 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Twisted
- By Laurie Halse Anderson
- Genre: School
Common Sense Media says
Gritty but powerful read about bullied teen.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the main character must deal with school bullies. At one point, he considers suicide and puts a gun in his mouth. His friend is tied down, stripped, and tormented. Someone takes pictures of a drunk, passed-out girl and posts them on the Internet. Also, there are references to drinking, drugs, and sex, as well as some
swearing and violence. Nothing is graphic, but it's there. There are some gritty details, but Tyler ultimately makes a powerful journey. It's a terrific thing, and all too rare, to see a protagonist develop hard-won strength of character right before your eyes.
What's the story?
After years of being an unnoticed dweeb, Tyler gets noticed in high school when he spray-paints graffiti on the school. He also gets arrested and sentenced to a summer of community service, from which he earns a newly muscular physique from the labor, and a reputation as slightly dangerous.
For a while things are OK for Tyler: he is no longer afraid of bullies, and the hottest girl in school (daughter of his father's boss and sister of the worst bully) seem interested in him. But his father is verbally abusive, his mother an alcoholic, all of the adults in his life are suspicious of him, and the bullies are looking for a chance for revenge. And when his life spirals out of his control, he begins to think that his only options are the most drastic ones.
Is it any good?
At first, you'll think you've seen this before. But then you start to notice the differences: the dweeb is buff and has a police record, some of the adults actually seem to care, the siblings like each other, the little sister has a good head on her shoulders, and the teenaged main character has become an adult before he or any of the other characters have noticed. And it's not much longer before you're completely swept up into a story with powerful emotional resonance, in which the protagonist may actually see a light at the end of the tunnel before the reader does.
Author Laurie Anderson does a good job with her first try at getting inside the head of a boy and speaking in his voice. Everything rings true here, and Tyler has more than earned the sympathy of the reader long before he is pushed beyond what anyone should have to deal with. It's a terrific thing, and all too rare, to see a protagonist develop hard-won strength of character right before your eyes.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how this book compares to the author's other work, like Speak and Wintergirls. This time, the author writes from a male perspective. Did you find that convincing?
In this book, Tyler has to deal with bullies. Does his experience seem realistic? At your school, what are some of the ways that kids get bullied? Do you think things have gotten harder for kids with the rise of cyberbullying? Parents who go down this path may want to consult our Cyberbullying Discussion Guide.
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Thirteen??
The page before the title page: NOTE: THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR CHILDREN. And she means that. One of the greatest aspects of Anderson's writing style is her unflinching plot lines and her massively flawed characters. The first scene describes Tyler getting an erection from (female) tennis players grinding up and down "and moaning. Did i mention they were moaning yet?" to quote from the book. The thirteen utterly perplexes me. The climax of the book (moderate spoilers) is about a girl getting so far drunk out of her mind that she passes out, a guy takes naked pictures of her and puts them on the web; ultimately Tyler is blamed and threatened with verbal police brutality and his father nearly forces him to go to military school. I don't know how that's not graphic, I mean, various references to pornography, uncontrollable hate for everyone and himself, strong language...but when most readers are thirteen they (by they I meant I) were reading Artemis Fowl. This book deals with conflicting moralities and inherent bad behaviors and qualities that neither the parents or children wish they had. While it is red, the number thirteen shouldn't even be on there. I would give it a yellow for extremely mature 15 year olds.
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AGE
Iffy
This book is good for 14+. The sexual content, and the mature bits (alchoholic father, suicide, etc.) are a bit too much for anyone younger. It is well-written though, and an honest portrait of a high school student.
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AGE
This book was great! I loved this book. One of my faves, if not my favorite book. I read this book in 3 days! I really like Laurie Halse Anderson's books cuz she gets what teens are feeling.
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AGE
Well written- depicts teen struggles accurately
I'm currently reading this book with a book club of rising 9th grade students. I'll be meeting them within the hour and am curious to see what they thought. Laurie Halse Anderson is one of my favorite YA authors. I've taught middle school for the past 5 years and haven't found a more appropriate author for this age group. The protagonist, Tyler, is very well depicted. His internal conflict is convincing and targets reality. While many of the scenes are hard to admit occuring in our youth, they present strong and accurate imagery. I would suggest reading the book before allowing your children to read it, but if your child is mature, I wouldn't hesitate to let them read it. Anderson does a great job of mixing humor into the plot in order to lighten the otherwise heavy nature of the novel. I was very impressed with Tyler's struggles and how his narration leads the reader through his journey.
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AGE
builds understanding of contemporary teen angst!
A great read that will build understanding of today's teen angst. Adults may be put off or concerned about the sexual references, the drinking, and the swearing contained in this novel. As a teacher in a conservative high school, however, I can tell you that ALL of what occurs in this novel is currently in high schools, whether parents and teachers and administrators want to believe it or not.
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AGE
I really enjoyed this book! Many themes available for discussion both at home and in school, which go beyond bullying.
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AGE
Amazingly Inspirational
This book is amazingly well written and realistic. Even though it may seem a little harsh, the reality is that most teens have to cope with these emotions, and its nice to know that it can be evercome, even if it is fiction, its still inspiring.
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AGE
an amazing book:)
i am a highschool senior and i had to pick a free reading book, so this looked ok, im not the biggest readers, but within the first chapter i could relate, same age, dorkey,likes cars, i mean its kinda like me so as i kept on reading i put myself in the book and my friends, i forced all of my close friends to read it and we gave eachother charcters in the book and to not bore you with my bad spelling and my kinda skippy review i thought the book was amazing,and i could relate, a fantastic read and will read again in the future:)
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AGE
An amazing book
I've read plenty of Laurie Halse Anderson's books. Speak, Fever, Prom, Twisted, etc. And this is by far the best. This is the first time she did a book in a male's perspective. I think it is just a gem. Although there is some iffy things, most 13 year olds could handle it. My class read it in 7th grade, so even the teacher obviously thought it was appropriate. I think that this website judged this book too much by having it at quite an older age then necessary. Honestly, I read it at age 12, understood it, and enjoyed it. Case closed.
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| Author: | Laurie Halse Anderson |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | School |
| Publisher: | Viking |
| Publication date: | March 15, 2007 |
| Number of pages: | 272 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 13 |
| Read alone: | 13 |
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