Twisted

January 15, 2007
At first, Anderson's (Speak
) contemporary novel appears to be a "twisted" version of a Cinderella story. Unpopular senior Tyler Miller ("a zit on the butt of the student body") gains stature and notoriety the summer after he pulls off an impressive prank: "spray-painting a couple thousand dollars worth of damage to the school." But readers soon discover that the author has something more complex and original to offer than a fairy-tale rendition of transformation. Humorous, compelling first-person narrative traces how Tyler's newfound happiness as a gutsy tough-guy soon turns to agony; he starts to wish that he could go back to being "invisible." Tyler is floating on Cloud Nine when he wins favor with rich, popular Bethany Milbury, but she drops him after he won't sleep with her, and then he gets the blame when compromising photos of her appear on the Internet. As a result, Tyler has to contend with the police, a verbally abusive father (who works for Bethany's dad), a principal who is still angry about the graffiti incident, and a slew of new enemies at school. With justice seemingly beyond his reach, Tyler considers suicide and running away from home before settling for less drastic measures. This dark comedy gives a chillingly accurate portrayal of the high-school social scene, in which morals, perceptions and conceptions of truth are continually being challenged. Tyler may not gain hero status with his peers, but readers will respect his integrity, which outshines his mistakes. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)
Agent: Writers House
.

November 1, 2007
Gr 9 Up-Tired of his image as a geek and being ignored at school, Tylers graffiti spraying stunt at the end of his junior year in high school gets him arrested. He spends the summer doing community service and landscaping work and returns to school with a pumped up body and a new bad-boy image. The beautiful and popular Bethany (the daughter of his fathers boss ) falls for him but dumps him when he refuses to sleep with her when shes drunk. Things quickly slide downhill from there, making Tylers life tense both at school and at home. The teen becomes more and more emotionally unstable and he tries to figure out how to remedy the situation. Mike Chamberlain punches out the voice of Tyler with honesty and intensity. This captivating novels fast-paced plot, laugh-out-loud one liners, and gritty realism will keep listeners enthralled.Karen T. Bilton, Mary Jacobs Library, Rocky Hill, NJ

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