Synopses & Reviews
When Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone elsemore responsible, more capable. But now that her sense of self has been challenged, she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shoot-out. With action, romance, and a complex heroine,
Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult worldfull of dark humor and hard truths.
Praise for Bruised
STARRED REVIEW
"Offering psychological drama and an introduction to martial-arts code of behavior, the book has a meaningful message about power, control, and the internal bruises carried by victims."
Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Her story is compelling, and readers will stick with her as new insights bring about a believable shift in her behavior
This distinctive debut will be appreciated by fans of contemporary fiction."
Kirkus Reviews
"This layered first novel explores the aftereffects of the trauma, convincingly depicting why Imogen blames herself for a situation over which she had no control. Skilton also sensitively depicts the bond and tentative romance that develops between Imogen and Ricky. The main story line about Imogens struggle to come to terms with what she did (and did not do) is nuanced and honest."
Horn Book
"This is a useful exploration of the difference between fantasy-style omnipotence and the complexity of real-life human strength."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Skilton does a fine job capturing how a psychological process after trauma can take time and might manifest in unique, sometimes unexpected, ways."
VOYA Magazine
"Poignant and emotionally raw at times and humorous at others, this debut novel adeptly portrays a shattered life in the wake of an unexpected act of violence and the road back to normalcy."
School Library Journal
"Here is a writer to watch who handles complex issues with sensitivity in the vein of Deb Caletti and Sarah Dessen."
Booklist
Review
"Anderson returns to weightier issues in the style of her most revered work,
Speak (1999), and stretches her wings by offering up a male protagonist for the first time.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewReview
"...a chillingly accurate portrayal of the high-school social scene, in which morals, perceptions and conceptions of truth are continually...challenged." --
Publishers Weekly
"Anderson...stretches her wings by offering...a male protagonist... one of the most poignant and gripping scenes in young-adult literature."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Review
"The end result is a satisfying psychological exploration of a social milieu as well as a sense of closure to a case that left readers wondering what ultimately happened to Christopher Creed."--Bulletin
Synopsis
After getting busted for doing graffiti and having to work all summer to pay for the damages, invisible Tyler's physique changes greatly and brings with it unexpected perks, including the attention of his father's boss's daughter, Bethany Millbury, and a change in the unspoken hierarchy at school.
Synopsis
High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the backgroundaverage student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldnt believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his fathers bosss daughter, the sister of his biggest enemyand Tylers secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world. In Twisted, the acclaimed Laurie Halse Anderson tackles a very controversial subject: what it means to be a man today. Fans and new readers alike will be captured by Tylers pitchperfect, funny voice, the surprising narrative arc, and the thoughtful moral dilemmas that are at the heart of all of the authors award-winning, widely read work.
Synopsis
After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.
Synopsis
When Torey Adams posts on his blog that a body has been found in Steepletonfour years after Christopher Creed disappearedcollege reporter Mike Mavic sells his laptop and hops a plane to capture the story that will undoubtedly launch his journalistic career.
What Mike finds in Steepleton is not what he expected. Instead he witnesses a town suffering under a cloud of bad frequency: mysterious accidents, a higher than usual cancer rate, and people who are just a little off normal. Everyone remembers the unsolved mystery of Christopher Creed, but to the teenage residents of Steepleton, Chris is nothing more than past history. Yet to his younger brother Justin, his obsession with finding Chris offers hope.
This as yet unidentified body is the only thing that could possibly bring Chriss former classmates Torey Adams, Bo Richardson, and Ali McDermott back to Steepleton at the same timeand provide Mike with the story of a lifetime: what really happened to Christopher Creed.
Synopsis
Another
New York Times bestseller from Laurie Halse Anderson! High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn't believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father's boss's daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy, and Tyler's secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in school, in his family, and in the world.
Synopsis
Years later . . . what really happened to Christopher Creed? When Torey Adams posts on his blog that a body has been found in Steepleton—four years after Christopher Creed disappeared—college reporter Mike Mavic sells his laptop and hops a plane to capture the story that will undoubtedly launch his journalistic career. But what Mike finds is a town suffering under a cloud of bad frequency and people with an underlying streak of meanness. To the teens of Steepleton, Chris is nothing more than history—but to Justin Creed, a teen obsessed with his older brothers memory and balancing on the edge of sanity, discovering what really happened to Chris Creed is a matter of life and death.
About the Author
Laurie Halse Anderson has received both the Margaret Edwards Award and the ALAN Award for her contributions to young adult literature. She has also been honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship in recognition of her fight to combat the censoring of literature. She is the author of the National Book Award finalist and Printz Honor Book Speak and of four other much acclaimed young adult novels she and her husband live in northern New York State. Follow Laurie on Twitter @halseanderson and visit her at writerlady.com.