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Twisted
Sarah Hausman must hide a secret-even from herself. If she acknowledges the truth, it will destroy everyone she loves.
Timid fourteen-year-old Sarah wants her controlling mother to stop prying into what happened the night of the freshman dance. Confess to the police? No way. Confide in her mother? Get real. The woman is too busy, too proud, and too jealous of Sarah to really care if her life disintegrates. Besides, her mother will say Sarah is totally to blame for what the boys did-which Sarah believes is true. So she doubly needs to shield the truth. Not just from Momma. But from everyone. Including herself.
Beautiful, confident, eighteen-year-old Judith Murielle lives the ideal life. She has college plans, respect from family and friends, and a fiance she adores. But as a mysterious connection pulls her toward Sarah, Judith's perfect world unravels. Acting as Sarah's sole confidante, Judith gains the power to expose her secret. Will the truth be worth the sacrifice? Or will Sarah stop at nothing to keep Judith quiet?
Marjorie Brody, an award-winning short story author and Pushcart Prize Nominee, crafts a riveting debut novel of psychological suspense with a shocking twist. A former psychotherapist, she now writes fulltime. Visit her at www.marjoriespages.com.(less)
Timid fourteen-year-old Sarah wants her controlling mother to stop prying into what happened the night of the freshman dance. Confess to the police? No way. Confide in her mother? Get real. The woman is too busy, too proud, and too jealous of Sarah to really care if her life disintegrates. Besides, her mother will say Sarah is totally to blame for what the boys did-which Sarah believes is true. So she doubly needs to shield the truth. Not just from Momma. But from everyone. Including herself.
Beautiful, confident, eighteen-year-old Judith Murielle lives the ideal life. She has college plans, respect from family and friends, and a fiance she adores. But as a mysterious connection pulls her toward Sarah, Judith's perfect world unravels. Acting as Sarah's sole confidante, Judith gains the power to expose her secret. Will the truth be worth the sacrifice? Or will Sarah stop at nothing to keep Judith quiet?
Marjorie Brody, an award-winning short story author and Pushcart Prize Nominee, crafts a riveting debut novel of psychological suspense with a shocking twist. A former psychotherapist, she now writes fulltime. Visit her at www.marjoriespages.com.(less)
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2013
5 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie Brody
2 books13 followersAs a licensed marriage and family therapist for over two decades, Dr. Marjorie E. Brody observed the joy, suffering, and potential of the human spirit. Now in her second career, she transforms her experience and passion for writing into tales of wonder, drama, and suspense. Her award-winning novels and short stories, some of which have been adapted for the stage, are characterized by extraordinary insight, creative, and understanding of the human condition.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 29, 2013
Marjorie Brody's "Twisted" lives up to its name aptly, because it's quite a ride trying to figure and follow events within it. The story toggles between two perspectives: Sarah and Judith - as the two girls navigate some difficult times that end up bringing them together in a closer measure than either of them expect. Sarah's story was a little easier to follow given the story starts off with a traumatic event in her measure, but Judith ends up having a life changing event in her measure a bit after Sarah, which is the basis for which the two meet in the latter part of the novel. Sarah's only 14, while Judith is 17, but the two have their own distinctive voices.
There were times when I raged at some of the content in this book - more on the level of what the characters do and how they react to some tough measures (which include rape, teen pregnancy, etc.) It wasn't so much Sarah or Judith I raged against as it was their parents (I wanted to throw the book at Sarah's mother for calling her a "slut", especially in the vein of what happened. No amount of denial ever makes that okay). I don't know if it painted the most realistic portrait for events, but I will say that it kept me reading through the narrative for what it offered. It's quite a bit of drama, and the convoluted nature of the story in turns almost lost me because of the jagged nature of the narrative. If it had been evened out a bit and given more foreshadowing with some of the story threads, I probably would've liked this much more.
I predicted the ending, but there were no clear cut threads in the beginning of the narrative to assert that it would go in that direction. Not even with respect to foreshadowing. That annoyed me, because I'd followed the story all the way up to a point and then get hit by a curveball that comes out of nowhere. Even then, the explanation doesn't feel entirely vetted, like it was thrown in at the last minute.
This is one of those reads where it may be hit or miss for the person who picks it up. I'm conflicted over whether I could say I liked it, but it did keep me reading through the narrative. I just wish it'd been more even in its respective presentation and had more substance and realism to the matters it touched upon.
Overall score: 2.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Bell Bridge Books.
There were times when I raged at some of the content in this book - more on the level of what the characters do and how they react to some tough measures (which include rape, teen pregnancy, etc.) It wasn't so much Sarah or Judith I raged against as it was their parents (I wanted to throw the book at Sarah's mother for calling her a "slut", especially in the vein of what happened. No amount of denial ever makes that okay). I don't know if it painted the most realistic portrait for events, but I will say that it kept me reading through the narrative for what it offered. It's quite a bit of drama, and the convoluted nature of the story in turns almost lost me because of the jagged nature of the narrative. If it had been evened out a bit and given more foreshadowing with some of the story threads, I probably would've liked this much more.
I predicted the ending, but there were no clear cut threads in the beginning of the narrative to assert that it would go in that direction. Not even with respect to foreshadowing. That annoyed me, because I'd followed the story all the way up to a point and then get hit by a curveball that comes out of nowhere. Even then, the explanation doesn't feel entirely vetted, like it was thrown in at the last minute.
This is one of those reads where it may be hit or miss for the person who picks it up. I'm conflicted over whether I could say I liked it, but it did keep me reading through the narrative. I just wish it'd been more even in its respective presentation and had more substance and realism to the matters it touched upon.
