Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
I almost didn’t write up a post for this book. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because it was honestly one I grabbed off my classroom bookshelf to keep me entertained while my students completed their spring writing prompts. A couple of boys, who I know are reluctant readers, used Twisted for their book trailers, and it sounded pretty decent. It was definitely a young adult read, but I enjoyed it. Laurie Halse Anderson rarely disappoints in the plot department. Twisted is about a high schooler named Tyler who has gotten tired of being the unpopular kid. When he tries to gain attention via graffiti, he is forced to take accountability for his actions through community service. As Tyler tries to clean up his reputation, his journey is complicated by his dysfunctional family, his crush, Bethany, and her super-douche older brother, Chip. As mentioned before, it’s well-written and entertaining, if you don’t mind YA fiction.
Who Do You Love? By Jennifer Weiner
I’m just going to come right out with it. I really did not enjoy this book. It pains me to type this because Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read all of her work, even her short story collection. And, while I’ve had favorites (Good In Bed, Little Earthquakes, All Fall Down), there have been others that weren’t quite as memorable, but were still pretty darn good. I kept stalling out on this one. It wasn’t so much the plotline--there were definite moments throughout that caught my attention--but the sex scenes woven in and out felt super cheesy and distracted me from an otherwise sweet love story. I’ll leave it at that because I truly love this author and how she stands up against a literary double standard, but this one just didn’t work for me.
