What do you think?
Rate this book
Mindtwisters: Stories to Shred Your Head
Think bungee jumping is a thrill? Meet a kid who skydives down the funnel of a tornado.
Why not visit the shop in the local mall that sells alternate universes in little bottles. It's a lot of fun. Unless, of course, you open the little black bottle labeled "thermonuclear war." Now that could be a real blast.
Hungry? A roadside restaurant in the middle of nowhere serves up a soup so delicious you may never want to leave. Or can't....
Worried you might be turning people off? Well, how about the boy who must be locked up in a lead cell, otherwise people around him begin to disappear?
Ever wonder what that evil neighbor of yours had got locked up in the attic? How about the entire world....
Welcome to the world of MindTwisters. Hold on tight, you're about to be blown away....
Why not visit the shop in the local mall that sells alternate universes in little bottles. It's a lot of fun. Unless, of course, you open the little black bottle labeled "thermonuclear war." Now that could be a real blast.
Hungry? A roadside restaurant in the middle of nowhere serves up a soup so delicious you may never want to leave. Or can't....
Worried you might be turning people off? Well, how about the boy who must be locked up in a lead cell, otherwise people around him begin to disappear?
Ever wonder what that evil neighbor of yours had got locked up in the attic? How about the entire world....
Welcome to the world of MindTwisters. Hold on tight, you're about to be blown away....
128 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 15, 1997
1 person is currently reading
249 people want to read
About the author
Neal Shusterman
90 books30.2k followersAward-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 1, 2013
I had no idea what to expect from this book when I first picked it up. I guess I gave it to much credit when I saw "Stories to Shred Your Head", though most story's were interesting I never stopped and thought "darn that's totally crazy!" I really liked the in crowd short story. I felt so concerned with Alana and Garret's relationship and their situation. I wanted more. And then their is special deliverance: a rather short section compared to the rest for which I couldn't care less for. In all I find it a decent read. Each story to me was a hit and miss.
October 23, 2013
Neal Shusterman takes the art of telling short stories to new heights of innovative greatness. His acumen with the abbreviated narrative could be compared to that of Robert Cormier, Alvin Schwartz, Gary Paulsen or Lurlene McDaniel, and Neal Shusterman would come out even or ahead in all respects. The master of young-adult standalone or trilogy (or, in the case of the Unwind books, dystology) designed to blow readers' minds on multiple levels proves just as adroit when restricted by the truncated form of short stories, evoking just as sure an emotional response as in his novels of five hundred pages or more. Mindquakes, Mindstorms, Mindtwisters and Mindbenders seem to have flown under the radar of most Neal Shusterman devotees, and I'm puzzled as to why this is the case. Is it possible readers simply aren't taking the time to track down lesser-known works from their favorite authors, leaving untouched feasts on the table whose richness they could enjoy if only they would search to find them? Whatever the reason more readers aren't finding and falling under the spell of Neal Shusterman's short-story collections, it is quite obvious to me after reading three of them that many Shusterman fans are sorely missing out on what are some of the best books their favorite author has written. The Shusterman cannon is not complete without these parades of short stories ranging from darkly comical and often stunningly unpredictable, to tales of such brief yet wondrous profundity one can't help but get goosebumps upon reading them, goosebumps that will return upon recollecting the story even long after finishing it. This is the power Neal Shusterman exerts in his shorts stories; the power to change lives with the written word, as only a few of the greatest storytellers can claim. And Neal Shusterman is near the peak of his abilities in Mindtwisters.
"But a no trespassing sign was also an invitation to explore, and find out what was so special that it needed to be protected."