Overall score: 2.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Bell Bridge Books.
May 18, 2013
Original review can be found here: http://www.yourentertainmentcorner.co....
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Twisted. While the book blurb is vague, it does hint at what to expect within its pages. My emotions ranged from outrage to confusion at various points and never settled on calm. But I was okay with that. I enjoyed not knowing what to anticipate, and therefore, had no spoiled expectations. I related to some of the things the characters experienced, but shook my head at their asinine choices. Talk about a rollercoaster ride! All that aside, I enjoyed Twisted from an entertainment perspective. This book becomes so deep you’ll almost feel lost in its abyss of desperation. Tough topics (rape, mother/daughter relationships, and mental health issues) are dealt with in a sensitive yet realistic manner. I really couldn’t get a handle on how I felt at times because I was outraged with what was happening to Sarah Hausman, and how her family was dealing with her predicament. So began my love/hate relationship with Twisted. Even though I stayed riveted to the pages and sat on the edge of my seat throughout, I also wanted to stop reading and bleach my brain. Yeah, there were portions of Twisted—the drama, stupidity, and almost carefree mindset of the characters—that sent me over the edge.
That said, Brody is a damn fine writer. She made me care enough about the characters that I became upset by the events in the novel. The mark of any great writer is their ability to engage a reader so much they’ll yell at their book, throw it, and maybe even cuss out the characters. And yes, it’s possible I may have done one or all of those things. I don’t think I’ve ever been so infuriated by a character’s decisions in my life. I’m talking about Sarah here. The story begins with her freshman dance. We’re introduced to her mentality and personality before, during, and after a despicable attack. This part of her story made me cringe and spiked my blood pressure. I’m still not over it, and it’s been a couple of weeks since I read Twisted. But it’s the attack on Sarah that starts the ball rolling, and let me say, I wasn’t expecting anything that happened as a result. The suspense is there; the psychological aspect is there, and Brody weaves these aspects together in a way that leaves you trying to figure out the real story and what’s the truth.
I wasn’t sure what Brody was trying to say with Sarah’s attack and the resulting blame laid on her shoulders, but again, Brody excels at making me loathe the entire situation. My frustration level with these characters reached an all time high with Sarah’s parents’ unwillingness to believe her once she confesses . I didn’t want to continue reading because Sarah’s story was going nowhere good, but I kept hope alive. If you follow me on Goodreads, you’ll see just how often I vent while reading. I couldn’t back Sarah in her decisions. I wanted her mother to step up and be a real mother; I wanted Sarah to stand up for herself; and I wanted something positive to happen to these characters to show some redemption or growth. We sort of get that in the end, but it’s not convincing enough for me.
The other protagonist in Twisted is Judith. She presents a perfect existence on paper (great boyfriend, college ambitions, happy home life), yet you know something is off about her. I kept thinking, “no one has it that good,” and didn’t realize just what Judith’s role in the story was. Even during the big reveal, I didn’t get it. I respect that Brody wanted to do something different (believe me, Judith isn’t who you think) but I felt the twist regarding Judith’s relationship to Sarah was so far out there, I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
The family relationships are written realistically but they're almost too realistic for my tastes. Judith has a great relationship with her dad, but her mother is MIA. And Sarah is a daddy’s girl but can’t find common ground with her mom. Sarah’s relationship with her mother is the one I most related to. Sarah’s constant need for approval from her mother and her mother’s lack of trust in her hit home more than once. Why can’t mothers and their teenage daughters just get along? LOL!
Another thing that bugged me was not being able to tell what era the story takes place in—whether the 90s or early 2000s—because there’s very little mention of modern conveniences like cell phones or laptops. That may not seem like a big deal, but I like to live in the world of the characters I’m reading about. Not being able to get a good handle on that hinders my ability to relate and delve into the story.
I’m surprised at how immature Sarah is for a 14 year old. It’s as if her mother never sat her down and talked to her about anything a young woman should know. That pissed me off more than you can imagine. In this day and age, a mother owes it to her daughter to have serious talks about the world and what to expect, how to protect yourself, and the rights we have as human beings. Sarah’s mom is a big letdown, and Brody really does an excellent job of creating a character most people will hate.
Judith (or Judy as she’s called) mentions her father has a “cute, tight butt.” Who says that about their dad? This almost turned me off to reading any further, but I pushed through. Funny enough, I now understand how this should have hinted at one of the twisted aspects of the story.
For e-readers, you may have an issue with the Kindle format. It’s wonky to the umpteenth degree. The font switches from page to page, and sections are separated with no rhyme or reason. That’s something I’d like to see fixed in the finalized version.
Twisted is just that—twisted. From beginning to end, you’ll find yourself glued to its pages, dying to find out what the hell is going on. But once the big reveal hits, all the missing pieces fall into place for you, as well as Sarah, it’s shocking. Most of the novel is one big block of repressed events that leave the reader lost and the characters confused. I don’t know if I like the ending and it weighs on my thoughts of whether I’ll read the book again or not. Although, I really want to, just to see if I pick up on anything I might have missed. I’m hesitant to recommend Twisted because of the heavy subject matter, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
I was provided an ARC of Twisted by the publisher Belle Books and NetGalley for an honest review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Twisted. While the book blurb is vague, it does hint at what to expect within its pages. My emotions ranged from outrage to confusion at various points and never settled on calm. But I was okay with that. I enjoyed not knowing what to anticipate, and therefore, had no spoiled expectations. I related to some of the things the characters experienced, but shook my head at their asinine choices. Talk about a rollercoaster ride! All that aside, I enjoyed Twisted from an entertainment perspective. This book becomes so deep you’ll almost feel lost in its abyss of desperation. Tough topics (rape, mother/daughter relationships, and mental health issues) are dealt with in a sensitive yet realistic manner. I really couldn’t get a handle on how I felt at times because I was outraged with what was happening to Sarah Hausman, and how her family was dealing with her predicament. So began my love/hate relationship with Twisted. Even though I stayed riveted to the pages and sat on the edge of my seat throughout, I also wanted to stop reading and bleach my brain. Yeah, there were portions of Twisted—the drama, stupidity, and almost carefree mindset of the characters—that sent me over the edge.
