Twisted

=//Twisted//=

//Twisted// Overview
Readers are first introduced to Tyler Miller while he works with the school janitors during summer vacation because he committed the Foul Deed (spray painted vulgar words on school property). He refers to his mandatory community service as "Satan's vomitorium" (Anderson, 2007, p. 1). This is the first glimpse of the dark strand in this book, which intensifies later in the novel when Tyler almost attempts suicide. Before the Foul Deed he was a tall, skinny "Nerd Boy" but "the hard labor had turned [him] into the Amazing Hulk, with ripped muscles and enough testosterone to power a nuclear generator" (Anderson, 2007, p. 2). Teens can relate to Tyler's quick transformation and his difficulty adjusting to his fluctuating popularity.

His parents set high expectations and presumed he would satisfy them by earning top grades in all of his advanced placement courses. Tyler is noticed by the most beautiful girl in school, Bethany Milbury, which skyrockets his social status. With his new acclaim he no longer feels the need to be a high academic achiever. Through the first-person narrative, readers see that Tyler has good intentions, but ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. His dark thoughts, academic and social challenges, and rivalry with himself and others make him an intense, but likeable character. More importantly, he realizes the power within himself to control situations and outcomes in his own life.

Dark Themes
Tyler's dark side stems from his parent's marital issues, hormonal changes, and extrinsic pressures. Mr. and Mrs. Miller sleep in separate bedrooms and regularly attend marriage therapy to recover "the joy in their relationship" (Anderson, 2007, p. 5). Their arguing causes distress for Tyler and his younger sister, Hannah, because they realize that the happy days as a family now rest in the past. Additionally, "the nursing home where [they] sent [their] grandparents to die" is located in the town in which they live, making Tyler feel even more depressed and long for the "old days" (Anderson, 2007, p. 23). He wonders about his grandparents' deaths, "Did they like it? Was it a relief?" but knows that he should not be thinking about it because "As soon as [I] started, I'd go: //I'm not going to think about this. No matter what. I am thinking of something different now, thinking, thinking//" (Anderson, 2007, p. 29). Eventually, Tyler steals his father's gun out of his bedroom and puts it in his mouth, thinking:

//I will pull this trigger and a bullet will rip through my skull at eight hundred miles an hour. I will pull this trigger and my brains will detonate. I will pull this trigger and fall.// (Anderson, 2007, p. 211)

He imagines his family coming into the room finding his body parts splattered and he removes the gun from his mouth. As enraged as he is with his father he cannot bring himself to kill himself with his father's gun.

Tyler's disdain for his father is especially apparent when he describes him as a "dragon hiding in the skin of a small man" whose unpleasant actions are the root of evil destroying their family (Anderson, 2007, p. 28). He is strongly affected by his familial problems and lack of support, propelling him to think about death and ways to die.

When Bethany finally invites him to meet her at the school football game, Tyler's father comes home from work in a rage and demands they sit down for a home cooked family meal instead. Tyler weighs his options and concludes that going to the game with Bethany is not the best decision because:

It is not worth the nastiness that [his father] would also inflict on [his] sister, who already had a tear slipping over the faded bruise from her black eye, and [his] mother, who was pouring herself the first tonic-free gin and tonic she'd had in weeks." (Anderson, 2007, p. 99)

Instead of his father allowing him to be a regular high school teen, Mr. Miller prevents him from experiencing memorable high school events. Tyler's kind heart and concern for his sister and mother build the readers' trust in him as a narrator. When he is later accused of posting nude photos of Bethany Milbury after attending a party with her, readers know that Tyler is being falsely accused. This untrue allegation spirals him into a deeper depressive state. YAs can relate to being constrained by parents and having to spend time with family rather than go out with friends.

Overcoming Obstacles
Teenagers face many obstacles in short periods of time because they make important decisions that could affect the rest of their lives. Tyler's major obstacles involve his video game (which is a metaphor for his life), keeping up with high academic expectations, and making it through the time period when he is falsely accused of a crime.

