What do you think?
Rate this book
Troubletwisters #1
Troubletwisters. Garth Nix and Sean Williams
When their home suddenly explodes, twins Jack and Jaide are sent to live in a place they have never heard of, to stay with a grandmother they have never met. Portland might seem like a quiet coastal town, but it soon becomes apparent that the strange things going on there are anything but ordinary.
314 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2011
143 people are currently reading
2555 people want to read
About the author
Garth Nix
124 books14.9k followersGarth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing 'Hail the Conquering Hero Comes' or possibly 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a boot full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.
Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.
He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.
Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.
He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
May 6, 2012
This type of book has a number of conventions. They aren't universally followed, but still, I think it's fair to say they exist. One of these is that the kids should prevail through their own efforts. Or put another way, adults can't do it for them. Which leads to a problem; how to get rid of the parents! This is one reason why orphans are a cliche of this type of literature. (Another is that orphans are easy to make into Protagonists with a Hidden Destiny (PHDs).) Another widely deployed method is - send the kids to boarding school. If you are feeling exceptionally unoriginal you could have an orphan PHD at a boarding school! Yes, I'm talking about you, Rowling. It used to be easier, of course: look at the unsupervised, unrestricted autonomy the children in Swallows and Amazons or even The Dark Is Rising Sequence had. Most parents are far too paranoid to allow that these days.
Here, one parent is sent off to a remote location to cover for a short-handed ambulance station and won't be back for days and the other has to go away because he will make matters worse for the kids in some way that is never convincingly explained. Which feels a bit contrived. Still, they go to live with Grandma and she gets neutralised by mistrust and bungling on the part of the protagonists, which is much better, assuming you think the kids can be quite foolish at times. And that leads to another convention: the kids should be fallible. In fact this applies much more widely than just to books for kids. Ever seen a caper movie where everything goes according to plan? Usually it's either boring or about a lot more than the caper. No doubt you can think of other examples. These kids are extremely fallible - much less than half of what they try works and some of it makes things worse. But they are in way over their heads with no clue what is going on so some surrogate parents in the form of two talking cats and an oracular alligator skull have to help. And the roomful of magical artifacts don't go amiss either. But still, the heroes prevail in the end by a method different from that that the kitties and the croc (it's not clear whether it's a croc or a gator) suggest, even if they do tell them what needs to be achieved. So the kids do prevail due to their own endeavors, ultimately. But only when they quit acting as individuals and work as a team...which leads to something that is becoming a convention or at least a common technique: siblings of near age. In this case 4mins difference. Yes, they are twins. I think twins and siblings only a year or so apart as protagonists will be increasingly common in the future. This is because girls have to have positive role-models. But the fact is that up to a certain age, kids don't identify very well with members of the opposite sex. (It took me many years to realise that the reason why I didn't like The Tombs of Atuan and Greenwitch as much as the other entries in their respective series when I first read them was because of the focus on girl protagonists.) So if you have a girl or a boy, you stand to lose about half your potential audience. Hence you need a protagonist of each sex with approximately equal standing for each. The girls can be just as plucky, brave and inventive as the boys you know! And if you didn't, maybe you will learn through reading the book! So siblings are an option for getting protagonists of both sexes.
Of course the kids need an antagonist. There are really two types in fantasy literature; the Externalised Evil and the Evil Dude/Dudette. I don't really like the EE as much as the ED. EEs don't need much motivation; they do Bad stuff 'cos they are Bad! Also they often need a Senior Evil Henchperson to actually get things done - and the SEH often doesn't have any obvious reason for being Bad, either. And ultimately, back in reality, it is people who are Bad and EEs are an excuse. Novels can, as far as I'm concerned, be as fantastical as their authors' imaginations allow but the people in them need to be as real as possible. Even if there's an EE, the people who work for it should have a good (psychological, not moral) reason for doing so.
Yeah, so - about this book...
There's an EE, some contrived plot contortions to set up the situation and some surrogate parents (SPs)to help out. But two of the SPs are talking cats and I am a complete sucker for talking cats (actually just a complete sucker for all cats) and the other one won't help unless you let it bite you...so this book is just about servicable but yet again is a disappointment in comparison to Nix' Old Kingdom series.