That said, Brody is a damn fine writer. She made me care enough about the characters that I became upset by the events in the novel. The mark of any great writer is their ability to engage a reader so much they’ll yell at their book, throw it, and maybe even cuss out the characters. And yes, it’s possible I may have done one or all of those things. I don’t think I’ve ever been so infuriated by a character’s decisions in my life. I’m talking about Sarah here. The story begins with her freshman dance. We’re introduced to her mentality and personality before, during, and after a despicable attack. This part of her story made me cringe and spiked my blood pressure. I’m still not over it, and it’s been a couple of weeks since I read Twisted. But it’s the attack on Sarah that starts the ball rolling, and let me say, I wasn’t expecting anything that happened as a result. The suspense is there; the psychological aspect is there, and Brody weaves these aspects together in a way that leaves you trying to figure out the real story and what’s the truth.
I wasn’t sure what Brody was trying to say with Sarah’s attack and the resulting blame laid on her shoulders, but again, Brody excels at making me loathe the entire situation. My frustration level with these characters reached an all time high with Sarah’s parents’ unwillingness to believe her once she confesses . I didn’t want to continue reading because Sarah’s story was going nowhere good, but I kept hope alive. If you follow me on Goodreads, you’ll see just how often I vent while reading. I couldn’t back Sarah in her decisions. I wanted her mother to step up and be a real mother; I wanted Sarah to stand up for herself; and I wanted something positive to happen to these characters to show some redemption or growth. We sort of get that in the end, but it’s not convincing enough for me.
The other protagonist in Twisted is Judith. She presents a perfect existence on paper (great boyfriend, college ambitions, happy home life), yet you know something is off about her. I kept thinking, “no one has it that good,” and didn’t realize just what Judith’s role in the story was. Even during the big reveal, I didn’t get it. I respect that Brody wanted to do something different (believe me, Judith isn’t who you think) but I felt the twist regarding Judith’s relationship to Sarah was so far out there, I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
The family relationships are written realistically but they're almost too realistic for my tastes. Judith has a great relationship with her dad, but her mother is MIA. And Sarah is a daddy’s girl but can’t find common ground with her mom. Sarah’s relationship with her mother is the one I most related to. Sarah’s constant need for approval from her mother and her mother’s lack of trust in her hit home more than once. Why can’t mothers and their teenage daughters just get along? LOL!
Another thing that bugged me was not being able to tell what era the story takes place in—whether the 90s or early 2000s—because there’s very little mention of modern conveniences like cell phones or laptops. That may not seem like a big deal, but I like to live in the world of the characters I’m reading about. Not being able to get a good handle on that hinders my ability to relate and delve into the story.
I’m surprised at how immature Sarah is for a 14 year old. It’s as if her mother never sat her down and talked to her about anything a young woman should know. That pissed me off more than you can imagine. In this day and age, a mother owes it to her daughter to have serious talks about the world and what to expect, how to protect yourself, and the rights we have as human beings. Sarah’s mom is a big letdown, and Brody really does an excellent job of creating a character most people will hate.
Judith (or Judy as she’s called) mentions her father has a “cute, tight butt.” Who says that about their dad? This almost turned me off to reading any further, but I pushed through. Funny enough, I now understand how this should have hinted at one of the twisted aspects of the story.
For e-readers, you may have an issue with the Kindle format. It’s wonky to the umpteenth degree. The font switches from page to page, and sections are separated with no rhyme or reason. That’s something I’d like to see fixed in the finalized version.
Twisted is just that—twisted. From beginning to end, you’ll find yourself glued to its pages, dying to find out what the hell is going on. But once the big reveal hits, all the missing pieces fall into place for you, as well as Sarah, it’s shocking. Most of the novel is one big block of repressed events that leave the reader lost and the characters confused. I don’t know if I like the ending and it weighs on my thoughts of whether I’ll read the book again or not. Although, I really want to, just to see if I pick up on anything I might have missed. I’m hesitant to recommend Twisted because of the heavy subject matter, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
I was provided an ARC of Twisted by the publisher Belle Books and NetGalley for an honest review.
April 1, 2025
This book was so dumb and boring. The editing was horrible with so many grammatical mistakes. I had to fix it with my pen. The MC is 14, but she sounds like a whiny, weak 5 year old. Never stands up for herself, delusional and just plain dumb as a bag of rocks. And don't get me started on the thousand similes and metaphors in every paragraph. Or the contradictions. In one instance, she mentions that her baby is either her brother or son that she mentions to her mom, but yet the big reveal comes at the last chapter? Does the author know what she's doing, or is her editor someone she picked up at the flea market? Geezus! I wasted my time so you don't have to. Find yourself another book. This was just retarded.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2018
This is not your usual ya novel. For a free Amazon ebook with almost few reviews I was skeptical about how good it could be. But Twisted has been aptly named and was quite a ride.
The writing is engaging without being superficial. Even though the setting or time is not very clear, this has a contemporary feel. Written with a dual perspective, this novel is more of a psychological thriller. The last 10% the narrative unfolds too quickly with lots of key revelations. The author relied heavily on foreshadowing(I missed one of the major clues though). Forgivable with a debut book. The author is a former psychologist and has portayed the mental anguish in this novel well.
