Twisted

By Porsha Denay

Newspaper journalist Amina is ready to take her career to the next level as a published author. While doing some research, she somehow manages to come across an obituary of a woman named Paulette Ghram. The brief summary of this womans life intrigues Amina, and quickly becomes her foundation.
Paulette was successful, beautiful, powerful, and, in her own eyes, perfect. Married to the father of her two children, vice president of a fortune 500 company, and only 26 yrs young. It was only right she felt she was perfect. Until one night of celebration with the girls changes it all. Paulettes eyes become wide open, and so does her hunger for vengeance. Needing to hurt her husband just as much as he hurt her, Paulette doesnt realize the extent of secrets, lies, deceit, and life threatening decisions she stirs up from her love affair with Terrance Johnson. Even with all shes learned and written, Amina hasnt yet realized just how twisted things are about to get for everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499012170

Porsha Denay

Porsha Denay started her writing drive at the age of 13, when she began articulating herself through poetry. Writing poetry became her hobby as well as her way of escaping life. It was in high school when she progressed into writing short stories for English Literature and Writing courses. With continuous encouraging praise on her work from her instructors, Porsha was sure she was ready for her first fiction novel. So she got in full swing with Twisted. Porsha Denay is a single mother of two, and is a native of New Jersey. Where she currently resides with her children, family, and friends.

Book preview

PART 1…

She was a beautiful girl. Inside and out. When we first met, she was wearing these two pig tails in her hair, and the ugliest pock-a-dot sundress I had ever seen. She talked with a soft voice, and she used proper English, even at the age of 8. It was weird how we met. She was the new girl at school, and I of course was the one nobody wanted to mess with, even being a white girl. Ha. Anyway, we were playing at recess and Paulette was of course dress to impress in her sundress and sandals with her pigtails. She was minding her business by the student garden we had just planted by the playground. She loved the smell of the lilies. She would sit there the entire recess hour n just stare in space while soaking in the aroma. Anyway, she was sitting there minding her business, and of course the two biggest bullies of the 3rd grade, Justin and T.J, decided to bother her. They called her names, and said she was suburban girl and she needed to go back to where she came from with the white folks. She was definitely not from no burbs, Paulette just liked to feel pretty and she was very intelligent. She liked to learn new things. I knew all of that before we even became friends. Well, I eventually got sick of the boys messing with her, and one day I decided to handle them the way they needed to be handled. Needless to say, they didn’t bother her anymore. And that was the day we became inseparable. The tom boy and the girly girl. It shocked many people, especially as we got older and got to high school. We were still stuck in our ways, but we also learned from one another. Paulette taught me how to be gentle, and how to love. She taught me how to just be me, and she didn’t even know it. I’m sure I taught her a few things as well. Especially when we were in 8th grade and she kicked some chick’s ass for calling me a cracker. It didn’t bother me, but it ate Paulette up. I guess it was the fact that I had been living in Camden mostly all my life, and never once got called a cracker. People understood that I was just skin challenged. Ha. No, I just never looked at it as black and white. I was just me and people accepted it or they didn’t and they left me alone because they knew the white girl could kick ass. Any who, no more about me. You asked about Paulette.

Yes, but it’s good to hear a little about you too Rochelle. The interviewer had been taking notes and listening carefully. It helps me understand who Paulette was, and how she became who she was. She jotted some more things down on her legal pad. Please keep going?

