Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson


In my opinion, Laurie Halse Anderson can do no wrong. And Twisted was another example of her almost unparalleled consistency and talent.

Tyler is has either been picked on or lived in the shadows his entire life, both at school and at home. His father treats him like dirt and his mother refuses to stand up for herself or her children. But at the end of school last year, Tyler decided to change his loser image and graffiti the school.

But he got caught. He spent his entire summer doing janitorial community service and working at a landscaping company to repay for his act. Fortunately, all the hard labor has transformed his body from weak and forgettable, to toned and noticeable. And almost immediately, he catches the attention of popular girl and Tyler's long-time crush, Bethany. Tyler finally gets a chance to be a part of it all, until a scandal rocks the school and everyone points a finger at him and his new dangerous image. Now Tyler has to decide who to be when his whole world is turned upside-down.

This book was really fantastic. Laurie Halse Anderson has the ability to write any character, any gender, any setting, and make you feel for them and understand them and honestly, love them. Tyler was just a guy who was excited to have a chance to fit it, no matter how fleeting and that is something a lot of people can relate to. He didn't look up to the popular crowd, he was just tired of being picked on by them and wanted to know what the other side was like. He was smart and sarcastic and hilarious and lost. He was an incredible man.

I honestly have nothing to complain about. It was hard to read because of the persecution of Tyler, but that's not a bad thing, it just shows how incredible a writer Laurie Halse Anderson is. I love that her books have some kind of humor in them, even though they are about intense, non-humorous subjects. And this one didn't disappoint.

If you have some spare time, read this book. It's super short, well-written, thought provoking and full of dark humor.

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