Here, one parent is sent off to a remote location to cover for a short-handed ambulance station and won't be back for days and the other has to go away because he will make matters worse for the kids in some way that is never convincingly explained. Which feels a bit contrived. Still, they go to live with Grandma and she gets neutralised by mistrust and bungling on the part of the protagonists, which is much better, assuming you think the kids can be quite foolish at times. And that leads to another convention: the kids should be fallible. In fact this applies much more widely than just to books for kids. Ever seen a caper movie where everything goes according to plan? Usually it's either boring or about a lot more than the caper. No doubt you can think of other examples. These kids are extremely fallible - much less than half of what they try works and some of it makes things worse. But they are in way over their heads with no clue what is going on so some surrogate parents in the form of two talking cats and an oracular alligator skull have to help. And the roomful of magical artifacts don't go amiss either. But still, the heroes prevail in the end by a method different from that that the kitties and the croc (it's not clear whether it's a croc or a gator) suggest, even if they do tell them what needs to be achieved. So the kids do prevail due to their own endeavors, ultimately. But only when they quit acting as individuals and work as a team...which leads to something that is becoming a convention or at least a common technique: siblings of near age. In this case 4mins difference. Yes, they are twins. I think twins and siblings only a year or so apart as protagonists will be increasingly common in the future. This is because girls have to have positive role-models. But the fact is that up to a certain age, kids don't identify very well with members of the opposite sex. (It took me many years to realise that the reason why I didn't like The Tombs of Atuan and Greenwitch as much as the other entries in their respective series when I first read them was because of the focus on girl protagonists.) So if you have a girl or a boy, you stand to lose about half your potential audience. Hence you need a protagonist of each sex with approximately equal standing for each. The girls can be just as plucky, brave and inventive as the boys you know! And if you didn't, maybe you will learn through reading the book! So siblings are an option for getting protagonists of both sexes.
Of course the kids need an antagonist. There are really two types in fantasy literature; the Externalised Evil and the Evil Dude/Dudette. I don't really like the EE as much as the ED. EEs don't need much motivation; they do Bad stuff 'cos they are Bad! Also they often need a Senior Evil Henchperson to actually get things done - and the SEH often doesn't have any obvious reason for being Bad, either. And ultimately, back in reality, it is people who are Bad and EEs are an excuse. Novels can, as far as I'm concerned, be as fantastical as their authors' imaginations allow but the people in them need to be as real as possible. Even if there's an EE, the people who work for it should have a good (psychological, not moral) reason for doing so.
Yeah, so - about this book...
There's an EE, some contrived plot contortions to set up the situation and some surrogate parents (SPs)to help out. But two of the SPs are talking cats and I am a complete sucker for talking cats (actually just a complete sucker for all cats) and the other one won't help unless you let it bite you...so this book is just about servicable but yet again is a disappointment in comparison to Nix' Old Kingdom series.
April 26, 2013
Alright, first off I should probably admit that I never finished the book. I read a little over 100 pages in and gave up, although I flicked through in case anything amazing suddenly happened (it didn't). I feel that by 100 pages, the author should have delivered something to make the reader want to continue reading. I don't want to have to force myself to finish a book, that's stupid. So what was the problem?
Well, to start off with it was painfully condescending. I can't help but feel that the authors sat down and went "right, we're writing for children now, so we're going to have to dum it down". Just because it's a children's book does not mean you can deliver a crappy piece of work that feels the need to spell everything out (I'm surprised that Nix had anything to do with this book, having read his other stories). Diana Wynne Jones writes (or I suppose I should say wrote) children's books, books with rich, believable characters, interesting worlds and creative plots. Her children's books are the type I like. This book was not.
Secondly, nothing really happens. There's some weird magic at the start, and then for the next 100 pages all that really happens is they go to stay with their grandmother. Sure, every so often something 'mysterious' will occur, in an attempt to assure the reader that yes magical stuff is going on, and something interesting will eventually happen. It's all really pointless filler, none of which is actually intriguing, just annoying. It would be more productive to just get on with the plot, rather than drawing it out unnecessarily.
Thirdly, the characters were bland and uninteresting. I'm sure the authors made an attempt to make them individuals, and they do make a point of explaining how the twins are different, but none of it seems real. Even grandma X, who can be summed up in the word 'mysterious'. Her entier point in being is to me mysterious, she is not a person so much as a poor attempt to make the story interesting. They didn't seem like people, they weren't believable and I could not empathise with them at all. It's hard to read a book when you have zero emotional investment or interest in the characters.
Lastly, I saw nothing original. A couple of children who are developing mystical powers and must save the world from some kind of evil? We've seen it before. Seen it written and handled a lot better.
The kind of audience it feels like it was written for isn't the kind of audience that would be able to read a book this thick. If you're old enough to read it, you should read other things. If you like children's books, try Diana Wynne Jones or Paul Stewart.
Well, to start off with it was painfully condescending. I can't help but feel that the authors sat down and went "right, we're writing for children now, so we're going to have to dum it down". Just because it's a children's book does not mean you can deliver a crappy piece of work that feels the need to spell everything out (I'm surprised that Nix had anything to do with this book, having read his other stories). Diana Wynne Jones writes (or I suppose I should say wrote) children's books, books with rich, believable characters, interesting worlds and creative plots. Her children's books are the type I like. This book was not.