Ok, Rochelle took a sip of water. Well, no matter how close we thought we were, we never expected to get any closer, but we did. When Paulette’s mother passed, she was tossed in the system just like me. She was awarded to stay with my foster mother, Mrs. Jenkins. She was a sweet lady, and had been my foster parent since I was 3 years old. She wanted to adopt me, but DYFS kept giving her a hard time. They felt as though she needed the income for her foster children, and adopting me would take 300 dollars from her income. So, they just let her keep me as a permanent foster. Anyway, Paulette’s mother, who wasn’t the greatest woman in the world, had passed away when we were in our junior year of high school. I went home and told Mrs. Jenkins what was going on, and she was at the courts the next day getting the process ready for Paulette to come with her. Mrs. Jenkins had a way with words, and she could convince them judges to crawl on their knees for her if she had to. She was well respected in the community, and everywhere else she went. That was Mrs. Jenkins. A powerful woman of God. She did her best to keep Paulette and me in the church, or at least prayed up. But once we turned 18, we were ready to face the world. I know it broke Mrs. Jenkins heart when we left her and hit them streets. But we always went to visit. Especially on holidays. Saw her every Sunday, every holiday, and every other Tuesday up until the day God called her home. That’s what did it for Paulette. Her drug dealing alcoholic father walked out on her and her mom when she was a baby, and her mother blamed her for it every single day. She verbally abused Paulette, and treated her like she was nothing. I think that’s what made her push so hard to be something. Her father was murdered when she was 10 years old, and Paulette actually found out by watching the news. Her mother blamed her for that as well. She use to tell Paulette that if she wasn’t born he wouldn’t have left and he wouldn’t have gotten shot. I guess when Mrs. Jenkins use to always say God don’t like ugly, she was telling the truth. Shortly after Paulette’s father passed, her mom got sick with leukemia. Paulette did her best to take care of her mom, but honestly, part of her was happy she was dying. She was ready for the abuse to stop. Even on her death bed she found a way to hurt her only child in any way she possibly could. Paulette eventually stopped caring. Even at the funereal, Paulette didn’t shed one tear. She remained neutral throughout the entire service. When we talked later on that day, she told me she didn’t know how she felt. She just knew she felt relief. She felt like the heaviest weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. I wasn’t surprised by her feelings. I mean, how would you feel if your mother made your life a living hell for 16 years, and finally she just died? Rochelle paused for another drink of water. Though her question was rhetorical, the journalist still felt the need to answer.

I honestly wouldn’t know how I would feel? She wiped a tear from her watering eyes. Paulette’s story was one she was interested in learning, and writing her next novel on. She didn’t realize how serious it was, or sad. Rochelle, do you think that Paulette became the woman she was because she somehow always felt the need to prove her mother wrong, despite the fact she was dead?

Yes and no. I mean, she became the woman she was because she promised herself a better life for her children, even before she had any. She would always say she would never be like her mother. She would cherish her children like the blessings they would be.

Once she did become a mother, did she fulfill those promises? Not just to her children, but to herself?

Yes. Rochelle took a deep breathe. It’s funny because we all thought that once she met Marquese, those promises had already been broken. Like I said earlier, she never wanted to become the woman her mother was, in any way. But then she contradicted her words when she fell in love with a man who was exactly like her father, at least the street aspects of who he was. The fact that she met this man at the strip club where we worked, didn’t make it any easier for us to agree with her choice of being with him. But Paulette was determined to show us he wasn’t like her father. Yes he was a drug dealer, yes he was your typical street runner. But in her eyes he was a prince. Marquese had many flaws, but Paulette was so in love with him, she managed to look past them all. She supported him, and she stuck by him. None of us were ever major fans of his, but if he was what Paulette wanted, there was no way we could take that from her. So we accepted it. We learned to live with her relationship, and continued to support her the best we knew how. She was our best friend, our sister.

When you say we, and our, are you referring to yourself and the other girls you two hung out with?

Not really hung out, we grew up together. Jamya and Shareese came into mine and Paulette’s life when we got to high school. The two of them were in our theatre class, and the four of us were assigned a group skit. We had to spend every day together for the entire 4th semester. We became friends quickly, and by the time we had to do our skit, we did it so well because it had become a real life story to us. Over the years, the four of us grew closer, and till this day, we are practically one big happy family. None of us had families of our own. So we made one. The four of us, and our husbands, who were also close friends from the neighborhood. They weren’t all going down the same career paths, but they were the same in some ways. It’s funny how things happened the way they did. We actually met our husbands through Marquese. It’s crazy how everything just seem to flow and eventually worked out in Paulette’s favor. All of us being close, and being a family. That’s what made her happy. That’s what put joy in her heart.

Rochelle, how did you all get to your point of such great success? I mean you and the girls went from the strip club to successful model, lawyer, and you of course have your own businesses from boutiques to spa salons. Yours husbands as well. The journalist flipped through some pages on her legal pad. She referred to some notes she had written from research she had found on her own.

Well, that answer goes back to Paulette. She had found out she was pregnant with her son, M.J. At the time, it was difficult for her as well as us, to accept because Marquese had just been arrested and was facing some time in prison. She actually had come by the club to talk to us one night, and on her way to tell the club owner she was finished with dancing, Paulette ran into one of her regulars. Mr. S. was what he called himself. Anyway, he stopped her and asked if she was ok. He noticed she was upset and had been crying. She told him she was fine, and she was no longer dancing she would have to find a new go to girl. Paulette told us, when she was telling us the story, that for seem reason he seemed joyed by her news. He handed her his business card, and told her to give him a call when she was ready to start all over and get her life on the right path. Paulette had never had anyone say those words to her. Nobody had ever gave her the sense that they cared enough to give her an opportunity to have a greater life. So she called him. The rest is history.

Rochelle, at what point did things get, the journalist paused for a moment, twisted?

Well, Rochelle smiled. That story is going to take much more time Ms. Amina.

Trust me, I have all the time in the world. My interest in Paulette’s story is not limited to time. The journalist smiled. Please, tell me?

Okay, let’s start from the beginning…

Chapter 1

THE BUSINESS…

Paulette grabbed her Gucci purse and car keys off of the kitchen counter before turning on the alarm system and heading out the door to her 2013 Mercedes Benz cls550. She popped in her new Kim K. C.D and cautiously backed out of her cobblestoned driveway. She made her way out of her calm suburban neighborhood in Voorhees NJ to the crazy highways towards Philadelphia PA. Paulette was running a few minutes late, and the traffic was only making her more irritated. She turned her favorite song up on blast, and sung along to the lyrics. In the midst of sitting in the traffic, Paulette took the time to connect her iPhone to her radio via Bluetooth. She knew after 9am her phone would began ringing with clients, coworkers, and now employees. She had just received her 4th promotion in 8 years at S2A2 (Saunders &Son Advertising Accounts). Mr. S’s million dollar company. Paulette took Mr.S, or Mr. Steven Saunders, up on his job offer, and he made sure she was hired on the spot with all the training she needed. She started at his company as the concierge receptionist, and gradually made her way to the top. In the midst of becoming successful, Paulette also managed mother hood, family, friends, and loyalty. She was on her way to the top, and nothing could stop her. Her success wasn’t easy though. Mr. Saunders made sure Paulette got the best college education, and kept positive people in her space. When Paulette refused to turn her back on the only 3 people she knew she could truly count on, Mr. Saunders made things easier for everyone. He put her friends through college as well, and got them all jobs with his sintering companies. He was a very special man, and he became the father Paulette always needed. When he passed away a week before Paulette’s promotion ceremony, it was rough for Paulette. It was a feeling she hated to remember, but it was different with Mr. Saunders, he actually loved her back. Losing him had an awkward effect on Paulette. It only made her want to push harder, despite how much she missed him. Besides she still had a part of him in her life, Malcolm Saunders, his son. He was now CEO and co-founder of S2A2, and Paulette was no longer just his friend, she was Vice President and partner of the company.

Part of the reason she was so upset with herself for being late was the fact that she was now a top hat at S2A2. She had to set an example, and showing up late her 1st day on the job was not a good one. So Paulette weaved through the lanes trying to get ahead of the traffic the best she could. Before she knew it she was pulling into the parking garage of S2A2, and searching for her new designated parking location. It was no surprise to her when she found the VICE PRESIDENT PAULETTE GHRAM NO PARKING sign right next to Malcolm’s parking location. She smiled and shook her head as she parked beside Malcolm’s 2013 Porsche. As she was gathering her things, Paulette’s cell phone rung.

Good morning, this is Paulette Ghram. She answered professionally.

Good morning beautiful. The familiar deep voice on the other end was Malcolm’s.

Hey Mal. What’s up? Paulette spoke formal when she realized who it was. He was her boss, and it was still business hours, but she and Malcolm were more like brother and sister, all the time.

Just trying to figure out where my VP is on her first day? He made it more of a comment than a question.

I’m in the parking garage, Paulette disconnected the Bluetooth and stepped out of her car with her brief case in one hand and purse on the shoulder, looking at this jet black Porsche with chrome rims. She teased Malcolm about his car.

She’s beautiful isn’t she? Malcolm responded from his wireless head set. He stood at the ceiling to floor windows in his office, and looked at the view of the city.

Paulette laughed. You and that car. You should just leave your wife and marry your car. Paulette joked as she hit the alarm on her 550 and stepped into the elevator.

Ah, no. She can’t make love to me like my wife can. Malcolm joked.

