Twisted Fate

Gr 9 Up—Allyson and Sydney Tate may be sisters, but they are hardly alike. Allyson dresses like a model from the L.L.Bean catalog and spends her free time baking muffins, while Sydney skateboards, smokes pot with her friends, and listens to punk rock. Then Graham Copeland moves in next door. Graham is an artist and his medium is film; he quickly and easily loses himself behind his ever-present camera. Graham is cute and seems a little shy, but Syd knows that something about him is off. She just doesn't know if she can convince Ally in time. Set in present-day coastal Maine, Olson's first young adult novel is an exploration of drugs, mental illness, individual perception, friendship, and familial relationships. The work cycles through the perspectives of Ally, Syd, Graham, and a few others, with consecutive chapters that often convey the same scene from two different points of view. Olson combines this distinct style of storytelling with past-tense narration and subtle foreshadowing to develop the three main characters, to create conflict as well as tension, and to propel readers forward. A great addition to any YA realistic fiction collection, this thriller that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.—Maggie Mason Smith, Clemson University R. M. Cooper Library, South Carolina