Secondly, nothing really happens. There's some weird magic at the start, and then for the next 100 pages all that really happens is they go to stay with their grandmother. Sure, every so often something 'mysterious' will occur, in an attempt to assure the reader that yes magical stuff is going on, and something interesting will eventually happen. It's all really pointless filler, none of which is actually intriguing, just annoying. It would be more productive to just get on with the plot, rather than drawing it out unnecessarily.
Thirdly, the characters were bland and uninteresting. I'm sure the authors made an attempt to make them individuals, and they do make a point of explaining how the twins are different, but none of it seems real. Even grandma X, who can be summed up in the word 'mysterious'. Her entier point in being is to me mysterious, she is not a person so much as a poor attempt to make the story interesting. They didn't seem like people, they weren't believable and I could not empathise with them at all. It's hard to read a book when you have zero emotional investment or interest in the characters.
Lastly, I saw nothing original. A couple of children who are developing mystical powers and must save the world from some kind of evil? We've seen it before. Seen it written and handled a lot better.
The kind of audience it feels like it was written for isn't the kind of audience that would be able to read a book this thick. If you're old enough to read it, you should read other things. If you like children's books, try Diana Wynne Jones or Paul Stewart.
August 5, 2016
Ooh, not sure what's happened to Garth Nix lately. I have a hunch he's trying to churn out too many books too quickly. I still haven't forgiven him for pausing 'Keys to the Kingdom' before the end so that he could start a whole new series(which I have to say pretty much bombed in the library). I'd just qualify that by saying that Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen remain some of my favourite books of all time, so maybe I'm expecting too much here.
But Trouble Twisters just didn't grab me at all. The baddies were a just a bit too stereotypically evil, the kids were a little too naive and sweet and the scary granny character seemed dated and done to death in the 90's. I tried, I really did. In fact I read it on a long rainy train journey when I had absolutely nothing else to do for several hours. But in the end the grey and rainy countryside around Reading just proved to be more interesting, and I never finished it. Sorry Garth. xx But to be fair I guess I'm not really his target audience, although I was trying to read it with them in mind.
But Trouble Twisters just didn't grab me at all. The baddies were a just a bit too stereotypically evil, the kids were a little too naive and sweet and the scary granny character seemed dated and done to death in the 90's. I tried, I really did. In fact I read it on a long rainy train journey when I had absolutely nothing else to do for several hours. But in the end the grey and rainy countryside around Reading just proved to be more interesting, and I never finished it. Sorry Garth. xx But to be fair I guess I'm not really his target audience, although I was trying to read it with them in mind.
November 14, 2025
I love middle grade books, but I didn't love this one.
The title, the cover, the synopsis... It all sounded so cool! A unique idea! Amazing... Right?
In execution, this book went in so many weird directions that confused me. It didn't feel cohesive and naturally flowing. And sure, I'm not the target audience at all so maybe that's on me?
There were so many scenes that were in the book that could have been removed and not impacted the story, which always annoys me. Sometimes those scenes can be fun and nice, and develop character! But this book... I just felt like I was uninterested every time I kept coming back. And I tried! I wanted to find more amazing middle grade novels to recommend but... this didn't work.
So... Maybe middle graders will appreciate it more than I did?
One out of five stars.
The title, the cover, the synopsis... It all sounded so cool! A unique idea! Amazing... Right?
In execution, this book went in so many weird directions that confused me. It didn't feel cohesive and naturally flowing. And sure, I'm not the target audience at all so maybe that's on me?
There were so many scenes that were in the book that could have been removed and not impacted the story, which always annoys me. Sometimes those scenes can be fun and nice, and develop character! But this book... I just felt like I was uninterested every time I kept coming back. And I tried! I wanted to find more amazing middle grade novels to recommend but... this didn't work.
So... Maybe middle graders will appreciate it more than I did?
One out of five stars.
September 6, 2012
I'll you a secret. I love it when I sit down to write a book review and I have a great story of what happened when I purchased the book. This review starts off with a fun one. I purchased Troubletwisters a little while back from a popular department store near my home. As I was taking it (and a few other items beside,) through the checkouts, the checkout operator paused, looked at the book and asked me if I thought it was any good. (Of course I did. Why else would I be bothering to read it?) Anyway, this all turned into a conversation about some of our favourite books and authors, much to the irritation of the other shoppers in the queue who probably weren't at all interested in my opinion on which children's/young adult books were better than Twilight. (Which is practically everything that has been published up until this date.) Anyway, as I predicted, I rather enjoyed Troubletwisters, which tells the story of Jack and Jaide a pair of twelve-year-old twins who are sent to live with the mysterious Grandma X after their home quite literally explodes around them. It soon becomes clear that nothing in Grandma X's neighbourhood is quite normal, from talking cats, to an antique store that not everyone can see. And who or what is the strange voice that keeps calling to the twins? All in all, Troubletwisters is a fun read. I really liked the cats (particularly Ari,) and though a minor character, the crocodile skull.
*This review previously appeared on my blog, Kathryn's Inbox
*This review previously appeared on my blog, Kathryn's Inbox
February 22, 2011
Thank you to Egmont for giving me this chance to read read the arc copy of this novel.
Troubletwister is a fun read about twins Jack and Jaide as they embarked on adventure that changes their lives. They are forced to go live with their Grandma after their house is detroyed and thats were the story really gets going. They two characters are just fantastic, they are very likeable. They are very quick on the mark that there is something about Grandma X and they are determind to find out what. Jaide is the more outgoing type always trying to get Jack to explore when they know they shouldn't. Jack, seems to be comes across as more of a think things through kind of boy and I think I prefered him to Jaide.
Grandma X I liked from the minute she appeared. I would like a Grandma like her. She has so much mystery around and its very intriguing and like Jaide and Jack you just need to find out more.
The story itself was a little slow at first and it wasn't until the twins when to live with Grandma X that I was hooked. The authors have created a story that even though its aimed at age 10+, I feel that young and old will enjoy this. Its funny, dark and The Evil, well thats is creepy. So many twists and turns I didn't see coming.
This is sure to be a huge hit amoung fans of fantasy adventures who like their story action packed from start to finish. I am really looking forward to the next installement and I will continuei to follow the adventures of Jack, Jaide and Grandma X.
Troubletwister is a fun read about twins Jack and Jaide as they embarked on adventure that changes their lives. They are forced to go live with their Grandma after their house is detroyed and thats were the story really gets going. They two characters are just fantastic, they are very likeable. They are very quick on the mark that there is something about Grandma X and they are determind to find out what. Jaide is the more outgoing type always trying to get Jack to explore when they know they shouldn't. Jack, seems to be comes across as more of a think things through kind of boy and I think I prefered him to Jaide.
Grandma X I liked from the minute she appeared. I would like a Grandma like her. She has so much mystery around and its very intriguing and like Jaide and Jack you just need to find out more.
The story itself was a little slow at first and it wasn't until the twins when to live with Grandma X that I was hooked. The authors have created a story that even though its aimed at age 10+, I feel that young and old will enjoy this. Its funny, dark and The Evil, well thats is creepy. So many twists and turns I didn't see coming.
This is sure to be a huge hit amoung fans of fantasy adventures who like their story action packed from start to finish. I am really looking forward to the next installement and I will continuei to follow the adventures of Jack, Jaide and Grandma X.
September 16, 2011
This the first book of new fantasy series for young readers. While there is a lot of action (the good kids learning about their new gifts and fighting the great Evil), the story takes a while to build and requires a little perseverance. Confident younger readers looking for something new should find it engaging, since most of the action is aimed at 9-12 year olds, with the young protagonists (brother and sister twins) running from animals and trying to keep up the courage to fight instead of giving in.
There are a few scary moments, such as when one of the twins thinks he's drowning, or several occasions when a sea of insects which have been taken over by the Evil attack them, and also when one of the good wardens who has been taken over by the Evil fights the children and tries to make them join her, but they manage to resist.
Older readers might find their interest waning as the plot and character development remain quite simple, focusing mainly on the battles.
There are a few scary moments, such as when one of the twins thinks he's drowning, or several occasions when a sea of insects which have been taken over by the Evil attack them, and also when one of the good wardens who has been taken over by the Evil fights the children and tries to make them join her, but they manage to resist.
Older readers might find their interest waning as the plot and character development remain quite simple, focusing mainly on the battles.
October 16, 2011
Y’all, Garth Nix knows how to write a prologue, or at least I’m going to assume Nix wrote the prologue, but hey, it could have been Sean Williams. Anyways, with middle graders, you have to hook them and reel them in. Troubletwisters definitely begins with a bang-literally. Jaide and Jack Shields are twins. (Sidebar: I think twins are a trend in MG SFF) Their dad is about to return from a business trip and they are watching. With excitement, they bring his bag upstairs, touch a metal rod and all hell breaks loose with these white eyes leading to the twins being sent to live with Grandma X -an estranged mysterious relative.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
February 27, 2011
Pretty disappointing. Pretty predictable. Pretty unoriginal.
