Twisted: Tales to Rot Your Brain Vol. 1

by Nora Thompson, Nora Thompson (Illustrator), Nora Thompson (Designed by)

Overview

Twisted: Tales to Rot Your Brain Vol. 1 collects 28 flash fiction stories in a book that targets anyone who giggles when a tale takes a surprising turn, from middle grade readers through their adult counterparts. The stories in the collection unfold using traditional text and illustrations and even a graphic novel. And all of the stories lean toward the edge of the twisted: told from unexpected perspectives; not about what you thought they were; head off in a direction you weren't counting on. And here's hoping you never see it coming. Blindsided. Time to giggle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780983669906
Publisher:	Hairy Eyeballs Press
Publication date:	10/01/2011
Pages:	108
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

Editorial Reviews

In "Garlic Toast," one of nearly 30 brief works of "flash fiction" in this collection of dark comedy and horror, the main character is brutally attacked and chased by a monster, before awakening in bed from a nightmare. "You wipe the sweat from your forehead.... You close your eyes and smile. You hope the next one is just as good." That type of kid—the one who revels in being terrified—is the audience first-time author Thompson is aiming for. In stories that last only a few pages and comics that resemble Nickelodeon cartoons on acid, Thompson riffs on zombie, werewolf, and other ghoulish genres, while also finding the horrific in unexpected places. In "Testophobia," a test-taker's increasingly anxious thoughts are superimposed over a blurred-out exam below ("Hemophobia: Fear of blood. Won't wipe off. On fingers. On sleeve, paper. Smeared. Trembling. Shaky. Shaking"). And in a cartoon labeled "Lobotomy Pie," a freshly baked pumpkin pie cools on a counter, while a jack o'lantern sits mutilated in the foreground. Just the thing for readers who aren't scared of the dark—or for those who are and like it. Ages 12–up.

Publishers Weekly

A clever collection of stories and comics by debut author Thompson. An experienced illustrator and graphic designer, Thompson organizes this flash-fiction book into 28 extremely brief chapters on many subjects and uses both text and spacing to heighten interest. Her artwork tends toward the gory, though the drawings also contain elements of humor. The words themselves are arranged on the page for an atypical and interesting reading experience. Topics covered are: an exceptionally violent attack of sneezing, the potentially frightening consequences of ingestion of garlic toast, a librarian with a diabolical dedication to preserving quiet in her domain, multiple points of view of a particularly painful headache, the uneasy relationships between shadowy creatures and humans, the possible pitfalls of owning an unusual pet, and the rules for cooperation between monsters and parents. Thompson shines at using unexpected or multiple perspectives to breathe new life into conventional tales, with story endings that are surprising and skillfully foreshadowed. This balance between the unpredictable and the expected rewards rereading. Thompson uses amusing chapter titles like "Cleaver Over-Achiever" and "Lobotomy Pie," and her phrasing is often similarly adroit. One chapter cautions that "monsters observed outside their work zones could lead to disbelief of parental monsterial explanations and, in turn, an inquiring child. Inquiring children shall be promptly tortured." Thompson also muses about "lots and lots of dreamy white jackets that buckle. In the back." Overall, the book delivers on its promise; readers who are not interested in disgusting, ironic stories would be wise to steer clear. Even readers seeking that sort of fiction may be disappointed, as the shock value wears off with the repetition of limited themes. Still, the book is an excellent example of its genre and will likely appeal to younger readers. An assortment of repulsive yet funny chapters makes for a quick and enjoyable read.

Kirkus Reviews