it lacked the subtelties of some modern Young Adult novels. This was not one that I felt crossed over for adult reading as many YA books do now. Although this version has been updated to allow for modern technology, such as mobile phones, they didn't seem to be an integral part of the characters' lives as they would be tod...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Betty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-review-copy

Aeons ago, I gobbled every Lois Duncan book I could find. It was a delight to read The Twisted Window this month. The story is focused on Tracy Lloyd, a new student in her high school. One day, a boy who doesn't even go to this school approaches her in the school cafeteria. Why?

He follows her home through the park. Creepy! Again, why? What is his motive? Eventually, he tells Tracy what he wants from her.

The boy Brad and Tracy look through a warped window at something he wants -- ergo, the name...more

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Aug 20, 2012 hannah added it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-books

I'll be blogging this soon, but I am way, way confused as to why they tried to update it for 2012 by inserting random cell phone references. All it does is make them seem more out of place, because there are still landlines and phone books everywhere, nobody is ever on a computer, there is no such thing as an amber alert, and, oh, dating culture and the way people talk is still totally 80s. Really wish she didn't try to update these, because she was always the only 70s and 80s novelist who didn'...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2.5 out of 5 Stars

Usually a lover of romance novels, I picked this book up for something different, and different it was.

Tracey's life was turned up-side-down after her mother died. Her father, a famous actor, doesn't want her and drops her in the laps of her mother's sister and brother-in-law. She's mostly a loner at school, having only one semi-close friend. She's lonely, she's miserable, feeling as though she's a burden to the adults in her life.

Brad's life was turned up-side-down with the a...more 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Usually a lover of romance novels, I picked this book up for something different, and different it was.

Tracey's life was turned up-side-down after her mother died. Her father, a famous actor, doesn't want her and drops her in the laps of her mother's sister and brother-in-law. She's mostly a loner at school, having only one semi-close friend. She's lonely, she's miserable, feeling as though she's a burden to the adults in her life.

Brad's life was turned up-side-down with the abduction of his precious baby sister. His mother is a mess and is unable to deal with reality. He doesn't understand how his mom could just give up on finding her daughter. He's tried everything in his power to convince the local authorities that he KNOWS where she is, and yet he gets no where. He's a one man soldier in the quest; even his best friend wouldn't lend a helping hand.

Brad's school break provides him the perfect opportunity to make the trip to find his sister, which just happens to be what brings him to Tracey's town and, ultimately, to Tracey. Together, they plot to save one girl (Brad's sister) from a sinister man and another girl (Tracey) from a life of nothingness and burden.

The biggest lesson I gained by reading this book was that things aren't always what they seem; perspectives and perceived notions are all relative and subjective to the eye of the beholder. It only takes one slightly different angle to change the situation and to see another side to the truth. But in the end, which perspective is right and which is twisted by will and desire - by circumstance?

The overall story was a bit far fetched and left me asking, "What the heck are you thinking?" It was much like watching a suspense/horror movie where you KNOW what the character is doing is not the brightest thing to do, so you yell at the TV or movie screen for them NOT to open the door, or NOT to go into the woods in the middle of the night - you just know it's not the wisest thing and can only lead to dire consequences, yet the characters plod through the scenario, none the wiser. The delusions and misgivings that resulted from their unique situations were mind blowing (Brad) and almost spoiled (Tracey); making them hard for me to identify with, which is a biggie for me.

Overall, The Twisted Window did provide suspense and a little intrigue; it was better than a "Not Like" read, but not as good as a solid "Like" for me. (less)

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Feb 07, 2012 Andrea rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I remember reading everything and anything by Lois Duncan when I was in middle school. I loved mysteries and read one right after another. Reading this novel made me realize how my tastes have matured. I still love a good mystery, but have definitely outgrown this style. The plot was too predictable, the characters too one dimensional, and I was bored to tears. I guess I liked predictable back in those days. I can see how middle schoolers would be drawn to this style of writing, they like to be...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having just joined NetGalley through a recommendation on a blog website I set about reading the summary’s of the books listed on the site and happened across this book. The Twisted Window. The summary reads like this;

“The new guy at Tracy’s school is handsome, intense, and desperately needs her help—but there’s something about him that isn’t quite right