September 28, 2018
After their house is destroyed by a freak strike of lightning, Jack and Jaide move in with Grandma X while their mother gets a new job - only to find strange powers evolving inside them, ones that will be the only thing keeping them safe from a growing darkness spreading through the town...Nix begins a new and charming series with this adventurous and humorous book that is sure to please young readers. Just what can Jack and Jaide do with these odd new abilities?
March 9, 2024
"Me? I was hiding up that tree like anyone sensible should have been."
July 6, 2021
I pre-read this book as it will be a gift for one of my great granddaughters, I was surprised at how good it turned out. It was a very harrowing journey for the Trouble Twisters, from the start to the end! My G G daughter will love it I am sure, and I know I will soon be buying the rest of the series.
Read
March 10, 2020Troubletwisters by Garth Nix shows the story of two twelve year old twins who have nothing in common, except for one thing. They are both Troubletwisters. Their lives are starting to change and the weather is turning against them. They have to leave their home and go live with Grandma X, who they have never met before. Things at her house are very werid, and they don’t know what it going on. Cats start talking, doors appear and disappear, and they find that Grandma X has an army of white eyed rats. They don’t know whats going on at Grandma X’s house, and they don't know if Grandma X is a person they can trust, someone who is trying to help them, or if she is one of the people they should be afraid of.
June 13, 2012
I have always loved Garth Nix's books. SABRIEL and its sequels might be my favorites, but I was never disappointed. I continued to read The Keys to the Kingdom series even though I was rather old for it because I wanted to know how Arthur solved his problems. I've never read anything by Sean Williams before, but I haven't heard bad things and I've had excellent luck with Australian authors.
TROUBLETWISTERS, strangely, didn't quite work for me. It's the tale of twins Jaide and Jack, who go to live with their estranged Grandma X after their house blows up. They start seeing odd things and notice animals behaving oddly - but no one will explain what's up. It's familiar, but that doesn't mean it can't be done well. There are some wonderful action scenes and there's a magical antique shop that's quite enchanting. But there were too few rules for me. I like it to know the bounds of magic within a story.
But the troubletwisters can't be told too much about their power by a Warden or their power might go awry. The cats know, but they swore an oath as kittens not to reveal what they know. As Jaide tells her twin brother Jack at the climax, "Who knows what [troubletwisters] can do?"
(And I might be insane, but it really bothers me that Wardens are capital-W, the Evil is capital-E, but troubletwisters are lowercase-t. Why?)
Children who enjoy fantasy will probably enjoy TROUBLETWISTERS. But it fails to live up to Nix's previous children's book series. There's nothing to hate here, but there's nothing special either.
TROUBLETWISTERS, strangely, didn't quite work for me. It's the tale of twins Jaide and Jack, who go to live with their estranged Grandma X after their house blows up. They start seeing odd things and notice animals behaving oddly - but no one will explain what's up. It's familiar, but that doesn't mean it can't be done well. There are some wonderful action scenes and there's a magical antique shop that's quite enchanting. But there were too few rules for me. I like it to know the bounds of magic within a story.
But the troubletwisters can't be told too much about their power by a Warden or their power might go awry. The cats know, but they swore an oath as kittens not to reveal what they know. As Jaide tells her twin brother Jack at the climax, "Who knows what [troubletwisters] can do?"
(And I might be insane, but it really bothers me that Wardens are capital-W, the Evil is capital-E, but troubletwisters are lowercase-t. Why?)
Children who enjoy fantasy will probably enjoy TROUBLETWISTERS. But it fails to live up to Nix's previous children's book series. There's nothing to hate here, but there's nothing special either.
January 14, 2012
It has always annoyed me when adults are dismissive of a child's question. "Don't worry about that." "I'll tell you later." "Some day you'll understand." "I don't have time to talk." It's bad enough in real life, but there's no excuse for writing these responses into a middle-grade book. If you don't want the reader to know, just don't bring up the question.
Another pet peeve: "You have no choice"/"I have no choice." Part of what makes a story interesting is what choices the characters make -- for good or ill. With no choices, the characters are just pushed through the story, resulting in one-dimensional characters and a sense in the reader of not knowing what is happening.
Both of these problems afflict Troubletwisters, a story of twins Jaide and Jack, who attract trouble, multiply it, and have not learned to control it. They don't understand why they are sent to live with Grandma X, and their questions are brushed off. Lack of information lands them in serious trouble -- often. You would think after one or two of these disasters, that someone would explain their powers to the twins, and then some great twisting could happen.
As a reader, I don't want to eliminate mysteries, puzzles, and unknowns. I just feel that the protagonists should have some control of their own choices, and not simply be acted upon. Several times while reading this sci-fi/fantasy, I wondered whether the book would have benefited by having a single author, rather than two.
Another pet peeve: "You have no choice"/"I have no choice." Part of what makes a story interesting is what choices the characters make -- for good or ill. With no choices, the characters are just pushed through the story, resulting in one-dimensional characters and a sense in the reader of not knowing what is happening.
Both of these problems afflict Troubletwisters, a story of twins Jaide and Jack, who attract trouble, multiply it, and have not learned to control it. They don't understand why they are sent to live with Grandma X, and their questions are brushed off. Lack of information lands them in serious trouble -- often. You would think after one or two of these disasters, that someone would explain their powers to the twins, and then some great twisting could happen.
As a reader, I don't want to eliminate mysteries, puzzles, and unknowns. I just feel that the protagonists should have some control of their own choices, and not simply be acted upon. Several times while reading this sci-fi/fantasy, I wondered whether the book would have benefited by having a single author, rather than two.
December 8, 2013
I didn't like this book. I tried to like it. I grabbed hold of everything that had even a touch of Garth Nix about it. I was willing to ignore the irrelevant and awkwardly introduced secondary characters. They might become relevant in subsequent volumes but I'll never know. I tried and failed to get my mind around the idiotic behaviour of the protagonists - all of the protagonists. So many morons in such a short book! I didn't believe in 'The Evil'. Seriously? That was the best they could do by way of an antagonist?
"You must call it something."
"We do," said Grandma X gravely. [Wait for it...]
She looked older and wearier than Jaide had ever seen her before [but not so old and weary that she hadn't been hopping about on a pogo stick in Chapter 4].
"We call it The Evil."
Mwahahahaha! What an anti-climax. I might have been able to overlook all of this but the use of animals by The Evil - except cats, of course, at least in this volume - was deeply distasteful and visually unpleasant. Dogs studded with insects, the rat collective driving a bulldozer, cockroaches... And not just once but over and over again until I felt as if my brain had been beaten into a pulp. I wouldn't say, as other reviewers have said, that nothing happens in this book. Quite a bit happens and I rather wish it hadn't.
"You must call it something."
"We do," said Grandma X gravely. [Wait for it...]
She looked older and wearier than Jaide had ever seen her before [but not so old and weary that she hadn't been hopping about on a pogo stick in Chapter 4].
"We call it The Evil."
Mwahahahaha! What an anti-climax. I might have been able to overlook all of this but the use of animals by The Evil - except cats, of course, at least in this volume - was deeply distasteful and visually unpleasant. Dogs studded with insects, the rat collective driving a bulldozer, cockroaches... And not just once but over and over again until I felt as if my brain had been beaten into a pulp. I wouldn't say, as other reviewers have said, that nothing happens in this book. Quite a bit happens and I rather wish it hadn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2012
Jaide and Jack are waiting for Dad to come home. When his suitcase falls open and they pick up a metal rod the house explodes and a series of events happen that sends them to Grandma X’s house. They are troubletwisters and must learn to control their powers. The problem is no one really wants to tell them exactly what those powers are or how to control them. When the evil villian threatens to take over their minds and bodies they are forced to teach themselves with a little help from two talking cats.
I usually like Garth Nix but this book is not my favorite. The beginning has a promising start but it slows down in the middle before picking up again at the end. Not all the questions are answered such as the twin seen in the photo of their dad or how they will control their powers. It is obvious that there will be a sequel. The characters argue and don’t trust each other and the names are odd: Grandma X, Jaidith, Jackaran, The Evil. There is plenty of action at the end and some scary parts with zombie-like creatures trying to kill the twins.
I usually like Garth Nix but this book is not my favorite. The beginning has a promising start but it slows down in the middle before picking up again at the end. Not all the questions are answered such as the twin seen in the photo of their dad or how they will control their powers. It is obvious that there will be a sequel. The characters argue and don’t trust each other and the names are odd: Grandma X, Jaidith, Jackaran, The Evil. There is plenty of action at the end and some scary parts with zombie-like creatures trying to kill the twins.
June 29, 2012
Jack and Jaide are rambunctious twelve-year-old twins whose father is rarely home. Then one day he returns in a bolt of lightning, and their house is destroyed. The twins go to stay with their mysterious grandmother, who talks to her cats and can make them forget things with hot cocoa. They're not sure they can trust Grandma X--but it seems that an equally mysterious, far more frightening magical force is after them, and she may be their only ally.