That’s disgusting Mal. Bye. I will see you in a bit. Paulette disconnected the phone before Malcolm could respond. She stepped off the elevator and onto the pavement. The garage was across the street from S2A2’s high rise building. Paulette stood at the curb patiently waiting for the light to change before crossing. She stood patiently in the warm mist of the July breeze. Her navy blue 5th and Mercer pencil skirt fit her curves just perfect. Her off white Gucci silk blouse, and matching Gucci stiletto pumps made the whole attire complete. She was definitely turning heads that morning. Her hair was natural and straight. The fresh golden highlights mixed well with her natural dark brown hair color. It flowed down her back and swayed gently in the breeze. Her butter pecan skin tone was slightly tanned from her weekend trip at the beach. Her manicure was her normal French manicure with gel, she hated acrylic. Her hazel eyes shinned in the sun light. Her pink lips fit her face perfectly, not too full but not too thin. Her beauty was natural. She only wore a touch of 12hr MAC lip gloss, and a bit of MAC mascara to lengthen her eye lashes. She was naturally 5ft 7in tall, her 3 inch heels gave her a height of 5ft 9in. Though she still carried some baby weight, it was hardly noticeable with her curvy 145lbs. She was the definition of a perfect woman, picture perfect.

Paulette stepped into the well air conditioned building, and was immediately greeted by a few of her coworkers, and employees. She was stopped by one of the company’s other executive team members, and they chatted for just a second. Paulette was hoping to get past the concierge desk, where she once worked, without having to converse with the new receptionist. There were many receptionist after Paulette, but this one seemed to really rub Paulette

Reviews for Twisted

[dairyqueen84 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book is laugh out loud funny and then takes an awful turn. Couldn't put it down

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

teen fiction (with mature content--profanity, sex, drinking, violence, suicidal thoughts). This starts out light, a former geek turned stud after a summer of court-ordered community service, but quickly tackles some darker aspects of teenage years (for which Anderson is well known). I skimmed some chapters (short on time) and overall found it ok.

[lara9it · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Different from what I expected...but in a good way!!

[drfuriosa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An honest, raw, compelling glimpse into the mind of a young man. I cannot say how true-to-life this is, but I was deeply moved.

[readingbeader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

They said a lot of things about Tyler after he was arrested, on of which was it was the coolest thing he’d ever done. Another was that he was crazy and dangerous. They were also surprised when he returned to school as Tyler the hunk, rather than just Tyler the nerd. Even Bethany, Tyler’s dream girl, notices him. Unfortunately she’s the sister of his enemy and the daughter of his dad’s boss.


This book is filled with real life drama that kept my attention as well as the attention of my senior class. It’s been a while since people were begging me to read t them. What a joy. We cared about Tyler and the decisions he made. We wanted to know what would happen. My students even wanted a sequel or a movie!

[robertalea-223265 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This author is phenomenal. Although I don't exactly enjoy all the books, they speak volumes about the society of young adults.

[jbarringer-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about a troubled teenager who realizes that the problem isn't so much him as the people around him who expect him to screw up and who box him into an identity that fits their expectations. If you're a teenager reading this book, MAYBE it would seem more interesting and action-packed, but even as a teen I suspect I'd have found this book tedious and dull. Not much happens, and what does happen is written as if the author is trying to maintain a safe distance from her subject, so even where there ought to be more emotion or excitement, it doesn't really work.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was okay, but not great with the good guy triumphing over the bullies in the end. Whilst I liked that the narration was from Tyler's point of view, I didn't really connect with the main characters, in fact Bethany was quite annoying most of the time. Also, I felt that the story came to an abrupt (fake) end which was disappointing and left many questions unanswered.

[engpunk77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook: I really liked it, and there's little more to say. Great story! I was a bit annoyed by all of the talk of the protagonist's "trouser snake" and other "boner" references, but then again, I'm a 30-something woman. Who knows if the intended audience is at all bothered by this... :) Deals with the issue of suicide very well!

[joeydag · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Moving story about a high school senior coming to terms with his life at that awful age. His life as a self-described hell is well presented to the reader. The book is described as "not for children" and it is not because of a pornographic nature, serious issues are explored.

[gbroccoli.b1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like this book because when Laurie Halse Anderson is the undisputed bard of suburban American high school society. Twisted takes twenty-first-century technology and smashes it into timeless issues of alienation and betrayal to illustrate how young person's life can be mangled at breakneck speed. Reality may bite, but perception just might tear you to shreds. The last line of defense for our hero is the same as it's always been

[giannab.b1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like this book because when Laurie Halse Anderson is the undisputed bard of suburban American high school society. Twisted takes twenty-first-century technology and smashes it into timeless issues of alienation and betrayal to illustrate how young person's life can be mangled at breakneck speed. Reality may bite, but perception just might tear you to shreds. The last line of defense for our hero is the same as it's always been

[pwlifter300-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read most of Ms. Anderson's books, and this one is another gem. It's best suited for young adults, not children under 12 (IMHO!), so parental guidance needed. Let me set it straight, the way I see it, this is a book about suicide, or the urge of a teenager to end his own life because life has been unkind to him lately. However, Ms. Anderson carefully weaves the story around the topic that the word suicide hardly come up. Instead, the hero (or rather, un-hero) of the book, Tyler, is surrounded by quite a few responsible adults. One of them is his English teacher Mr. Salvatore, who introduced Tyler to the line 'Homo, fuge' from Doctor Faustus. Another one is the head janitor of his high school. I'd say, Tyler is a lucky guy!I wish all the school in the world can be a safe haven to kids, rich and poor, popular and geek alike, but in reality we know that even after graduating we always carry the stigma of whoever we had been in high school. (Maybe if you're home-schooled then you won't find this kind of problem?)Honestly, I almost gave up reading the book halfway through, but the real conflict was found almost to the end of the book. And what an ending! (Probably one of the best ending ever written in YA universe!) The ending alone makes the book a 4-star, but the message is what everyone who's still in high school need to put into action. That is: Take charge of your own life!

[rfewell_3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

OK, every young girl needs to read [author:Laurie Halse Anderson]'s [title:Speak] I'm eagerly awaiting reading her latest...

The story was OK. I think she tried to do a male version of Speak, but didn't quite pull it off...
Better authors for a teenage boy point of view are Chris Lynch and Terry Trueman.

[carolvanbrocklin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Extremely intense book that as the author says at the beginning "is not meant for children". Tyler is a senior boy who made one mistake by putting graffiti on the school and accidently leaves his wallet behind so he is caught. Family, friends, principal, all think of him as a crook because of one mistake. After a summer of "community service" he goes from being a nerd to being a hardbody and gets the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, the girl has a creepy brother who wants to make his life miserable but doesn't have the guts to do it on his own. Pressure from the jerk of a father to take hard classes and make nice with the bosses family (including the creep). When pornographic pictures of the girlfriend show up after a drunken party, Tyler is immediately suspected by the police, the brother and of course the principal who places him on in school suspension. Tyler starts thinking of suicide. One of those that is hard to decide if it is appropriate for us or not. Good stuff in there, including a bit about how "girls dress like sluts and then get all upset when the boys start drooling" and he does not sleep with the girlfriend even though she wants him to. Mom drinks to forget about things, sister wants to grow up too fast, Dad is just not with it and Tyler seems to be the only sensible one in the family. Teenage angst -- how much do we allow?

[alizastein · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tyler used to fade into the background, but since spending his summer doing outdoor work as community service for getting busted vandalizing school property, he is starting his senior year with all sorts of attention on him. Besides the flashing delinquent label posted on forehead, his new physique attracts the attention of his crush, who happens to be Miss Popular, the daughter of his father’s boss, and the brother of Tyler’s biggest foe. Award winning author, Laurie Halse Anderson, welcomes readers into the mind of a teenage boy as he attempts to unpack what it means to be a man in his world. As one of the first pages indicates, “Note: This is not a book for children,” most suitable for readers 16 and older, due to intense issues related to juvenile delinquency, sexual assault, physical and verbal abuse, alcoholism, dysfunctional family relations and suicidal thoughts. While covering several serious subjects, there is a nice balance of humor interwoven throughout, often captured through Tyler’s teenage boy point of view that male readers will find relatable.

[backus2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tyler Miller, now a high school senior used be a “nobody.” But, he spent his summer doing outdoor work to pay for doing graffiti on the school. Now that he is more attractive, he begins to stand out more than he could have ever imagined. He also gained the attention of the most popular girl in school; she happens to be his biggest enemy’s sister and her dad is his dad’s boss. Because of this a spiral of events unravel causing Tyler to question and struggle with his identity based on school, family, and the world.

[amymathisgreen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

great book!!!

[askum_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not a bad book and a quick read. Would like to read more by this author.

[pam8enser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the best YA books I have read. I always like Anderson's books, but this one will stick with me.

