Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

One mistake can change your life.  Like a domino hitting the one beside it, sometimes there is no stopping the momentum triggered by one event.  Before you know it, everything that was upright is now in a chaotic mess and the whole thing has crumbled.  No matter how hard you try, sometimes you can't regain control.  The worst part is that even if you aren’t to blame, if you’ve caused trouble before you are an easy target for blame the next time around.

Tyler Miller was busted for vandalizing school property and spent his summer vacation doing hard labor--through his community service assignment of helping the custodial staff fix the roof and working for a landscaping business.  Not only has he learned many lessons but he's gained a buff body in the process.  Tyler has always been a nerdy nobody.  Most people have either ignored him or mercilessly bullied him.  But now people are noticing him for the wrong reasons and he’s being labeled as a troublemaker.  But Tyler’s hard physique is just a cover-up. He’s still the same insecure, confused teenager inside and now he’s full of anger; toward his father, who treats him like a criminal and at an unfair, unjust world that can’t seem to look beyond past deeds and see the honor in doing the right thing.  How is it that just when it seems like you’re old enough to finally understand the world, it becomes a twisted mess? 

Why I picked up the book: I had listened to it (great recording) in 2009 and decided to use it for our Teen Book Club so I needed to reread.

Why I finished it: Terrific voice and characterization. Tyler is definitely a teenager growing up in the 21st century, struggling with finding his place in school, his family, and the world.

I'd give it to: Teens and adults. A great look at how we define ourselves and whether or not our choices/actions should define who we are.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

View all my Goodreads reviews