High school junior Tracy Lloyd is unsure about the new guy in school. Brad Johnson is attractive, smart, and polite, but Tracy can’t help but fee...more Having just joined NetGalley through a recommendation on a blog website I set about reading the summary’s of the books listed on the site and happened across this book. The Twisted Window. The summary reads like this;

“The new guy at Tracy’s school is handsome, intense, and desperately needs her help—but there’s something about him that isn’t quite right

High school junior Tracy Lloyd is unsure about the new guy in school. Brad Johnson is attractive, smart, and polite, but Tracy can’t help but feel he watches her too closely. Then one day Brad confides in Tracy a horrible secret: His little sister Mindy has been kidnapped by his stepfather, and he needs Tracy’s help to get her back. But even as Tracy commits to a plan to help her vulnerable new friend, details emerge that suggest nothing is what it seems.” - NetGalley

Based on the summary I thought this was a book that I would want to read and so, without any further research into the book I requested it. A few days later I was approved and set about reading it. It isn’t a long book 184 when read on the Kindle and therefore it didn’t take me long to read at all. Did I enjoy it? No, not at all. At times I was thinking to myself “When will this end” and eventually it did end… And the ending was even less satisfying than I thought was possible. Having read through the book, gone along with Brad, who is crazy for the ending to be what it was? It was a let down.

The way in which I judge a book is not by its cover, no, I judge a book by the first line. It has always been the first line of a book that has told me whether or not I am going to enjoy it and the first line of this book told me all I needed to know. I could read it but I wasn’t going to enjoy it. It wasn’t going to be a book that I recommended to the masses as a must read.

Should you read it? If you have a spare hour an half, like a book that leaves you with an “Oh, okay” feeling at the end then yes, yes you should read it but if you want a book that’s going to leave you thinking about it for days, a book where you will love the characters and care about them then no, don’t read this book. (less)

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Nov 11, 2010 Sarah Tilatitsky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lois Duncan is one of the best authors I have ever read! I swear on that! Her books can creep you out, but then reassure you taht there is slim-to-none cahnce taht it would happen to you. Really! But, I wonder what kind of help she had to make this book. It (like the title says) twists a person's view (the window, usually the mind) and turns that into an obsession, an idea to be born. Mindy is Brad's sister. She died in a car accident, and Brad saw it, but twisted that into her stepfather kidnap...more

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Mar 06, 2008 Gabby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

when you see the cover of this book you would think it was a disturbed horror novel, but it is actually not. and it is a great book! pretty short entertaining read FULL of surprises!

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Apr 08, 2013 Katy Vance rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, mystery

I joined NetGalley, saw this book by Lois Duncan and thought perfect! I'll read one of her books! I LOVED her when I was younger!

I was all prepared to write an absolutely scathing review, and then I checked the copyright date. I feel a little relieved knowing that it was originally written in 1987 and this must just be her publishers trying to drum up popularity for an out of date writer. Unsuccessful.

My only slightly scathing review: It was terrible. The characters were flat, the descriptions...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 27, 2012 Mandy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tracy meets a boy named Brad who purposely selected her to help him locate his kidnapped baby sister Mindy. But Tracy learns that things are not as they appear, and she finds herself an accomplice to Brad's twisted view of reality.

I grew up loving Lois Duncan's suspenseful thrillers, so I couldn't wait to read this egalley! This book was a good read, but it was not the nail-biting page turner that would keep me up all night reading that I expected from a book by Lois Duncan. Although I was somew...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Shannon Clark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shocker. Twisting. Didn't see it coming. Yep, that about sums it up.

If you could see my tweets while I was reading this book you would see that at one point (well, more than one) I wanted to SLAP the tar out of Tracy. And I wasn't too hooked on Brad either. I couldn't really dredge up too much sympathy for either character. In fact, I started thinking I was a bad person because of that.

Well, Lois Duncan pulled a fast one on me that I didn't see coming. I got my explanation about Brad's actions a...more

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About Lois Duncan

Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz, April 28, 1934) is an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but gr...more Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz, April 28, 1934) is an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Duncan started writing and submitting manuscripts to magazines at the age of ten, and when she was thirteen succeeded in selling her first story.

Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.

Duncan is best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.

In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case. Duncan is now completing work on the sequel to that book, The Tally Keeper, which picks up Kait's story where the first book leaves off. It's under option as the pilot for a TV series.

The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).

Follow Lois on Twitter: http://twitter.com/duncanauthor
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