As I told you all before, I'm not a fast reader. It takes me awhile to get into a book and if it doesn't initially grab me I'm probably not going to read it.

I'm passed the phase in my life where I feel obligated to finish it.

Jenner's has come up with a unique challenge on her book blog and I've decided to give it a try.

Why aren't you playing along?

For this challenge I picked a book based on it's cover alone. This is much harder to do than you think.

The book I picked was entitled Twisted.





I picked this book because I loved the picture of the twisted pencil on the front cover. Laurie Halse Anderson is the best selling author of "Speak", but having never read that book I wasn't sure what I would be in for with this book.

The main character is a teenage boy named Tyler. He has a tumultuous relationship with his father and school is not going very well for him.

The school library journal said this about Twisted:

Grade 9 Up–Socially inept Tyler Miller thinks his senior year of high school is going to be a year like no other. After being sentenced to a summer of character building physical labor following a graffiti prank, his reputation at school receives a boost, as do his muscles. Enter super-popular Bethany Milbury, sister of his tormentor, Chip, and daughter of his father's boss. Tyler's newfound physique has attracted her interest and infuriated Chip, leading to ongoing conflicts at school. Likewise, Tyler's inability to meet his volatile father's demands to be an asset, not a liability adds increasing tension. All too quickly, Tyler's life spirals out of control. In the wake of an incident at a wild party that Bethany has invited him to attend, he is left feeling completely isolated at school and alienated at home, a victim of twisted perception. Tyler must tackle the complex issues of integrity, personal responsibility, and identity on his own as he struggles to understand what it means to be a man. His once humorous voice now only conveys naked vulnerability. With gripping scenes and a rousing ending, Anderson authentically portrays Tyler's emotional instability as he contemplates darker and darker solutions to his situation. Readers will rejoice in Tyler's proclamation, I'm not the problem here…I'm tired of feeling like I am. Teenage concerns with sex, alcohol, grades, and family are all tackled with honesty and candor. Once again, Anderson's taut, confident writing will cause this story to linger long after the book is set down

This challenge continues to surprise me by rewarding me with books I would normally have walked right past at the library.

What are you reading?