Definitely the worst book Nix has ever written. I mean, it's fine, but it's nothing special. Ever single character needs more personality. I was annoyed that everyone kept the magical secrets from the twins' mom--even her husband keeps her in the dark! There's no real explanation for why, which makes me think the mom is kept ignorant of her family's skills and adventures simply because it's such an expected component of YA fantasy. Frustrating! And their adversary is called "The Evil"? That's the best they could come up with? I blame Nix's co-author, Sean Williams, who writes Star Wars tie-in novels.
Definitely the worst book Nix has ever written. I mean, it's fine, but it's nothing special. Ever single character needs more personality. I was annoyed that everyone kept the magical secrets from the twins' mom--even her husband keeps her in the dark! There's no real explanation for why, which makes me think the mom is kept ignorant of her family's skills and adventures simply because it's such an expected component of YA fantasy. Frustrating! And their adversary is called "The Evil"? That's the best they could come up with? I blame Nix's co-author, Sean Williams, who writes Star Wars tie-in novels.
April 17, 2012
I liked that the characters didn't just get everything handed to them. And they weren't pronounced the greatest troubletwisters ever known. They had problems and significant failures.like when Jaide tried to get to the lighthouse by flying and ended up getting attacked by the birds. And the fact that they suspect their grandmother as someone who is not acting in their best interests. because she is obviously lieing to them and the excused of the adults about not telling them anything because too much information can cause problems is something i bet a lot of kids can relate to. i also like how the evil is able to take over so many small things to become a big problem. Also it is very reminiscient of the Borg collective and is it really bad to subsoon the identity of the individual. The cats are fun comic relief but complicated too. I love the one cat trying to get around an oath sworn as a kitten over a saucer of blood. Also nice to have characters with parents.
May 3, 2011
Very readable old-fashioned children's adventure, which I believe was the whole point of the exercise, i.e. to write a story of the kind the authors read when they were kids. You know the kind: the kids go to stay with their grandmother - in this case because their house blew up unexpectedly, Dad has mysteriously had to go somewhere and Mum's job needs her to be away for several days, getting rid of the parents, then. eventually, the grandmother, leaving the kids and the talking cats to battle something called The Evil. And, as in all those old stories, nobody tells the kids what's going on, because if they did there wouldn't be an adventure in the first place., would there? At least in this one, the grandmother apologises for not telling them. Fast-moving adventure and I rather like the idea of referring to the children' in my own life as 'my dear troubletwisters".
February 20, 2013
I really loved the Seventh Tower series by Garth Nix. I won't be reading any more of this series though. I think it was too creepy/disgusting, with much of the book focused on 'the evil' which manifested itself through bugs/rats etc, burrowing into each other and trying to envelop the children. There was even a woman who was taken over by the evil and had rats and bugs burrowed into her skin. A little to sick for my reading enjoyment and I think it was a little too intense for the intended target audience, too.
March 13, 2012
Review by Kain Year 9
The Trouble twisters is an invigorating book that keeps you hooked on every page, from the first to the last, one of the best things about this book is the way it’s written. Its written so that it keeps you trying to guess how the hero or heroine gets out of that situation, it also leaves you on the edge of your seat trying to guess what will happen to the main characters.
It’s the first of a series and I look forward to number 2.
The Trouble twisters is an invigorating book that keeps you hooked on every page, from the first to the last, one of the best things about this book is the way it’s written. Its written so that it keeps you trying to guess how the hero or heroine gets out of that situation, it also leaves you on the edge of your seat trying to guess what will happen to the main characters.
It’s the first of a series and I look forward to number 2.
May 18, 2015
With both a boy and girl protagonist (twelve year old twins Jaide and Jack), this series will appeal to all readers.
It’s got a touch of ‘Harry Potter’, a pinch of ‘Poltergiest’, a hint of ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ and tons of creepy creatures in the fight of Good versus Evil…… and I especially liked the talking cats.
It’s got a touch of ‘Harry Potter’, a pinch of ‘Poltergiest’, a hint of ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ and tons of creepy creatures in the fight of Good versus Evil…… and I especially liked the talking cats.
December 11, 2014
Trouble Twisters by Garth Nix is an action packed book, filled with adventure and mystery. Throughout the book, we learn twins Jadie and Jack have powers that they never thought possible. They also learn that evil can take many forms and secretes about their family slowly unravels.
May 31, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this book.It was fun and easy to read,good for kids with a great imagination!
June 25, 2016
This was not really what I was expecting and I am not sure I'm into it but I will give the next one a go.
December 26, 2018
So far I’ve read 2 books in the series, and I’ll finish it, but it’s not nearly as good as the Abhorsen series. It’s a bit formulaic, and I’m vaguely reminded of Harry Potter in that formula, although not in a good way. It certainly doesn’t have literary substance.
