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Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Tyler has been picked on or ignored all his life until the end of his junior year when he got in serious trouble for a stupid prank. Sentenced to hard labor (community service) for the summer, Tyler enters his senior year with a new muscular build that catches the eye of Bethany Milbury, the daughter of his father's boss and the sister of his nemesis Chip. When things get out of control at a party Bethany had invited him to attend, Tyler gets blamed for a crime he didn't commit. He is ostracized at school by both students and faculty and is repeatedly questioned by the police. Tyler can't take the pressure and has no hope for the future. The final straw comes when his domineering father announces that he's enrolling Tyler in a military boarding school. Feeling as though he is running out of options, Tyler makes a desperate decision that could have devastating consequences.
Hopefully the paperback version of this book will be more appealing than the hardcover. The cover is just a red pencil twisted around itself. The blurb is "Everybody told me to be a man. Nobody told me how." How boring is that? The only reason anyone would read this book would be if they read and enjoyed Speak (which is an awesome book that everyone who reads seems to love). It's a shame because this book is worth reading.
Twisted is a good companion piece to Speak. In this case it's the guy who is damaged by a misunderstanding that takes place at a party where everyone is drinking. Tyler isn't the most likable character, but he's real and readers will find themselves pulling for him. Not as good as Speak, but few books could be.
Four out of five stars.
