2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (4)

TWISTED by Laurie Halse Anderson

Seventeen year-old Tyler, has always been known as a loser until now. He was tired of being invisible so in the end of his junior year, he committed the Foul Deed to get noticed. He got probation for six months, performed community service at school, and worked in landscaping for the summer. His body became muscular and he no longer was Nerd Boy, but Tyler the Amazing Hulk. With his new physique and new reputation of being a bad boy, he grabs the attention of George Washington High's queen bee Bethany Miller. Bethany invites Tyler to a house party and when Tyler gets their she is already drunk. She starts making out with him, but he wants to do the right thing and not take advantage of her. He stops her, but she gets mad at him for blowing her off. They both walk away from each other and at the end of the party he finds her passed out on the floor. He drives her, her passed out brother Chip, and Parker one of Chip's friends. While driving them over to their house, Bethany starts making out with Parker in the backseat. Tyler walks off and finds out later that someone had taken naked pictures of Bethany while she was passed out at the party. Everyone thinks that it was him and the police start questioning him. He starts getting harassed at school and the principal decides to isolate him from the rest of the student body for his "own safety." Tyler starts to obsess about suicide and he attempts to end his life, but he can't pull it through. He decides to stand up for himself and fights back. He takes control of his crazy school schedule, makes his dad finally understand that he is not a screw-up, and blows off Bethany for not standing up for him. In the end, the police clear him of the crime. I immensely enjoyed reading this novel and started to cheer Tyler on when I read he was going to fight back. I highly recommend this book to upper grade students and reluctant readers. I feel that students will be able to identify with Tyler's home environment and the harassment he receives at school.