My only reason for not recommending widely is sexual violence is a major aspect. It is never described graphically but for can be a trigger.
The writing is engaging without being superficial. Even though the setting or time is not very clear, this has a contemporary feel. Written with a dual perspective, this novel is more of a psychological thriller. The last 10% the narrative unfolds too quickly with lots of key revelations. The author relied heavily on foreshadowing(I missed one of the major clues though). Forgivable with a debut book. The author is a former psychologist and has portayed the mental anguish in this novel well.
My only reason for not recommending widely is sexual violence is a major aspect. It is never described graphically but for can be a trigger.
May 7, 2013
To see the full review that's posted on my blog, click here.
Firstly, you will want to read this book, it's bringing the masterful telling of a great thriller to the young adult genre. Secondly, you will need to clear your day for when you do, because Twisted will ensnare you from the beginning and not let go until the bitter end.
The novel begins with the night of the freshman dance, and it is delivered with shocking honesty. What surprised me was the high quality, poetic writing style of Marjorie Brody, and even in that first chapter, there were three stand-out sentences.
"Evening had stolen all the blue from the sky, draping it in veiled shades of black. The lone glimmer of light, a slender, curved moon high overhead, dangled among sooty clouds."
"Inside me, adrenaline bubbled like a shaken bottle of Dr. Pepper, its foam out of control, making me dizzy with risk."
"Dollars fell like rose petals on a dying breeze."
I remember reading each of those sentences and admiring them, reading them aloud and rereading them. I remember thinking - hook, meet line and sinker because this book is going to be amazing.
Fortunately I was not disappointed. Twisted is a psychological thriller centred around fourteen year old Sarah Hausman who hides a secret, and everyone keeps wanting to know what happened the night of the freshman dance. The relationship she has with her mother is rocky at best, who's a fourteen year old girl supposed to confide in if not family? Eighteen year old Judith Murielle has the perfect life, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect future, but then it all starts to unravel...
This book deals with some extremely serious and sensitive topics, it's usually something that I shy away from when choosing books. However since I had no idea what I was getting into, (I only found out when it was too late) I was extremely surprised that it didn't bother me. I have to attribute it to how masterfully Marjorie Brody explored these situations. It was suffocatingly intense, at times heartbreaking, and very well paced. The foreshadowing of this novel is so well constructed, that I picked up on it, and yet was still blindsided by the last 10% of the novel which was when the avalanche of realisation came and everything made sense. Through the alternating POVs of Sarah and Judith, the wrenching plot is delivered flawlessly. Her ability to handle these issues without coming across as bias or judgemental was magic.
Twisted had me bed ridden all day, completely antisocial and by the end, completely mind blown.
For more reviews, please visit my blog Looking for the Panacea.
Firstly, you will want to read this book, it's bringing the masterful telling of a great thriller to the young adult genre. Secondly, you will need to clear your day for when you do, because Twisted will ensnare you from the beginning and not let go until the bitter end.
The novel begins with the night of the freshman dance, and it is delivered with shocking honesty. What surprised me was the high quality, poetic writing style of Marjorie Brody, and even in that first chapter, there were three stand-out sentences.
"Evening had stolen all the blue from the sky, draping it in veiled shades of black. The lone glimmer of light, a slender, curved moon high overhead, dangled among sooty clouds."
"Inside me, adrenaline bubbled like a shaken bottle of Dr. Pepper, its foam out of control, making me dizzy with risk."
"Dollars fell like rose petals on a dying breeze."
I remember reading each of those sentences and admiring them, reading them aloud and rereading them. I remember thinking - hook, meet line and sinker because this book is going to be amazing.
Fortunately I was not disappointed. Twisted is a psychological thriller centred around fourteen year old Sarah Hausman who hides a secret, and everyone keeps wanting to know what happened the night of the freshman dance. The relationship she has with her mother is rocky at best, who's a fourteen year old girl supposed to confide in if not family? Eighteen year old Judith Murielle has the perfect life, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect future, but then it all starts to unravel...
This book deals with some extremely serious and sensitive topics, it's usually something that I shy away from when choosing books. However since I had no idea what I was getting into, (I only found out when it was too late) I was extremely surprised that it didn't bother me. I have to attribute it to how masterfully Marjorie Brody explored these situations. It was suffocatingly intense, at times heartbreaking, and very well paced. The foreshadowing of this novel is so well constructed, that I picked up on it, and yet was still blindsided by the last 10% of the novel which was when the avalanche of realisation came and everything made sense. Through the alternating POVs of Sarah and Judith, the wrenching plot is delivered flawlessly. Her ability to handle these issues without coming across as bias or judgemental was magic.
Twisted had me bed ridden all day, completely antisocial and by the end, completely mind blown.
For more reviews, please visit my blog Looking for the Panacea.
July 26, 2014
This gets 3 stars because, well, honestly, I don't know where I land on this. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. But I'm not sure what to make of it.
After a traumatic experience, 14-year-old Sarah is trying to cope on her own - her mother (easily one of the most despicable mothers since that Joan Crawford movie) approaches life by pretending that everything is fine, praying to God, and irrationally blaming her daughter for all her flaws, while her father, who she loves dearly, she doesn't trust to handle things responsibly. So Sarah tries to cope on her own, without alerting her ignorant and oppressive mother or her well-meaning but clueless father.
Meanwhile, high school senior Judith is devastated to learn that her college boyfriend is returning home a few months shy of their respective graduations because his mentally ill father is running the family business into the ground - putting their plans to get married on hold.
