Twigs

by Alison Ashley Formento

Overview

One pint-sized girl. Ten supersized crises. And it's high noon.

Madeline 'Twigs' Henry is a small teen in the shadow of some big problems. Born prematurely, and still so tiny in stature that people think she's in the fifth grade, Twigs has a mighty spirit. She needs that spirit when life throws a bucket of stones at her. It starts with a drunken deserter dad. Mom and little sister are so obsessed with their own love lives that Twigs has to take care of both of them. Her adored soldier brother Matt is suddenly missing in the Middle East. Just as Twigs is trying to figure out how she can solve everybody's problems (and find out if her boyfriend is cheating on her after just one week away at school), the flash of a knife slices her life, and Twigs must stand up to a gang of thugs to try to save the person she loves most—the very father who left her all alone.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440565656
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	09/18/2013
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Alison Ashley Formento is the author of Twigs, a Simon & Schuster book.

Editorial Reviews

"In a charming ... small-town drama, Madeline 'Twigs' Henry navigates family secrets, boyfriend troubles and a friendship with a spirited older woman. The larger-than-life characters and gestures bring humor and action to the story . . . Twigs is a compellingly flawed character, and [her] growth is palpable." —Kirkus Reviews

"Twigs is a unique coming-of-age story with a vivid cast of truly unforgettable characters." —Kieran Scott, author of the He's So/She's So trilogy

"I think there are many teens out there who can relate to at least one or more of the life-changing events that Twigs goes through, whether it's embarking on the scary adventure of going to college or getting used to a new significant other in their parent's life. I found this book to be entertaining and a great summer read." —The Real Bookshelves of Room 918

"Twigs was easy to relate to. I think that we have all had a time in our lives when it felt like everything was falling apart . . . Twigs was so special in a lot of ways . . . over all I found the book to be a nice read." - Daydreamer N's Reviews

"[An] absolutely touching novel.... I enjoyed every bit . . . Alison Ashley Formento really does a great job in knitting together a heart-wrenching and emotional read that perfectly portrays the trials a young girl has to go through to figure out who she really is, and where she fits in this crazy world." —The Young Folks

From the Publisher

2013-09-01
In a charming if sometimes over-the-top small-town drama, Madeline "Twigs" Henry navigates family secrets, boyfriend troubles and a friendship with a spirited older woman. Twigs, given her nickname because of her small size at birth, works at a drug store under the supervision of a foul-tempered slacker named Dink. While running the store by herself, she encounters Helen Raymond, a middle-aged woman whose dramatic reaction to her husband's leaving her involves wailing in an aisle and throwing bottles of hair dye. Twigs' own family circumstances are becoming complicated: Her brother, a soldier stationed in Iraq, goes missing, and her father, an alcoholic who abandoned the family, contacts Twigs and her mother and sister. Twigs therefore finds comfort and empowerment in connecting with Helen. The larger-than-life characters and gestures bring humor and action to the story, but sometimes, they are too exaggerated to be believed. A professor at Twigs' community college is cartoonishly strict, and Twigs' willingness to physically assault Helen's husband and continually refer to his new girlfriend as "his whore" feels oddly out of proportion to the situation. Still, Twigs is a compellingly flawed character, and as her family situation and relationship with her college-freshman boyfriend change, Twigs' growth is palpable. Like many of its characters, imperfect but earnest. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews