Review: Twigs

Twigs by Alison Ashley Formento
Grade: C
Expected Publication Date: September 18, 2013
Provided by NetGalley and F+W/Adams Media in exchange for an honest review
Summary: One pint-sized girl. Ten supersized crises. And it’s high noon.

They call her “Twigs,” because she’ll never hit five feet tall. Although she was born early, and a stiff breeze could knock her over, Twigs has a mighty spirit. She needs it, as life throws a whole bucket of rotten luck at her: Dad’s an absentee drunk; Mom’s obsessed with her new deaf boyfriend (and Twigs can’t tell what they’re saying to each other). Little sister Marlee is trying to date her way through the entire high school; Twigs’ true love may be a long-distance loser after a single week away at college, and suddenly, older brother Matt is missing in Iraq. It all comes together when a couple of thugs in a drugstore aisle lash out, and Twigs must fight to save the life of the father who denied her.

The Good: There's a lot packed into that summary.  So I had high hopes for this book, especially when I can relate to Twigs on the height spectrum.  Twigs was a good character to begin with, but I think she needed more growth.  The good news is, Ms. Formento created a fairly realistic tale.  Nothing was too out of the ordinary.  There was so much tragedy, that I found myself rooting for Twigs the whole way through.  The book ended on a high note.  I did like some of the conclusion.

The Bad: Things got just a little too weird.  At moments, this book felt like a bad soap opera.  There were too many wacky personalities and too much drama.  And the book just wasn't memorable.  If someone asked me to recommend a book I recently read, it unfortunately wouldn't be Twigs.  There isn't too much about it that I liked.

The Ugly: Lots of swearing.  Talk of sex.  Underage drinking.

The Verdict: Unfortunately, it's not something I'd recommend.  If the amount of plot elements had been cut, I think Twigs might've been much more enjoyable.