Twisted

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson Fiction/Identity Viking, 2007, 250 pp., $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-670-06101-3

Do the right thing. Be a man.

Tyler Miller-self proclaimed "zit on the butt of the student body"-is trying to accomplish both of these things. The trouble is that when he does the right thing, it gets Turisted.

An act of school vandalism originally gets Tyler noticed. Not only do people at school know his name, but Tyler's efforts to pay off his debt to society help him acquire muscles with confidence to match. Even the popular girl, Bethany, seems interested in him. Things are looking up-until Tyler attends a party with the "popular" kids.

Twisted is about more than fitting in with the popular crowd. It is about Tyler learning how to fit in with himself and his family. It is about thoughts and actions determining who you are, instead of letting someone else decide that.

Anderson's first book from the male perspective is intriguing. Readers will find themselves rooting for Tyler as he battles social hierarchies and power structures with integrity and honor. Tyler discovers what becoming a man is truly all about.

Jill and Ryan Adams

Lakewood, CO

Copyright Assembly on Literature for Adolescents -- National Council of Teachers of English Fall 2007
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