For much of the novel, though I was intrigued, I wanted to know more about the characters. Though her mother was batshit crazy, I didn't think that the mom would be unsupportive when she found out what happened...that is, until she found out what happened; and then I wanted to know how anyone, let a mother, could react that way. Similarly I wanted to know a lot more about Judith. How long had she and Carlton been dating? How did her mother die? There were a lot more layers that could have unearthed but that I felt were just skipped over.
And then the end happened. I really don't know what else to say. Given the end, I'm not sure the Judith storyline worked. Or, it needed a lot more background to make sense. And while it was a complete and total surprise, that's because it came out of left field; it wasn't built up or hinted at previously.
And finally, it wasn't clear when this story occurred - aside from one mention of a cell phone, there was absolutely no mention of cell calls, text messages, emails or Facebook. Which is fine, but I like to have a vague idea of when I'm reading.
Nonetheless, while I think this could have been a fascinating and engrossing character study, it was still an entertaining read that kept my focus till the end.
Revised to add:
I just realized my issue with this. This would properly have been billed as a psych thriller. Even still, 95% of the story was written as simple lit fic, with a psych thriller ending. Which is why I was so thrown off. My rating stands, because I like lit fic and a like psych thrillers. And in their separate components those portions of this book were very good. I just am not sure that this one blended the two well.
After a traumatic experience, 14-year-old Sarah is trying to cope on her own - her mother (easily one of the most despicable mothers since that Joan Crawford movie) approaches life by pretending that everything is fine, praying to God, and irrationally blaming her daughter for all her flaws, while her father, who she loves dearly, she doesn't trust to handle things responsibly. So Sarah tries to cope on her own, without alerting her ignorant and oppressive mother or her well-meaning but clueless father.
Meanwhile, high school senior Judith is devastated to learn that her college boyfriend is returning home a few months shy of their respective graduations because his mentally ill father is running the family business into the ground - putting their plans to get married on hold.
For much of the novel, though I was intrigued, I wanted to know more about the characters. Though her mother was batshit crazy, I didn't think that the mom would be unsupportive when she found out what happened...that is, until she found out what happened; and then I wanted to know how anyone, let a mother, could react that way. Similarly I wanted to know a lot more about Judith. How long had she and Carlton been dating? How did her mother die? There were a lot more layers that could have unearthed but that I felt were just skipped over.
And then the end happened. I really don't know what else to say. Given the end, I'm not sure the Judith storyline worked. Or, it needed a lot more background to make sense. And while it was a complete and total surprise, that's because it came out of left field; it wasn't built up or hinted at previously.
And finally, it wasn't clear when this story occurred - aside from one mention of a cell phone, there was absolutely no mention of cell calls, text messages, emails or Facebook. Which is fine, but I like to have a vague idea of when I'm reading.
Nonetheless, while I think this could have been a fascinating and engrossing character study, it was still an entertaining read that kept my focus till the end.
Revised to add:
I just realized my issue with this. This would properly have been billed as a psych thriller. Even still, 95% of the story was written as simple lit fic, with a psych thriller ending. Which is why I was so thrown off. My rating stands, because I like lit fic and a like psych thrillers. And in their separate components those portions of this book were very good. I just am not sure that this one blended the two well.
September 8, 2015
I was steered toward Marjorie Brody's Twisted by friend and mentor author Les Edgerton. Brody bills herself as an author of psychological suspense, and there's plenty of truth in that sobriquet. Starting with the title, a word which conveys multiple layers of meaning both about the plot and the characters, Brody pulls us into a world of deception and double-meaning. Everyone is hiding something. Sometimes the concealment is meant to hurt, sometimes to shield. But always it's destructive.
We're intimately involved here with two girls. One, Sarah, is fourteen, the other, Judith, eighteen. Both are in the throes of unwanted pregnancies, though their lack of desire to give birth are for different reasons. Beyond that, I can write
very little here about the action without destroying the suspense and the surprises that abound throughout the story. What I can say is that you will find yourself on tenterhooks somewhere around page five and that you'll stay there till the last page. No. Even after the last page.
Go for it.
We're intimately involved here with two girls. One, Sarah, is fourteen, the other, Judith, eighteen. Both are in the throes of unwanted pregnancies, though their lack of desire to give birth are for different reasons. Beyond that, I can write
very little here about the action without destroying the suspense and the surprises that abound throughout the story. What I can say is that you will find yourself on tenterhooks somewhere around page five and that you'll stay there till the last page. No. Even after the last page.
Go for it.
June 26, 2014
This book heartily deserves its wins: an honorable mention in the Great Midwest Book Festival and first place from the Texas Association of Authors for its 2014 young adult fiction category.
Without giving anything away, I did not see the ending coming--particularly the fate of one character. This book indeed twists throughout.
Twisted is perfect for anyone who liked Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and/or Sister: A Novel, by Rosamund Lupton.
Without giving anything away, I did not see the ending coming--particularly the fate of one character. This book indeed twists throughout.
Twisted is perfect for anyone who liked Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and/or Sister: A Novel, by Rosamund Lupton.
March 15, 2017
My brain is still trying to wrap cohesive thoughts around this book. The book had an interesting synopsis but overall, it was predictable, boring and I feel like it tried too hard to be something it's not. Do not recommend this one at all.
July 1, 2013
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Bell Bridge Books and Netgalley.)
14-year-old Sarah can’t believe what’s happening to her when she is lured behind the school gym during the spring formal and gang-raped by four boys.
Hiding her dress in the trash, and hiding her bruises from her parents, Sarah tries to pretend that the rape never happened, but when the boy who lured her outside confesses to the police, and a doctor’s exam reveals that Sarah is pregnant she can’t hide from what happened any longer.
Is there really any justice for Sarah though? Will her parents support her in her decisions over the baby and pressing charges? And what other truths is Sarah hiding?
Well, this book was really different, and I totally didn’t guess what was really going on!
Sarah came across as quite a quiet, Christian girl at the beginning of this book. She believed what her parents had taught her about no sex before marriage, and was even hesitant to allow a boy to kiss her. What happened to her was truly horrific, and I’m not sure how anybody could cope with something so awful.
I totally got why she felt so victimised, and didn’t know what to do, and I also understood why she felt she couldn’t confide in anybody.
The storyline in this book was very interesting because of the two major twists at the end. There was basically no warning about these twists, and I have to say that when they happened I was quite surprised. I have to say that the whole plot-line of rape was pretty horrifying though, and I can’t imagine how awful it must really be to go through something like what Sarah went through – both because of the actual ordeal, and then being unable to talk to anyone about what happened to her.
While the twists were good, the majority of this book felt a little slow to me. There was so much in there that I felt didn’t really add to the story, and I felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen, and constantly waiting for answers, which was a shame.
I did like this book overall, but the slow pace/constant waiting for something to actually happen made this only okay for me. Other than the rape scene at the beginning, and the weird twists at the end, this was a bog standard ‘teenage girl gets pregnant and doesn’t know what to do’ story. The ending really was quite different though.
Overall; teen pregnancy, with a twist.
6.75 out of 10.
Want to know the twist? MAJOR SPOILER!
14-year-old Sarah can’t believe what’s happening to her when she is lured behind the school gym during the spring formal and gang-raped by four boys.
Hiding her dress in the trash, and hiding her bruises from her parents, Sarah tries to pretend that the rape never happened, but when the boy who lured her outside confesses to the police, and a doctor’s exam reveals that Sarah is pregnant she can’t hide from what happened any longer.
Is there really any justice for Sarah though? Will her parents support her in her decisions over the baby and pressing charges? And what other truths is Sarah hiding?
Well, this book was really different, and I totally didn’t guess what was really going on!
Sarah came across as quite a quiet, Christian girl at the beginning of this book. She believed what her parents had taught her about no sex before marriage, and was even hesitant to allow a boy to kiss her. What happened to her was truly horrific, and I’m not sure how anybody could cope with something so awful.
I totally got why she felt so victimised, and didn’t know what to do, and I also understood why she felt she couldn’t confide in anybody.
The storyline in this book was very interesting because of the two major twists at the end. There was basically no warning about these twists, and I have to say that when they happened I was quite surprised. I have to say that the whole plot-line of rape was pretty horrifying though, and I can’t imagine how awful it must really be to go through something like what Sarah went through – both because of the actual ordeal, and then being unable to talk to anyone about what happened to her.
While the twists were good, the majority of this book felt a little slow to me. There was so much in there that I felt didn’t really add to the story, and I felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen, and constantly waiting for answers, which was a shame.
I did like this book overall, but the slow pace/constant waiting for something to actually happen made this only okay for me. Other than the rape scene at the beginning, and the weird twists at the end, this was a bog standard ‘teenage girl gets pregnant and doesn’t know what to do’ story. The ending really was quite different though.
Overall; teen pregnancy, with a twist.
6.75 out of 10.
Want to know the twist? MAJOR SPOILER!
July 31, 2015
I don’t know if I have ever read a novel where the epigraph sums up a work so well. In this case it is nothing more or less than the definition of a word from Webster's Dictionary. The word is twist, and the novel is Twisted, by Marjorie Brody. Twisted is a YA book, and it can be read by a YA audience, but don’t think for a minute that this is an easy book to read. Twisted is one of the most psychologically sophisticated novels I have read in a long time, and it manages to deal with several difficult and disturbing issues, without dumbing them down or making them less troubling, in such a way that they are accessible to the audience that needs to hear them the most.
In Twisted fourteen year old Sarah is gang-raped by four boys on the night of the Freshman Dance. It’s horrific, and Ms. Brody manages to convey that with shirking detail but keeping the scene from being graphic. Also horrific is the fact that Sarah decides to hide the fact from her family because her Mother is too proud and would probably blame Sarah somehow. So not only does Sarah hide the tor dress and her bruises, she in fact hides the trauma even from herself, until the boy who lured her into the rape confesses to the Police. In the middle of this fiasco the only person Sarah feels that she can trust is an eighteen-year old schoolmate,Judith. The older girl's life seems ideal; she has a great family, is engaged to a guy who loves her, and has plans for college. She is also pregnant, and encourages Sarah to tell someone. Through thick and thin it seems like Judith is mysteriously drawn to the younger girl, and she encourages Sarah to tell the truth, but Sarah seems like she will do anything to keep the situation quiet.
If this was all that there was to Twisted, it would be solid, but remember the title; Ms. Brody has a bunch of finely tuned surprises up her sleeves, and she tends to drop them in just when I started to get comfortable. There are big twists and small twists, but they are all so integral to the story that I can’t let them slip without spilling a barrel of spoilers, so I won’t. Just be prepared to be surprised.
The characters are all solid, along with the prose. I was a bit confused at times about the narrative voice, but even that might be a deep and truly subtle twist,so I can’t complain too much. There were a few times in middle where the pace dragged a bit, but never for too long. Just when things got a bit calm Ms. Brody unfurled one of her psychological bombshells, and pulled me to the edge of my seat once more. The last few, near the end were particularly shocking, and best of all, planned and executed with restraint and style. All in all, Twisted is a stiletto of a suspense novel, short, sharp and sleek. I ‘d like to see Ms. Brody take a shot at an all-ages thriller soon; I sure that she would really blow my doors off.
Review by: Mark Palm
Full Reviews Available at: http://www.thebookendfamily.weebly.com
In Twisted fourteen year old Sarah is gang-raped by four boys on the night of the Freshman Dance. It’s horrific, and Ms. Brody manages to convey that with shirking detail but keeping the scene from being graphic. Also horrific is the fact that Sarah decides to hide the fact from her family because her Mother is too proud and would probably blame Sarah somehow. So not only does Sarah hide the tor dress and her bruises, she in fact hides the trauma even from herself, until the boy who lured her into the rape confesses to the Police. In the middle of this fiasco the only person Sarah feels that she can trust is an eighteen-year old schoolmate,Judith. The older girl's life seems ideal; she has a great family, is engaged to a guy who loves her, and has plans for college. She is also pregnant, and encourages Sarah to tell someone. Through thick and thin it seems like Judith is mysteriously drawn to the younger girl, and she encourages Sarah to tell the truth, but Sarah seems like she will do anything to keep the situation quiet.
If this was all that there was to Twisted, it would be solid, but remember the title; Ms. Brody has a bunch of finely tuned surprises up her sleeves, and she tends to drop them in just when I started to get comfortable. There are big twists and small twists, but they are all so integral to the story that I can’t let them slip without spilling a barrel of spoilers, so I won’t. Just be prepared to be surprised.
The characters are all solid, along with the prose. I was a bit confused at times about the narrative voice, but even that might be a deep and truly subtle twist,so I can’t complain too much. There were a few times in middle where the pace dragged a bit, but never for too long. Just when things got a bit calm Ms. Brody unfurled one of her psychological bombshells, and pulled me to the edge of my seat once more. The last few, near the end were particularly shocking, and best of all, planned and executed with restraint and style. All in all, Twisted is a stiletto of a suspense novel, short, sharp and sleek. I ‘d like to see Ms. Brody take a shot at an all-ages thriller soon; I sure that she would really blow my doors off.
Review by: Mark Palm
Full Reviews Available at: http://www.thebookendfamily.weebly.com
August 28, 2013
This is an interesting, very complicated story. Lots of twists,as the title suggests, but of course, it suggests more than that. I can't say I really liked it, although I did get involved with it -- after a slow start in which I thought I knew exactly where it was going, and I didn't like it. Well, I was wrong about where it was going. It's pretty unpredictable. Though the situation is tragic and suspenseful, and the characters are sympathetic and have depth, i didn't think it worked so well as a novel. First of all, it was over-written, particularly from Sarah's point of view. She thinks in similes that may be beautiful and meaningful but are unnatural. Nobody thinks like that in their everyday life. You think like that when you're writing, and Sarah wasn't writing, the author was. Sarah's mother was so harsh and so unsympathetic to Sarah as to be unbelievable -- and yet Sarah claimed to love her and wanted to please her. Well, by the time I was 14, I had long since stopped trying to please my mother, but of course, we're all different. I also felt there really were too many twists, and I have to say, I was not able to make all the connections in the end. The little connection I gleaned with Judith is mysterious, and I think there might be more which has passed me completely. As for Judith's boyfriend, Carlton, I thought throughout the entire novel that he had played a role which would shake up a few lives, but then it never came out, so maybe he didn't? Too many unsolved mysteries, or I am just obtuse. The language and flow of the story were good, and there's lots of good depth and character development. It probably works psychologically and, if real, could be written up as a good case study. I like a novel that has at least a little joy. This doesn't have much.
December 11, 2014
First, a confession. I am a 62 year old male, so my take on this young adult thriller may have a distinctive twist. I purchased the book at San Antonio's Book Fair and didn't get around to reading it for a while. The first time I picked it up, I stopped reading it. Rape is a tough subject. Coupled with the wicked social divisions of middle school and a family incapable of honest communication, I found the beginning overwhelming. But, the characters were interesting enough I wanted to know what happened. So, with the urging of my wife (who loved the book) I picked it up again. This time I read non-stop to the surprising end and I'm glad I did.
Some of the family situations Brody describes, especially Sarah's relationship with her mother, made me want to scream. Their interactions were appalling, but written in a way that made them believable. I felt sorry for Sarah and angry that she couldn't stand up to the abuse she received, both in and out of her family. The depth of emotion the writing evoked is a testament to Brody's ability.
For me, some of the dialogue, especially amongst the fourteen-year-old kids, seemed stilted, but perhaps that's an issue because of my age. It's a small quibble.
When I read a novel, I don't consciously think, “What's going to happen next? How will the author surprise me?” So, the ending of “Twisted” took me completely by surprise. In hindsight I can see some foreshadowing woven throughout, but, I liked the surprise ending.
“Twisted” was a good read and one that addresses real issues for young people, especially young girls. I recommend this book for them, and for their parents.
Some of the family situations Brody describes, especially Sarah's relationship with her mother, made me want to scream. Their interactions were appalling, but written in a way that made them believable. I felt sorry for Sarah and angry that she couldn't stand up to the abuse she received, both in and out of her family. The depth of emotion the writing evoked is a testament to Brody's ability.
For me, some of the dialogue, especially amongst the fourteen-year-old kids, seemed stilted, but perhaps that's an issue because of my age. It's a small quibble.
When I read a novel, I don't consciously think, “What's going to happen next? How will the author surprise me?” So, the ending of “Twisted” took me completely by surprise. In hindsight I can see some foreshadowing woven throughout, but, I liked the surprise ending.
“Twisted” was a good read and one that addresses real issues for young people, especially young girls. I recommend this book for them, and for their parents.
January 4, 2015
Wow.
Okay this is not like any books I have read so far. And to be honest it took a while to pull me in. I was confused at first. And maybe for me part of the reason I wasn't pulled in so easily or fast is because it is a fourteen year old girl who is raped. I know things like this happen but, having a daughter it isn't something I ever like to think about.
That being said it did take a while to pull me in to the point where I just couldn't put the book down. I did get sucked in at about 84% I hate that it took that long to get me hooked. But I will say OMG once I got there I stopped anything and everything to finish it.
I had to even stop to talk about it with my husband he thought my guesses were wrong but I was hell bent on it. At the same time I was questioning them myself and trying to figure out how other things went together. So it was something that had me guessing.
Once I got to the part where everything comes together
OMG
It is definitely one to make you think one that will make you wonder and keep you on edge there towards the end. It was different for me.
Okay this is not like any books I have read so far. And to be honest it took a while to pull me in. I was confused at first. And maybe for me part of the reason I wasn't pulled in so easily or fast is because it is a fourteen year old girl who is raped. I know things like this happen but, having a daughter it isn't something I ever like to think about.
That being said it did take a while to pull me in to the point where I just couldn't put the book down. I did get sucked in at about 84% I hate that it took that long to get me hooked. But I will say OMG once I got there I stopped anything and everything to finish it.
I had to even stop to talk about it with my husband he thought my guesses were wrong but I was hell bent on it. At the same time I was questioning them myself and trying to figure out how other things went together. So it was something that had me guessing.
Once I got to the part where everything comes together
OMG
It is definitely one to make you think one that will make you wonder and keep you on edge there towards the end. It was different for me.
September 23, 2013
since I read a kindle, I can say I was exactly 51% through the book before I decided to finish it. I don't ever stop reading a book, but this one had me consider quitting about a dozen times. The characters were very immature, the story was disjointed, and it did not capture my attention. That said, it did finally turn a corner, and finally I was interested to see how it ends. There were definitely hints at twists and turns, and the hints had my mind thinking about so many possibilities. I became excited about finding out if I was right. It was clear the author did her research. I truly believe that the characters could be real people, with real experiences and how they cope with them. I enjoyed the psychology of the characters. I will also admit that the twisted ending left me angry, pissed off, and beside myself. I was mad at the world and it carried over to my real world. a book that can do that deserves respect! it's weird how in the beginning I almost didn't finish it, but in the end became so caught up in it.
March 29, 2015
Well, the title for this one is certainly appropriate. This story is so twisted and so crazy. As soon as you think it is headed in one direction it turns and it takes on another one, right up until the end...just like a twister. It made for compelling reading, but I wish it was just put together better. It is hard to do that kind of twisting and turning well in a novel, and perhaps if the book were a little longer and the story were given a longer timeline it would have come together. Also, certain aspects of the twist seemed a little too much like the easy way out. Instead of the author taking the time to craft a truly complex but still compelling story, she took some shortcuts to get to the end quickly.
June 3, 2013
Read my full review:http://bit.ly/11h4xfC
My opinion: This book was totally different than what I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a mystery and it was FAR from it. It was good. I am happy I read it, but wouldn't call it ROCKIN'. It simply didn't stand out to me.
The writing and character development was good, but it almost felt preachy in its writing. It then took a turn to drama central. On that note, it is considered a young adult novel, so I cut it some slack for that.
My opinion: This book was totally different than what I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a mystery and it was FAR from it. It was good. I am happy I read it, but wouldn't call it ROCKIN'. It simply didn't stand out to me.
The writing and character development was good, but it almost felt preachy in its writing. It then took a turn to drama central. On that note, it is considered a young adult novel, so I cut it some slack for that.
April 15, 2015
I knew Marjorie Brody would put out a great story, since she's already a noted and gifted author, but I didn't know just HOW great "Twisted" would be. I highly recommend this novel. It moves fast, has just enough tension and intrigue to keep you turning those pages, and the twists are unpredictable. Great ending too. Total surprise. Overall, this author has earned five gold stars from a very picky reader.
March 4, 2016
I have mixed feelings about this book. The plot was interesting and original. The dialogue, however, felt unnatural at times. There are some plot twists that account for some of the problems with the dialogue, but it still seemed to be an issue for me from time to time as I read the book. The story deals with rape and family dysfunction. I can't say much more without spoiling thIs very unique story.
September 4, 2013
This is a debut suspense novel that is uncommonly good. The plot is indeed twisted and I can't say more than that lest I give any spoilers out. The psychology of the teenagers involved is well portrayed, and the author understands what she's writing about, that's for sure. Majorie Brody is a trained therapist and holds a Ph.D. in psychology. Don't let that scare you. This is a very readable book.
August 22, 2015
Though NOT a feel good book I do think it is a must read. One of the best gifts reading can give us is empathy for people in situations different than our own. This book has that in spades! Warning: it is also not an easy read but well worth your time, and as the title suggests the end is not what you would expect.
April 13, 2013
Twisted...is just ...wow...very powerful. This dramatic story stays with you. Marjorie Brody did an amazing job not only with the story but the characters. I find it hard to find a book that I can't predict the outcome and this book really surprised me. I highly recommend Twisted.
July 8, 2013
Rather a confusing book. I stuck with it but did not enjoy it that much. Too fragmented for my taste.
October 20, 2013
I loved this book. Unpredictable with lots of twists. A very good read.
July 30, 2014
wasn't sure what I was getting myself into reading this book didn't know much about it. It just kind of sucked me in and was completely unexpected.
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