In addition to the hint of danger in Cici's life, there's an added bit of romance between Cici and Jake as she tries to get him to treat her more like an adult, possibly even as a girlfriend, instead of the young brat he remembers from summers past. Overall, I thought "Twisted Summer" was a very good juvenile mystery. The ending wasn't too terribly surprising, but this is still a great summer read for preteen girls.
This story begins very slowly with detailed descriptions of the characters and setting. Early on, the reader learns of the mysterious death of a young girl and the scandal it caused for a small, vacationing community. Although filled with intriguing questions, the reader begins to unravel the truth very quickly. There is not a lot of room left for suspense, and the truth is discovered and explained in the last 2 pages of the book. This would be a great starter book for the student who has just become interested in murder mysteries or detective work. It progresses slowly enough for the reader to understand what is happening, yet carries enough momentum for them to stay interested and curious.
However, this book is no where among the great books for teenagers. From a moral perspective, the relationships among the teenagers are far from ideal and certainly not exemplary. Furthermore, there is hardly much in this book that caters for character building.MY FAVORITE BOOK EVER IN THE WORLD Twisted Summer is my favorite book. It is sooooo good. It is mystery, adventure, with a tiny bit of romance. I absolutly loved it!!!