: Kids with magic of which they were previously unaware, needing to leave home to go to a magical place to learn about it, adults who *seem* to be dismissive of the dangers the kids find, having to defeat evil themselves, etc. There’s even a specialized steam train in book 2. The same evil reappearing in each book. Magic objects & animals. Goofy adults. At least no humans are dying, so far, although it’s starting to sound like there’s a chance that one of the twins will.
I can understand the kids’ impatience at not being told everything. I’m frustrated with it too. The explanation that their knowing too much will cause more trouble is a little too pat, especially since they get into trouble *because* they don’t know enough. They totally ignore warnings, don’t seem to learn from the natural consequences of their actions, and appear to distrust the magical adults who clearly have things in hand.
Yes, we know adolescents push boundaries. But the twins are barely tweens, not teens, and seem a bit young to be in that “I know everything and all adults are idiots” phase.
In all, disappointing, in part because it could have been so much more.
: Kids with magic of which they were previously unaware, needing to leave home to go to a magical place to learn about it, adults who *seem* to be dismissive of the dangers the kids find, having to defeat evil themselves, etc. There’s even a specialized steam train in book 2. The same evil reappearing in each book. Magic objects & animals. Goofy adults. At least no humans are dying, so far, although it’s starting to sound like there’s a chance that one of the twins will.
I can understand the kids’ impatience at not being told everything. I’m frustrated with it too. The explanation that their knowing too much will cause more trouble is a little too pat, especially since they get into trouble *because* they don’t know enough. They totally ignore warnings, don’t seem to learn from the natural consequences of their actions, and appear to distrust the magical adults who clearly have things in hand.
Yes, we know adolescents push boundaries. But the twins are barely tweens, not teens, and seem a bit young to be in that “I know everything and all adults are idiots” phase.
In all, disappointing, in part because it could have been so much more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2019
The book possibly could be okay for kids and they may enjoy it. I love reading middle-grade NYA along with adult books. this one did not pull me in and I would not continue reading in the series I don't believe. I read the back of the book and it says that the kids did not know they were trouble twisters, but then the book begins in immediately they're being called trouble twisters constantly. So I guess maybe what it meant to they didn't know what trouble twisters meant, but they were always called trouble twisters they can't imagine the day didn't know that they were that.
probably the one thing that bothered me more than anything else in this whole book was that the kids are taken to their grandmothers, and they won't trust grandmother at all, but they'll trust a creepy voice of a dark shadow out in the tree. That baffles me. I don't think anyone trust the dark shadow hidden in the trees or even a light shadow hidden in the trees over their own grandmother, even if they did not know her very well. You have to assume Grandma has some interest in her grandchildren over the shadow we figure in the trees.
probably the one thing that bothered me more than anything else in this whole book was that the kids are taken to their grandmothers, and they won't trust grandmother at all, but they'll trust a creepy voice of a dark shadow out in the tree. That baffles me. I don't think anyone trust the dark shadow hidden in the trees or even a light shadow hidden in the trees over their own grandmother, even if they did not know her very well. You have to assume Grandma has some interest in her grandchildren over the shadow we figure in the trees.
February 24, 2018
I think if I had been in the intended target age group, I'd have liked this one, but as an adult, it was really just kind of boring. The first half dragged pretty terribly. Also, the protagonists are twins, and the authors would always feel the need to remind us all the ways in which they were different. Every time they told us what one twin was doing, thinking, feeling, or anything, they would immediately follow it up with a contrasting description of the other twin. "Jaide liked such and such. Jack liked other such and such." That kind of thing. It felt rather redundant.
The climax was decent, but I'm not sure I really got to know the world of the Wardens well enough to be really invested in knowing more about them.
As I said, it definitely is meant for its target age group. Unfortunately, this is not one of those with an appeal that can span all ages.
The climax was decent, but I'm not sure I really got to know the world of the Wardens well enough to be really invested in knowing more about them.
As I said, it definitely is meant for its target age group. Unfortunately, this is not one of those with an appeal that can span all ages.
August 2, 2018
Although I love Nix’s Old Kingdom books, unfortunately I’ve not been a fan of his “children’s” books so far. I read all of the Keys to the Kingdom books, which I enjoyed up to a point but ultimately fell flat for me. With “Troubletwisters,” I feel similarly. There is huge, unexplainable magic; a huge, unexplainable evil (here simply called “the evil”), and some plucky kids that get into all kinds of magical trouble. The concept was interesting, but in execution it felt repetitive and I was mostly bored or grossed out by the imagery of insect and rodent monsters. I have several more audiobooks in the series which I might give a chance, but I feel like KttK the ending won’t be very satisfying for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews