Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F And
Genres
Collection
Publication
Speak (2007), Edition: Reprint, 288 pages
Description
After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.
Subjects
Original publication date
2007-03-20
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User reviews
LibraryThing member MsMoonlight
In a word: Phenomenal
I loved the main character Tyler Miller right from page one. He was charming, laugh out loud funny and oh so completely teenage boy!
Seventeen year old Tyler had been the kid picked on, beaten up, lunch money stolen, head stuffed in a toilet and mocked nearly his entire school
The problem is, Tyler still doesn't fit in with the rich, popular kids. He's still the same guy he always was, only now he's well muscled and sexy because of his dangerous look and reputation. Bethany's brother Chip hates Tyler and has been Tyler's biggest enemy for years. When Bethany shows an interest in Tyler, Chip is determined not to see them together and sets out to make Tyler's life more of a living hell than he has since middle school.
Tyler is having the best and worst time of his life for a while, then it all goes bad one night at a party when Bethany gets drunk and they have a fight. That night changes everything and Tyler finds himself once more under the watchful eye of the police and the hate filled eyes of his classmates. Tyler's bad boy reputation is landing him in serious trouble and if he doesn't clean up his act and get it together he might destroy his future.
The story not only revolves around Tyler and classmates, but also Tyler's dysfunctional family, Tyler's relationship with his father, Tyler's kid sister going to high school and beginning to date- dating Tyler's best friend! There is a lot going on, but it all works together to make for a fantastic, page turning YA book that I HIGHLY recommend.
The book comes with a huge stamped warning before the title page: "NOTE: THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR CHILDREN". The book is full of a teen boy's body responses to girls and how he (like most boys) handles his sexual desires. Basically Tyler, like most guys his age is constantly battling his hormones and fantasies.
I loved the main character Tyler Miller right from page one. He was charming, laugh out loud funny and oh so completely teenage boy!
Seventeen year old Tyler had been the kid picked on, beaten up, lunch money stolen, head stuffed in a toilet and mocked nearly his entire school
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existence. Then six months earlier, he pulls a prank by spray painting the school wall that lands him with a 'bad boy' reputation. His summer of working for a landscaping business beefs up his body with huge muscles and suddenly he's getting a very different response from people. The most popular girl in school Bethany (the girl who stars in most of his sexual fantasies) takes notice and Tyler is on cloud nine.The problem is, Tyler still doesn't fit in with the rich, popular kids. He's still the same guy he always was, only now he's well muscled and sexy because of his dangerous look and reputation. Bethany's brother Chip hates Tyler and has been Tyler's biggest enemy for years. When Bethany shows an interest in Tyler, Chip is determined not to see them together and sets out to make Tyler's life more of a living hell than he has since middle school.
Tyler is having the best and worst time of his life for a while, then it all goes bad one night at a party when Bethany gets drunk and they have a fight. That night changes everything and Tyler finds himself once more under the watchful eye of the police and the hate filled eyes of his classmates. Tyler's bad boy reputation is landing him in serious trouble and if he doesn't clean up his act and get it together he might destroy his future.
The story not only revolves around Tyler and classmates, but also Tyler's dysfunctional family, Tyler's relationship with his father, Tyler's kid sister going to high school and beginning to date- dating Tyler's best friend! There is a lot going on, but it all works together to make for a fantastic, page turning YA book that I HIGHLY recommend.
The book comes with a huge stamped warning before the title page: "NOTE: THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR CHILDREN". The book is full of a teen boy's body responses to girls and how he (like most boys) handles his sexual desires. Basically Tyler, like most guys his age is constantly battling his hormones and fantasies.
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LibraryThing member jasmine.gomez
This book was about a boy who was not an angle. He vandalised the school and broke many laws. He really liked this girl who was the sister of his biggest problem. He did anything he could to get with this girl. He got into many fights and made her popularity go in to the ground. He ended up being
I gave this book a four star rating because it was very good. It had alot of detain and explained alot of stuff very well. Also because the author had a very high vocabulary.
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her best friend and helped her with her broken leg. Her brother walked in when he was caring his sitster. Her brother started to yell and she did not care.I gave this book a four star rating because it was very good. It had alot of detain and explained alot of stuff very well. Also because the author had a very high vocabulary.
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LibraryThing member jensha
Boy with family issues and self-esteen issues vandalizes school to make a statement. Does community service ... meets and starts to "date" dream girl ... drinking at party ... does the right thing ... someone else takes advantage (takes pictures) but everyone assumes it was him ... major dad issues
LibraryThing member LCSDLibrary
Tyler is a borderline loser in his high school, but one act of rebellion last year has upped his stock somewhat as well as saddled him with a Parole Officer. Now, starting his senior year, Tyler must contend with his angry father, AP classes, a hopeless crush, and the crush's knuckle-dragging thug
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of a brother. A well-told story of a basically good guy trying to skatie through his senior year on very thin ice. Show Less
LibraryThing member cinf0master
On probation after vandalizing his high school, 17-yr-old Tyler Miller enjoys his tough reputation until he is fingered as the primary suspect in an indecency case. Anderson’s writing is as powerful as ever, twisting inside the teenage mind and bringing out all the cracks and flaws that define
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these developmental years. Tyler embodies characteristics from any teen – gay, straight, popular, withdrawn; teens will form an instant connection with him. The warped family dynamic reflects the work-a-holic culture, and readers will be able to strongly relate to this facet of modern family life. Reluctant male readers will enjoy the testosterone-enhanced scenarios Anderson generates throughout the narrative. For teens who want the anti-thesis of "Gossip girls." Try with "Touching spirit bear" by Ben Mikaelsen, "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers, or "Jude" by Kate Morgenroth. Show Less
LibraryThing member 4sarad
I read this book in a day, so that says something about the story. However, I can't help but feel there was something missing. They never say who posted the pictures. I have an idea of who it was, but you never actually find out. There is no indication as to whether the man boy and girl get
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together either. I'm okay with leaving some questions up to the reader to answer... but at the same time I'd like some direction. It also seemed a bit fake that the brother and sister got along so well. Otherwise the story was entertaining and there were some very good scenes. Show Less
LibraryThing member marnattij
Boy, I liked this when I read it, but even after reading the reviews on Amazon, it doesn't sound even vaguely familiar. At any rate, not Anderson's best, but certainly good. As always, she writes in a totally different style and voice than in her other books.
LibraryThing member ritaabook
This book has so much passion and realistic truth about many of todays families. A misunderstood boy growing up in a family where the mom tries to escape into a bottle and the dad works nonstop trying to climb his way to the top forgetting about his family. This was recommended to me by a teen and
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I am very glad that I read it! It did bother me that on the back of the book it suggests that people 12-17 would enjoy it. I would not want my 12 year old reading this! There are parts of sex, drug use, drinking, and violence. Show Less
LibraryThing member mattsya
Anderson has a talent for creating real high school-aged characters in real, contemporary settings. Her characters are teens as they live today. Teen suicide is a real issue, but often in fiction it used for cheap melodrama. Here, Anderson, slowly, carefully, and credibly creates a character who
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seriously considers suicide. The fact that it is written in first person from this character's point of view belays some of the "will or won't he" suspense, but cheap plot thrills are not what Anderson is after here. Instead, she creates a believable, often funny, story of a character who weighs all his options. Show Less
LibraryThing member rowan1
I enjoyed reading this story because it was from the perspective of a male teenager. I didn't find it quite as compelling as Speak, but it was engaging. Halse Anderson does a commendable job of blending the abuse elements into the story as it unfolds. There was some predictability to the plot but I
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couldn't completely predict it. I think teens will be engaged by this story. Show Less
LibraryThing member kewpie
Tyler transforms from geek to hunk in the summer between his junior and senior year. He used to be bullied and beat up by the football players. Now he is stronger than them. Girls used to ignore him, and now the most popular girl in school is following him around and flirting with him. How could
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anything go wrong? When he gets accused of a horrible crime he didn’t commit, his life takes a bad turn. Show Less
LibraryThing member hpluver07
This book was extremely good, but definitely for high school students. My favorite part was the argument between the hormones and the brain!
