Author: Norah Olson
Publication: Katherine Tegen Books (January 20, 2015)
Description: Two sisters. One mysterious boy.
Ally and Sydney couldn't be more different—one shy, the other popular and outgoing—and when a new boy moves in next door, tensions between the sisters escalate. Graham is attractive, peculiar, and perhaps a little dangerous, and both girls are drawn to him in ways they can't quite explain. As each girl's relationship with Graham unfolds, the more complicated the truth becomes—until a shocking encounter turns their sleepy coastal town upside down and questions everything the sisters thought they knew about themselves and each other.
Told in alternating points of view by a wide cast of characters, Twisted Fate is a tensely wrought psychological thriller, perfect for fans of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.
My Thoughts: TWISTED FATE was a compelling story that is almost impossible to talk about without spoiling it for readers. The main characters are all variously damaged. Ally and Sydney have both taken different paths to gain the attention of their neglectful parents. Ally is determined to be perfect and her mother's eager clone. Sydney has decided to be a troublemaker and drug-user to gain her parents' attention. Neither approach seems to be working as it would be hard to find more absent parents in literature than these girls' parents.
Things really come to a head when Graham moves next door. His parents have moved to Maine mainly to get Graham away from mysterious events in Virginia. Graham is a filmmaker who doesn't believe that anything is real that he doesn't see through the lens of his camera. He is drawn to both girls and both are equally fascinated with him. Ally thinks he is a troubled soul who needs her support; Syd thinks he is very dangerous.
The book is told in multiple viewpoints - Ally, Syd, Graham, Graham's step-mother Kim and his father David, Syd's best friends Beth and Declan, and the town police chief. Each added more questions via cryptic hints that had me extremely curious about what was going on in the story. Indicating in the blurb that the book was like WE WERE LIARS had me prepared for a major twist. I kept trying to puzzle out who was telling the truth and who was lying. I was completely surprised by the twist I got.
If you like psychological thrillers, this is the book for you. I'll be thinking about, and talking about, this one a lot. If you've read it, can we talk?
Favorite Quote:
"If no one sees us doing this, is it really happening?" I joked.I got this eARC from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.
He laughed. And I am sure we were both thinking about what an upside-down world Graham lived in, where you exist only when there's some photographic evidence of you.
This is the first review I read of this book. I'm not really sure if I would be game for this one. But I do like psychological thrillers! So I'm reconsidering. Thanks for the great review!
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