“Twisted” by Laurie Halse Anderson

In Ms. Anderson’s first book with a male protagonist we meet Tyler Miller, a n’er-do-well Senior who is definitely not in the popular crowd. In many ways, he is the typical teen boy. He fights with his sister but loves her, he aches for a look from the pretty popular girl and he blocks out the struggles in his life by focusing on getting from one level to another in a computer game that takes you to hell and back. The game is a metaphor for his life and the arc in this book. Tyler is a good kid who somehow just keeps getting sucked up into one mini-disaster after another, mostly for having the audacity to want more in life. The book is 90% humorous and 10% deadly serious. The funny parts were very true to life and had me laughing out loud. The serious part makes the opening warning “This is not a book for children” abundantly clear. Tyler has parents who have issues, and like in many teenage books, those issues run deeper than our lead character would like to admit. When Tyler’s life spins out of control he has no support system – and you might guess where things go from there (I’d rather not provide any spoilers). Laurie Halse Anderson’s terse style works well here to build anticipation and keep the story careening forward. It is that style, and her very realistic take on the inside-the-head life of teens that makes her such a compelling writer for me. Consider this one another novel in the “win” column and enjoy. But if you are a middle schooler, you might want to wait a few years to enjoy it.