Absolutely loved this book. Fast read and kept me turning the pages. I would highly recommend it. I like how the author was able to take a dark subject matter and add humor to it. It was great!!!

Tyler is a character that will remain with you long after you close the book. His obsession with the queen bee Bethany (who happens to be the daughter of his father's boss), his antagonistic relationship with Bethany's twin brother, his apparent 'no-win" relationship with his own father, and his ongoing struggle with his own identify problems all combine to make for a powerful and poignant drama. Highly recommended but definitely not a book for children!

Tyler Miller was getting ready to start his Senior year in high school. For years, he had been the quiet, geeky kid that most of the football team had picked on. Then a couple of somethings had happened. Tyler had grown taller and filled out. A summer of working at the landscape company had pumped up muscles he didn't even know he had. Now he was taller and stronger than most of the football players. And of course, the "foul deed". Tyler had spray painted a couple of thousand dollars worth of damage at school and had gotten caught. Now he was "dangerous", a bad boy. The kids at school were definitely looking at him differently. Including, Bethany Millbury, only the most beautiful, popular girl at school. A girl Tyler had a crush on forever. Oh yeah, and the daughter of his father's boss.

Tyler's dad was tough and cold. Working for Millbury trust, he spent so much time at work and traveling that he wasn't around that much. But when he was, tension at home was unusually high. Both Tyler and his sister Hannah had to walk on eggshells around him. And Tyler's mom spent a lot of time with either a migraine, or a gin and tonic in her hand.

When Bethany started eating lunch with Tyler, he couldn't have been more amazed. And neither could Chip, Bethany's brother. He was Tyler's mortal enemy and hated that his sister was interested in Tyler. When the Homecoming Bonfire came around, Bethany invited Tyler to go to a party with her and her friends. Since he didn't have his car any longer, Tyler had to walk to the party. Showing up late, Bethany was around drunk when he got there. She practically threw herself at him.....and Tyler being the good kid he really was, tried to sober her up instead of taking advantage of the situation. But Bethany took it as an insult and got mad. She started making out with one of Chip's friends, and left Tyler alone at the party.

Tyler figured this would probably be the end of his dreams with Bethany. But when pictures of a half-naked Bethany got posted on the Internet, Tyler became suspect number one. Now his new found popularity is gone. And he has to prove to everyone, including his dad, that he isn't the kind of person that would do something like this.

Laurie Halse Anderson has this uncanny ability to think like a teenager. And not only that, she can WRITE like a teenager. Twisted is told from Tyler's point of view, and it's hard to believe it wasn't actually written by a teenage boy. Anderson tackles some really deep issues including sex, depression, and teenage suicide. And she does so with such realism and honesty that it's scary. I haven't been in high school for a long time, but I remember a lot of those raw feelings. Anderson just puts them all down on a page. And it's gut-wrenching to read.

It makes me a little frightened to read books like this. My son will be in 7th grade this year, and I just want to hold him and protect him from all the bad things that High School can bring. I know that I can't. I can give him love, encouragement and the tools to try to do the right thing. Then I have to let him go and trust that he will be ok. It scares the hell out of me, it really does.

Even if you don't have kids in school, this book will take you back to the torturous days of high school. It's honest, insightful, and at times, very bleak. But, in the end, there is hope. And that's all that anyone can ask for. This book is definitely not for children (and it plainly states that on the opening page of the book). But for older kids and teens, it's a wonderful look at the world of high school, and the pitfalls and temptations that could possibly face them. Highly recommended.

Earlier this year, I read Twilight simply because a friend raved about it. I was very surprised that I would enjoy a young adult novel so much. I liked it so much, I decided to join the young adult challenge. I saw Twisted reviewed on another blog and decided that it would be the first book in this challenge. I enjoyed it very much.

As a high school teacher, and the mother of a teenage boy, I found the character of Tyler to be very realistic. Anderson has managed to capture the indecision and longing for acceptance that every teenager experiences at this age.

Anderson also manages to infuse the characters her novel with a sense of humor. Some parts of the book deal with sensitive subjects such as suicide, drinking, and sexual assault. Tyler's subtly humorous observations make it easier to get past the ugly topics and concentrate on the lessons he is trying to teach us.

Tyler Miller has always been among the oppressed, from the time he was in middle through all his high school years. Until one day when he decides to make a statement by spray painting the school; suddenly, through arrest and a summer spent doing hard labor for community service, Tyler's transformed into one of the dangerous crowd. When he finally catches the eye of Bethany Milsbury, he thinks things are at last going to go well for him. Unfortunately, his home life and doing the decent thing bring his world down around him, and choices must be made.

Gut-wrenching at times, Twisted follows Tyler as he comes to grips with who he is as a person and what he's willing to sacrifice. Anderson is a gifted storyteller and she gives Tyler a strong voice as he faces more arrest and becoming an outcast in his school community. Twisted is dark, and many teens will recognize the typical high school cliques. My biggest gripe is the lack of closure; Anderson gives us a realistic tale and leaves us hanging as to how it will all turn out. Good writing, though, and definitely an interesting plot that will engage. I'm not sure that enjoyed is the correct word, but I did find myself unable to put it down. Recommended.