LibraryThing member emcnellis16
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
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member WarriorLibrary
Hard to put down! Show the family problems that some teens live with but has a hopeful ending.
LibraryThing member lrobe190
Seventeen year old Tyler is just finishing up his mandated community service for vandalizing his high school. For some reason, the "foul deed" has elevated him from nerd-boy who has been bullied from elementary school through high school, to someone a little cooler at school. He is strongly
Readers will ache for Tyler as he tries to figure out what his path in life should be. No matter what he tries to do, it blows up in his face. The suspense continues to build until his final confrontation with his father. Tyler is on the cusp of becoming a man and readers will laugh, cry and cheer for him as he finds his way.
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attracted to Bethany Milbury who also happens to the daughter of his father's boss and sister of his arch-enemy at school. Tyler is trying hard to meet his father's expectations...perfection...and always comes up short. He's astounded when he realizes that Bethany likes him and wants him to take her to a party, but even that backfires on him. Now, as he turns 18, he has to decide if he will continue to follow the path set out for him by his family and those around him or try to find a path of his own.Readers will ache for Tyler as he tries to figure out what his path in life should be. No matter what he tries to do, it blows up in his face. The suspense continues to build until his final confrontation with his father. Tyler is on the cusp of becoming a man and readers will laugh, cry and cheer for him as he finds his way.
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LibraryThing member ohioyalibrarian
YA author Chris Lynch says it all about this book (much better than I could say it):
"Chillingly, 'Twisted' takes twenty-first century technology and smashes it into timeless issues of alienation and betrayal to illustrate how a young person's life can be mangled at breakneck speed. Reality may
"Chillingly, 'Twisted' takes twenty-first century technology and smashes it into timeless issues of alienation and betrayal to illustrate how a young person's life can be mangled at breakneck speed. Reality may
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bite, but perception just might tear you to shreds." Show Less
LibraryThing member kmcgiverin05
I would recommend this for middles school aged students.
LibraryThing member lalalibrarian
this was NOT as good as Speak or even Catalyst and since that's what I was expecting, I was disappointed.
LibraryThing member zugenia
Laurie Halse Anderson nails the voice of a withdrawn suburban teenager yet again, this time a young man on the cusp of eighteen struggling to acclimate himself to his newly adult body, perspective, and social responsibilities. High school in Anderson's books is such a fresh hell it's painful to
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read, but, as with her novel Speak, I couldn't put this one down. Show Less
LibraryThing member DF1A_KelseyW
Twisted is about the struggles between a highschool teenager who made some poor mistakes to get attention. He went through the typical struggles, untill he almost commited suicide. When his sister caught him almost in the act she sent him to his bestfriends house where he talked him out of it for
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awhile. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ynaffit27
Couldn't stop reading this book. I liked the main character, Tyler. His mind and actions were very believable. Anderson always writes books with a subtle sense of humor and stories that hit what teenagers are struggling with the most. In this book, it's not just high school life of rumors, fights,
Some ideas from the book that I think were the moral to the book: do positive and don't sign self over to the devil (be different even if it's hard, because it's important); Life is twisted and meaningless if you let it be that way; you may strike out 47 times before you actually hit the goal; You will get callouses from your trouble and hard work, but they are a defense mechanism and you have to take care of them. Also, the study in art on Renaissance applies to Tyler's "rebirth" and learning. Good read!