I find that her books are ones that really relate to teens and their problems and lives. She deals with issues that are talked about by adults to teens, but in ways that teens can relate with. They are more of learning experiences without the lecture or an adult telling you what is right and not. They are more of an experience to live/read through that leads the reader to the right place.

Thank you Ms. Anderson for writing these books. I know when my daughter gets older I will encourage her to read your books.

[jenj5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Returning more towards the tone of Speak and Catalyst after the lighter feeling of Prom, for the first time Anderson explores the male view of the high school experience.

[nicola26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Twisted was a brilliant book. The average sounding description on the back definitely did not prepare me for what was inside. It started out pretty slow but once I got into the swing of it, I simply couldn't put it down. Tyler's character is just so real and raw. His voice is believable, witty and intelligent. I could really connect with him and really cared about how things would turn out. The book had me in suspense many times and was a real page-turner. Twisted is an excellent portrayal of family life and deals well with some very real problems. It was fascinating to watch Tyler stumble through life and see his courage develop as the story went on. Overall, a very enjoyable and emotional read.

[bridgetrwilson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! Laurie Halse Anderson captures Tyler's voice perfectly.

[sjrazo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book in particular would appeal to the younger readers such as those in high school or those who are still in their adolescence.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tyler started his summer by graffiting his High School and now he's dealing with the consequences. He's working with a maintenence crew for his summer, trying hard to do everything that he's expected to do. His dad is a stress case, his work is making him angry with everyone. His mum is retreating into the bottle more often than not and his sister is about to join his school.He was a geek, now he has muscles and a chance with his long-term crush, Bethany. As things develop between them, Bethany is the victinm of a teenage sex scandal and he's the prime suspect. Can he prove his innocence?Tyler is messed up, and he knows it, this shows what's going on in his head and the choices he makes between true violence and a less nasty act and how he knows that if he talked about the more violent acts he would get into an awful lot of trouble.I found it an interesting read, Anderson writes compelling stories with solid characters. The only flaw I saw was that the cover says "follow up novel to Speak" and it has nothing to do with Speak, it's a different story.

[alelliott · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tyler Miller has always been a loser. Undersized, underwhelming, underachieving. But after the Foul Deed lands him a summer of working in the landscaping business, Tyler is a senior with new height, new muscles, and new attitude. And it seems like it might all be in his favor: his longtime crush, Bethany Milbury, is finally paying attention. But it turns out that’s the only part of his life that seems to be going right. He’s still not doing well in school, he’s still being bullied, and he’s still under the thumb of his domineering father. But one horrifying night is about to make Tyler’s life worse than he could have imagined, a living Hell.Anderson is the master of the realistic suspense story, and this novel is no different. Tyler is your typical teenage boy in that he is hormonal to the max, but over and over again, he makes the hard but right choices. This book illustrates the fact that doing the right thing sometimes means that people will hate you for it, especially in the gossip-filled world of high school. Some of Anderson’s details ring false, such as the day that every single girl in the high school wears skimpy outfits and gets sexually harassed by their male counterparts. But her ear for teenage dialect is spot on, and the party scene that changes Tyler’s life is full of realistic details. Teens will be fascinated with Tyler’s downward spiral and just as captivated by his struggle to become an adult in both the legal and moral sense of the word. This is good read for students dealing with bullying, social pressure, sexual harassment, depression, or difficult families. Language and sexual situations make this book appropriate for grades 9 and up.

[jasmine6gomez · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[cestovatela · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Longing to be noticed for something, an unremarkable nerd spray paints slogans across his whole school near the end of his junior year. Forced to perform physical labor to pay off the fine, he returns to school unexpectedly tall and buff, thus fueling what should be the typical caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation story. But though Tyler's physique has changed, his passive nature hasn't, and he isn't prepared for the sudden attention of a wealthy, popular girl -- or his father's escalating abusive behavior. While this sounds like a promising plot, I found Tyler's characterization awkward for much of the book, almost like a caricature of an adolescent boy's brain. Many of the characters and scenarios in the plot felt like they were written by someone who had heard about high school but never actually attended it. However, the final fifty pages of the book made the whole thing worth it. Tyler's final catharsis was hard-earned and realistic, and the book ends hopefully without offering easy solutions. Because of beautiful climax, I'm not sorry I read the book, but I can't say I'd recommend it to others. If you do want to read it, check it out of the library instead of buying it.

[ynaffit27 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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, 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!

[sara0518_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was kind of boring. But I read it quickly and it was well written and I'd like to read more books by this author.