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Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson (audio)

Source: Public Library
Audiobook, 5 CDs
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Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, narrated by Mike Chamberlain, examines teenage life with an inside look through Tyler Miller’s eyes.  Miller was an average student and teen with a dysfunctional family, and he makes one mistake — paints graffiti on the school and lands on probation.  Miller’s life is further upended by the attention of popular girl, Bethany Milbury.  He has had a crush on this girl for a long time, and when she pays him attention he cannot believe his luck.  However, his one chivalrous decision ends up landing him in hot water with the school and the police.  Chamberlain’s voice is perfect for the voice of this teenage boy, who is by turns comic, tortured by bullies, and entertains thoughts of suicide.

Miller’s parents are consumed by their work and are barely home to care for their kids, and the father is clearly in need of anger management.  And Anderson raises questions about what it means to be a man in today’s society, how teen boys can face pressures that even their parents are unaware of, and what it means to be the subject of bullying.  Miller is a genuine teen boy, and readers will see why Anderson’s prose is so well praised in the young adult fiction community and beyond.  She is in tune with today’s teens and their struggles.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, narrated by Mike Chamberlain, is tragic and real at the same time, and the Miller family is in dire need of therapy.  This book is funny, horrifying, and poignant given the two-income households that abound in modern society, the need of families to find balance between work and home life, and the bullying that happens in many high schools.

About the Author:

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous ALA and state awards. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists.

Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes. You can follow her adventures on Twitter and on her tumblr.