Like many YAs, Tyler uses video games as an outlet and escape. Throughout the story, Tyler plays the Tophet, a video game with levels that mirror the experiences in his own life. Tophet is a metaphor for his survival and success; If he can beat the game he gets to choose to "become the new Lord of Darkness" or "take a gamble and be reincarnated" (Anderson, 2007, p. 250). Like the game, teenagers' futures are uncertain yet full of potential.

Tyler is an intelligent, high achieving teenager who wants to go to college. When he commits the Foul Deed at school and is sentenced to do community service he undergoes a physical and emotional metamorphosis. Now that he is "strong" he does not feel the need to be "smart" anymore. As Tyler thinks about it more, he does not understand the purpose of higher education. His own father went to college to be an accountant and he is miserable, stressed, and rarely spends time with the family. After Tyler is accused of offending Bethany Milbury, his father threatens to send him away to a military academy to finish out his senior year.

The crime Tyler is wrongly accused of committing happens the night Bethany invites him to a party. She drunkenly leads him to an upstairs bedroom, but he likes her too much to take advantage of her and declines her offer. She accuses him of thinking that he is "too good for [her]," possibly "gay," or simply "doesn't like sex" (Anderson, 2007, p. 126). She ignores him after that and his social status plummets, which worsens when he is blamed for posting nude photographs of Bethany from the party. Teachers, the school principal, and other students ostracize him and treat him as if he is guilty of the crime. Bethany's brother, Chip, gathers guys from the football team together to beat up Tyler. Because of the threats and attacks, he is forced to sit in a room in the main office all day and do his work independently. Finally, he realizes that he is being discriminated against and based on the law he is innocent until proven guilty. He marches into the principal's office and tells him, "starting tomorrow, I'll be attending all of my classes...I'm not the problem here, Mr. Hughes [principal]. I'm tired of feeling like I am" (Anderson, 2007, p. 223). Tyler's self-assured action affirms his emotional growth and confidence that justice will be served and the true offender will be discovered.

Competitiveness
The protagonist competes with himself and his peers to gain a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Tyler plays the video game Tophet alone, trying to beat a new level each time he plays. According to Tyler, Tophet was a virtual Hell:

The point of the game was to make your demon as powerful as possible and survive through sixty-six levels of Torment. After that, [he] wasn't sure what would happen. Either [the demon] would escape to Heaven or descend to the Final Pit and be crowned Lord of Darkness. It was unclear which option was better. (Anderson, 2007, p. 20)

As rivalry builds in Tyler's life, he works through the game of Tophet, which is symbolic of his own experiences. The inclusion of gaming in this book not only appeals to boys, but also girls. The Pew Research Center (2008) found that "99% of boys and 94% of girls report playing video games" (para. 5). Teen gamers could certainly relate to Tyler's chosen emotional outlet and make connections to their own lives.

Another enemy Tyler Miller must beat is Chip Milbury, Bethany's brother. When the Miller family attends the Milbury's company party, Mr. Milbury takes notice of Tyler's new and improved physique and asks, "You playing football, Tyler?...This guy's made of steel" (Anderson, 2007, p. 14). Chip becomes angry when Mr. Milbury says, "I don't know, Chipper. I think Tyler might be out of your league" (Anderson, 2007, p. 15). Chip challenges Tyler to an arm-wrestling match and Tyler is close to winning, but when he looks up at his dad he was shaking his head and he knew he had to give in; Mr. Milbury is Mr. Miller's boss at the accounting firm (Anderson, 2007). Tyler's ability to honor his father's wish ahead of his own is another action that enables readers to put trust in Tyler Miller.

The frustration built up in Tyler is ultimately purged when he confesses his suicide attempt to his family. This cathartic experience involves yelling, blaming, and the smashing of objects, but after the Miller family cools off they appreciate each other and discover that they need to communicate to be able to help each other. In the end, Tyler beats the game of Tophet and also is rehabilitated in "real life."