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and girls, but mostly about home life and parental relationships. I didn't relate to this book as much as I did with her novel Speak, but I know that there are many teens out there that will find this book inspiring, especially males since it's a male protagonist and the book has metaphors parallel to a video game. The only thing I didn't quite like was the ending. It wasn't a happy, summed up ending (which is great), but I felt like I wanted more on what happened at school and with Bethany. Some ideas from the book that I think were the moral to the book: do positive and don't sign self over to the devil (be different even if it's hard, because it's important); Life is twisted and meaningless if you let it be that way; you may strike out 47 times before you actually hit the goal; You will get callouses from your trouble and hard work, but they are a defense mechanism and you have to take care of them. Also, the study in art on Renaissance applies to Tyler's "rebirth" and learning. Good read!
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LibraryThing member Beatles101
This book revealed the shocking truth of high school - you are a) accepted b) rejected or c) stuck horribly in between. For Tyler, c is the answer to life. When he becomes the "cool guy" at school after vandalizing a couple thousand dollars worth of school property, he swiftly changes from "geek"
Readers around the world will enjoy Tyler's sense of humor, but also see that there are people struggling, struggling to be seen and heard, and suppressing that will be like blowing too much air into a balloon - it will eventually pop. Four stars.
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to "cool guy," and begins to date the prettiest girl in school, until he's caught up in the latest scandal - one he did not participate in.Readers around the world will enjoy Tyler's sense of humor, but also see that there are people struggling, struggling to be seen and heard, and suppressing that will be like blowing too much air into a balloon - it will eventually pop. Four stars.
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LibraryThing member kellyoliva
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted. I couldn't put it down! This is a fine example of realistic fiction that males and females alike will enjoy.
When we first meet Tyler Miller, he is dreading the first day of his senior year. Tyler has spent the summer working a
Tyler's home life, however, is uncomfortable at best. His mother drinks excessively to avoid his father's harsh rule over the household. Tyler's dad has no time for Tyler and has basically written off his son because of The Foul Deed. Tyler's father is controlling, abusive, and a workaholic.
When Tyler is accused of a crime at a party he wasn't supposed to attend, the protagonist's situation darkens further. Tyler falls into a depression must fight the accusations as well as his father's anger and determination to send him to military camp.
This book felt incredibly real. Anderson did a wonderful job of developing the characters, especially Tyler and his father. I highly recommend Twisted to the 9-12 crowd.
When we first meet Tyler Miller, he is dreading the first day of his senior year. Tyler has spent the summer working a
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manual labor job and completing community service as a result of "The Foul Deed." At the end of his junior year, Tyler vandalized his school and was caught, leading him to lose his driver's license and any trust his parents had in him. As a result of his community service and landscaping job, Tyler has developed definite muscles. These muscles combined with the "bad ass" reputation he's earned from committing a crime cause fellow students to look at Tyler a little differently. In fact, his crush, Bethany, now appears to think he's worthy to engage in conversation.Tyler's home life, however, is uncomfortable at best. His mother drinks excessively to avoid his father's harsh rule over the household. Tyler's dad has no time for Tyler and has basically written off his son because of The Foul Deed. Tyler's father is controlling, abusive, and a workaholic.
When Tyler is accused of a crime at a party he wasn't supposed to attend, the protagonist's situation darkens further. Tyler falls into a depression must fight the accusations as well as his father's anger and determination to send him to military camp.
This book felt incredibly real. Anderson did a wonderful job of developing the characters, especially Tyler and his father. I highly recommend Twisted to the 9-12 crowd.
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LibraryThing member elizabethholloway
Child abuse, bullying, suicide are heavy subjects that can sometimes make a book feel burdensome. However, Anderson has created such an irreverent, ironic and truly likable narrator that the reader is compelled to find out what happens to him. The commentary on high school society is dead-on and
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will be recognizable to anyone who has been to high school. The aborted suicide attempt is detailed and maybe too graphic for some readers, but Tyler’s ultimate ability to take control of his life makes this very serious book ultimately hopeful and Tyler, heroic. Show Less
LibraryThing member JuliaKay
This book was great. It shows a great point of view on a teenager who feels lost and does not know what to do with him self.I ;ove the main character. He shows that some times you got to keep your head above the water even when you think your going to drown.
Pages
288