—Mindtwisters: Stories to Shred Your Head, P. 52
In the first story, Dark Alley, a boy named Henry deals with the fallout of his father's passing years after the fact, as his mother brings an unpleasant new boyfriend into their lives. Henry doesn't have much left to connect him with his father these days, but he has bowling, which his father excelled at, so Henry goes to the local bowling alley whenever he can to bowl a few frames. Even though Henry has none of his father's extraordinary skill for the sport, it's one of the few remaining ways he has of staying close to him. When Henry chooses an unlit, unregistered lane at the alley one day, however, strange forces begin revealing themselves. This lane isn't like the others; according to alley records it doesn't even exist, and the ball return plays some bizarre tricks. But could what starts out as a prelude to terror end up a positive experience for Henry, his younger sister and their mother? In some looping, unexpected way, is there a final gift for Henry's family courtesy of the sport of bowling, even if his father isn't there to give it? Surprisingly, though I'm not sure I understood everything about the plot, Dark Alley is one of the warmest, most hopeful stories in Mindtwisters, building an intricate narrative and bringing it to an emotionally meaningful conclusion all in the space of sixteen pages. That's quite an accomplishment.
Up next is The In Crowd, and I haven't a shadow of a doubt this is the centerpiece of the book, a short story for the ages. On its own, even at just twenty pages in length, this story might be worth the three and a half stars I'm giving to Mindtwisters as a whole. Alana has hopped between group homes and foster care her entire life, never finding a family whose style is compatible with hers over the long haul. Alana's psychological issues compound with each new failed placement, making it more unlikely with every rejection that she will ever find a home suitable to her demands. Angry at the world that spawned her and the well-intentioned people who warily offer her a place in their homes, Alana has decided not to get too close to anybody anymore. What's the point of it all, anyway? Has anything good ever come from allowing herself to grow close to a family, and is it likely anything good ever will result? The answer to both of these questions, Alana has determined, is "no", but in the way life has of making sharp unforeseen turns just when we've become used to the straightaways, the introduction of a boy named Garrett to the group home immediately changes Alana's world. Garrett keeps to himself at the home, almost not as if he wants to, but as if he feels compelled to maintain separation between himself and the other kids. Yet Alana, who has made it a rule not to get involved with others, is inexplicably drawn to Garrett. His story is, in some ways, different from Alana's, but in another sense it is stunningly similar, though it takes pause for reflection to understand that truth. None of us can turn off our need for others in our life, but getting close to the ones we pine for isn't always safe for them. So we walk alone in the world, our emotional requirements pulling us in both direction, knowing we need the loving, caring touch of others yet fearing always what we may do to them unintentionally, the damage we may inflict even as we rail against it. But some need not fear such closeness, and for them it is a gift that has no end, a multitudinous joy that never exhausts the ways it can delight one's heart. It is "a warm glow that filled (one's) darkest corners. A blessing rather than a curse", to quote from The In Crowd. If there's one real stunner hidden among the other short stories in Mindtwisters, it's The In Crowd. This is Neal Shusterman close to his best.
Special Deliverance follows The In Crowd, and it's one of Neal Shusterman's short, comedically infused tales that toes the line elegantly between dark humor and the lightness of incorporeal hope. A certain pizza delivery boy heading into a seedy area of town may not be as clueless or helpless as he seems. Is it possible he has more on his mind than delivering pizzas? Could a delivery boy be destined to affect a much more significant deliverance? Mr. Vandermeer's Attic of Shame proceeds after this brief interlude, and at twenty-five pages is the longest story in the book. It's also the most involved narrative, combining themes of social justice and inequality, the reality of our deepest desires coming back to enslave us if we aren't constantly on watch, and the ringing temerity of hope to free the shackled and release us from the invisible bonds in our own lives, should we choose to take advantage of the opportunity. When a Vietnamese-American girl named Lien takes an interest in the goings-on at the house of her neighbor, Mr. Vandermeer, her curiosity stands to lead her far beneath the surface of a sinister operation designed to keep a wealthy businessman rich at the expense of the downtrodden. But what can a girl like Lien do to expose the treachery of an evil man who cares nothing for those whose assets he exploits, the poor vagabonds whose youth and dreams he steals? Mr. Vandermeer's Attic of Shame isn't only a battle of good versus evil, liberty versus bondage, however. As in all Neal Shusterman's best stories, there's a lot for Lien to figure out about herself and her family's history, as well, a great deal of thinking to do about what's going on in Mr. Vandermeer's attic and whether or not she should even try to stop it. Lien ponders what a difference it makes to have people in our lives, so our day-to-day isn't just a bare room without any of what makes life sweet enough to be worth the trouble. "There's a trick your mind plays when you look at an empty room. When your brain just sees a floor, and a wall and four corners, it makes you see the place as something small and unpleasant; perhaps that's where claustrophobia starts. But add some furniture, and it all changes. The empty space becomes warm and homey, it becomes a room instead of a box. If you furnish it just right, you can even learn to feel comfortable living in a closet if you had to." I'm amazed all over again every time I read that paragraph; it reveals so much about human nature, our needs and desires, that I'm sure I will learn from it for the rest of my life. Of course, such deep thoughts are a Neal Shusterman specialty.
Pea Soup starts out like something from an R.L. Stine Goosebumps book and ends that way, too, but in the middle there are some impressively original moments. Neal Shusterman never writes a scary story just to be scary; it has to have heart, some deeper meaning, and a ray or two of hope tinting the gloom even when it doesn't end well for the characters. There's a bit of Robert Cormier to Neal Shusterman, I believe, and while Pea Soup doesn't highlight those similarities as well as some other Shusterman offerings, it's a memorable take on an old concept. What happens when you're taken in by roadside billboard signs offering a fabulous new product, as Nathan and his family are en route to his grandmother's house for vacation? Could the pea soup at the restaurant truly be as good as it looks on the billboards, the sensations of rich, creamy taste and steamy aroma coming through as clearly as if Nathan and his family were already seated in the dining room with a hot, delicious bowl set in front of them? Of course, the delectable soup isn't what it seems. Dangers untold can emerge from the weirdest hiding places, and the more concealed they are, the more effective the trap. Then, in The Elsewhere Boutique, we find another of Neal Shusterman's stories capable of flooring even the most seasoned reader, as jarring glimpses of alternative reality disconcertingly slide in and out of what we normally perceive to be a fixed, linear history of our planet. Georgia and her younger brother, Paul are desperate to complete their Christmas shopping when they happen upon a new boutique in the mall. The man behind the counter claims to sell items of a strange and totally unbelievable variety: alternate worlds in glass bottles, ready to trade places with ours at the pull of a stopper. But if the new reality becomes the only reality once the bottle is opened, then how are we to know the difference? The Elsewhere Boutique explores complex philosophical issues in amazingly direct, deceptively simple language, and is quite effective in blowing our doors off and raising goosebumps yet again on the reader's skin. I know I was floored by it.
After The Elsewhere Boutique, we are treated to the return of Ralphy Sherman, a ubiquitous if somewhat camouflaged presence in Neal Shusterman's books. This time, he and his sister have concocted a wild story about a plain brown bag they leave unattended as they play pranks in the library. When the bag is found by Marvin McSchultz, a kid they know from school whose shifty personality is as unappealing as his outward upkeep, they spin a yarn for him about the bag that could get anyone to whip their wallet out and plead for the right to buy the bag. Ralphy's story seems far-fetched, but as anyone who has read the short story about him in Mindquakes knows, you can never be sure when Ralphy is telling the truth, even if it seems impossible to believe. Who will get the better of the deal, Ralphy or Marvin? You won't learn the answer to that until the final few paragraphs.
The finale to Mindtwisters is Loveless, and it's a dandy, another mindblower in the fine tradition of Neal Shusterman mindblowers. Told in second person narrative style (à la Choose Your Own Adventure and most other gamebooks), You seek explanation for the distress and confusion that has come into your life. Like anybody else, you don't understand your life and wish to have its more pressing mysteries clarified. Unlike others, though, your secret is a shocker and an absolute game changer, though the advice you receive from the only one equipped to give it is no less appropriate for the reader; in fact, I think it applies well to anyone who might find themselves knocking on the door of Madame Loveless, saddened by the complications of life and wanting to know what it all means. There are some powerful, powerful moments in this story, moments that had me considering rounding my three-and-a-half star rating of Mindtwisters up to four stars, but the following lines are surely the most contemplative and emotionally affecting: "(I)n this world of change and lost memories, time brings all things full circle. That which was discarded becomes priceless.Those who were abandoned will someday be loved—if you can hold on till that day." Absolutely incredible. Loveless is one of the best short stories I've ever read, a beautiful credit to the form and a wonderful tribute to the lasting greatness of Neal Shusterman as an author who should go down in history as one of America's greats.
The reader will doubtless be left hungry for more of Neal Shusterman's short stories after giving Mindtwisters a chance, and there is good news for such a reader. Several other books of short stories by Neal Shusterman have been published, including the three I've mentioned in this review (Mindquakes, Mindstorms and Mindbenders). But there's also Darkness Creeping and Darkness Creeping II, and I hope we may see still more from The Storyman by way of collections of short stories. When I meet him again in person this October 25 (2013), I definitely plan on mentioning it. After all, who wouldn't benefit from another book of short stories by the one, the only, Neal Shusterman? Stay whole, my friend.
"But a no trespassing sign was also an invitation to explore, and find out what was so special that it needed to be protected."
—Mindtwisters: Stories to Shred Your Head, P. 52
In the first story, Dark Alley, a boy named Henry deals with the fallout of his father's passing years after the fact, as his mother brings an unpleasant new boyfriend into their lives. Henry doesn't have much left to connect him with his father these days, but he has bowling, which his father excelled at, so Henry goes to the local bowling alley whenever he can to bowl a few frames. Even though Henry has none of his father's extraordinary skill for the sport, it's one of the few remaining ways he has of staying close to him. When Henry chooses an unlit, unregistered lane at the alley one day, however, strange forces begin revealing themselves. This lane isn't like the others; according to alley records it doesn't even exist, and the ball return plays some bizarre tricks. But could what starts out as a prelude to terror end up a positive experience for Henry, his younger sister and their mother? In some looping, unexpected way, is there a final gift for Henry's family courtesy of the sport of bowling, even if his father isn't there to give it? Surprisingly, though I'm not sure I understood everything about the plot, Dark Alley is one of the warmest, most hopeful stories in Mindtwisters, building an intricate narrative and bringing it to an emotionally meaningful conclusion all in the space of sixteen pages. That's quite an accomplishment.
Up next is The In Crowd, and I haven't a shadow of a doubt this is the centerpiece of the book, a short story for the ages. On its own, even at just twenty pages in length, this story might be worth the three and a half stars I'm giving to Mindtwisters as a whole. Alana has hopped between group homes and foster care her entire life, never finding a family whose style is compatible with hers over the long haul. Alana's psychological issues compound with each new failed placement, making it more unlikely with every rejection that she will ever find a home suitable to her demands. Angry at the world that spawned her and the well-intentioned people who warily offer her a place in their homes, Alana has decided not to get too close to anybody anymore. What's the point of it all, anyway? Has anything good ever come from allowing herself to grow close to a family, and is it likely anything good ever will result? The answer to both of these questions, Alana has determined, is "no", but in the way life has of making sharp unforeseen turns just when we've become used to the straightaways, the introduction of a boy named Garrett to the group home immediately changes Alana's world. Garrett keeps to himself at the home, almost not as if he wants to, but as if he feels compelled to maintain separation between himself and the other kids. Yet Alana, who has made it a rule not to get involved with others, is inexplicably drawn to Garrett. His story is, in some ways, different from Alana's, but in another sense it is stunningly similar, though it takes pause for reflection to understand that truth. None of us can turn off our need for others in our life, but getting close to the ones we pine for isn't always safe for them. So we walk alone in the world, our emotional requirements pulling us in both direction, knowing we need the loving, caring touch of others yet fearing always what we may do to them unintentionally, the damage we may inflict even as we rail against it. But some need not fear such closeness, and for them it is a gift that has no end, a multitudinous joy that never exhausts the ways it can delight one's heart. It is "a warm glow that filled (one's) darkest corners. A blessing rather than a curse", to quote from The In Crowd. If there's one real stunner hidden among the other short stories in Mindtwisters, it's The In Crowd. This is Neal Shusterman close to his best.
Special Deliverance follows The In Crowd, and it's one of Neal Shusterman's short, comedically infused tales that toes the line elegantly between dark humor and the lightness of incorporeal hope. A certain pizza delivery boy heading into a seedy area of town may not be as clueless or helpless as he seems. Is it possible he has more on his mind than delivering pizzas? Could a delivery boy be destined to affect a much more significant deliverance? Mr. Vandermeer's Attic of Shame proceeds after this brief interlude, and at twenty-five pages is the longest story in the book. It's also the most involved narrative, combining themes of social justice and inequality, the reality of our deepest desires coming back to enslave us if we aren't constantly on watch, and the ringing temerity of hope to free the shackled and release us from the invisible bonds in our own lives, should we choose to take advantage of the opportunity. When a Vietnamese-American girl named Lien takes an interest in the goings-on at the house of her neighbor, Mr. Vandermeer, her curiosity stands to lead her far beneath the surface of a sinister operation designed to keep a wealthy businessman rich at the expense of the downtrodden. But what can a girl like Lien do to expose the treachery of an evil man who cares nothing for those whose assets he exploits, the poor vagabonds whose youth and dreams he steals? Mr. Vandermeer's Attic of Shame isn't only a battle of good versus evil, liberty versus bondage, however. As in all Neal Shusterman's best stories, there's a lot for Lien to figure out about herself and her family's history, as well, a great deal of thinking to do about what's going on in Mr. Vandermeer's attic and whether or not she should even try to stop it. Lien ponders what a difference it makes to have people in our lives, so our day-to-day isn't just a bare room without any of what makes life sweet enough to be worth the trouble. "There's a trick your mind plays when you look at an empty room. When your brain just sees a floor, and a wall and four corners, it makes you see the place as something small and unpleasant; perhaps that's where claustrophobia starts. But add some furniture, and it all changes. The empty space becomes warm and homey, it becomes a room instead of a box. If you furnish it just right, you can even learn to feel comfortable living in a closet if you had to." I'm amazed all over again every time I read that paragraph; it reveals so much about human nature, our needs and desires, that I'm sure I will learn from it for the rest of my life. Of course, such deep thoughts are a Neal Shusterman specialty.
Pea Soup starts out like something from an R.L. Stine Goosebumps book and ends that way, too, but in the middle there are some impressively original moments. Neal Shusterman never writes a scary story just to be scary; it has to have heart, some deeper meaning, and a ray or two of hope tinting the gloom even when it doesn't end well for the characters. There's a bit of Robert Cormier to Neal Shusterman, I believe, and while Pea Soup doesn't highlight those similarities as well as some other Shusterman offerings, it's a memorable take on an old concept. What happens when you're taken in by roadside billboard signs offering a fabulous new product, as Nathan and his family are en route to his grandmother's house for vacation? Could the pea soup at the restaurant truly be as good as it looks on the billboards, the sensations of rich, creamy taste and steamy aroma coming through as clearly as if Nathan and his family were already seated in the dining room with a hot, delicious bowl set in front of them? Of course, the delectable soup isn't what it seems. Dangers untold can emerge from the weirdest hiding places, and the more concealed they are, the more effective the trap. Then, in The Elsewhere Boutique, we find another of Neal Shusterman's stories capable of flooring even the most seasoned reader, as jarring glimpses of alternative reality disconcertingly slide in and out of what we normally perceive to be a fixed, linear history of our planet. Georgia and her younger brother, Paul are desperate to complete their Christmas shopping when they happen upon a new boutique in the mall. The man behind the counter claims to sell items of a strange and totally unbelievable variety: alternate worlds in glass bottles, ready to trade places with ours at the pull of a stopper. But if the new reality becomes the only reality once the bottle is opened, then how are we to know the difference? The Elsewhere Boutique explores complex philosophical issues in amazingly direct, deceptively simple language, and is quite effective in blowing our doors off and raising goosebumps yet again on the reader's skin. I know I was floored by it.
After The Elsewhere Boutique, we are treated to the return of Ralphy Sherman, a ubiquitous if somewhat camouflaged presence in Neal Shusterman's books. This time, he and his sister have concocted a wild story about a plain brown bag they leave unattended as they play pranks in the library. When the bag is found by Marvin McSchultz, a kid they know from school whose shifty personality is as unappealing as his outward upkeep, they spin a yarn for him about the bag that could get anyone to whip their wallet out and plead for the right to buy the bag. Ralphy's story seems far-fetched, but as anyone who has read the short story about him in Mindquakes knows, you can never be sure when Ralphy is telling the truth, even if it seems impossible to believe. Who will get the better of the deal, Ralphy or Marvin? You won't learn the answer to that until the final few paragraphs.
The finale to Mindtwisters is Loveless, and it's a dandy, another mindblower in the fine tradition of Neal Shusterman mindblowers. Told in second person narrative style (à la Choose Your Own Adventure and most other gamebooks), You seek explanation for the distress and confusion that has come into your life. Like anybody else, you don't understand your life and wish to have its more pressing mysteries clarified. Unlike others, though, your secret is a shocker and an absolute game changer, though the advice you receive from the only one equipped to give it is no less appropriate for the reader; in fact, I think it applies well to anyone who might find themselves knocking on the door of Madame Loveless, saddened by the complications of life and wanting to know what it all means. There are some powerful, powerful moments in this story, moments that had me considering rounding my three-and-a-half star rating of Mindtwisters up to four stars, but the following lines are surely the most contemplative and emotionally affecting: "(I)n this world of change and lost memories, time brings all things full circle. That which was discarded becomes priceless.Those who were abandoned will someday be loved—if you can hold on till that day." Absolutely incredible. Loveless is one of the best short stories I've ever read, a beautiful credit to the form and a wonderful tribute to the lasting greatness of Neal Shusterman as an author who should go down in history as one of America's greats.
The reader will doubtless be left hungry for more of Neal Shusterman's short stories after giving Mindtwisters a chance, and there is good news for such a reader. Several other books of short stories by Neal Shusterman have been published, including the three I've mentioned in this review (Mindquakes, Mindstorms and Mindbenders). But there's also Darkness Creeping and Darkness Creeping II, and I hope we may see still more from The Storyman by way of collections of short stories. When I meet him again in person this October 25 (2013), I definitely plan on mentioning it. After all, who wouldn't benefit from another book of short stories by the one, the only, Neal Shusterman? Stay whole, my friend.
February 22, 2023
Dark Alley - 1 star
The In Crowd - 1 star
Special Deliverance - 4 stars
Mr. Vandermeer's Attic of Shame - 1 star (bizarre story trying to teach about illegal immigration/exploitation)
Pea Soup - 1 star (I was traumatized)
The Elsewhere Boutique - 3 stars
Ralphy Sherman's Bag of Wind - 1 star
Loveless - 1 star
The In Crowd - 1 star
Special Deliverance - 4 stars
Mr. Vandermeer's Attic of Shame - 1 star (bizarre story trying to teach about illegal immigration/exploitation)
Pea Soup - 1 star (I was traumatized)
The Elsewhere Boutique - 3 stars
Ralphy Sherman's Bag of Wind - 1 star
Loveless - 1 star
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews