Book Review - Twisted by N.L. Greene

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! It's time for another round of book reviews. I read a number of books at once so you'll tend to see them in clumps here on the blog. Today, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I'll be writing reviews for those I've finished. Monday is the special day you'll get to meet author Felicia Tatum, one of the ladies planning to attend UtopYA Con next year. Tickets for that event go on sale October 1st!

At the end of this post, I'll be sharing a giveaway by a wonderful Indie author, Tia Silverthorne Bach, and a giveaway that includes the book I'm reviewing today. So strap in, read on, and get ready to enter to win!

First, a little about the book on the chopping block today:
Title: Twisted
Author: N.L. Greene
Length: 248 Printed pages
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Price: $2.99 on Amazon

Description from Amazon:
Growing up isn’t always easy. But for most teenage girls, they can rely on their best friend to help them get through the process. A BFF is something that is truly treasured and completely irreplaceable. You share all of your secrets, and are loyal and honest with each other, even when you’re acting just a little bit crazy. You have each other’s backs no matter what and you form a bond that is virtually unbreakable.

At least that’s what normal teenage girls experience.

Nat and Mel have been bestie’s since childhood and Nat has followed her blindly ever since. But as Nat’s friendship with Mel begins to lead her down the wrong path, she starts to question the sincerity of their relationship. Nat starts to see Mel’s manipulative, deceitful ways become more focused on her. Will Natalie hold on tight to the friendship she’s had her entire life, no matter what it cost her? Or will she let her heart lead her to a relationship that’s not so twisted.

***Attention*** Book recommended for mature audiences! Contains underage drinking, smoking, drug use and some sexual content.

I'm gonna start off by saying I really like the cover on this book. One thing I'd like to see changed is the size of the title font. It's difficult to read when tiny. But the cover isn't what drew me in; it was the synopsis. I could totally relate. This book was brought to my attention when I liked the author's Facebook page, and I went to check it out and purchased it. *She has no idea this review is even being done* How much fun is that? I love surprises. Haha!

Enough of my rambling! On to the review.

From a reader's perspective:
I picked up a copy of this book on Amazon and it was well worth what I paid. I loved the characters in Twisted. They reminded me of people I knew growing up. Yes, even Melanie was someone I could picture in my head and recognized right away. I got so wrapped up in the story, I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to know where Natalie was going to end up and how she was going to be brought to the epiphany at the end. First person past tense was a clever way to tell this story, because it put me right in Nat's shoes. By the end, I needed a tissue. It's heartbreaking to read about someone going through what Nat does and not be able to give them advice or guide them in any way. That's when you know you've gotten hold of a great book! I cared about what happened to her.

From an editor's perspective:
This book is very well written. Emotions were strong and there was plenty of tension throughout. Characters were well developed. One thing it needs is a proofread. There were small errors throughout that a proofreader would catch that actually threw me out of the story a few times. But errors are expected in any book, even those traditionally published. So don't let the tiny ones in this book sway you from picking up a copy.

My Rating:
+1 Star for creating characters I loved
+1 Star for making me care
+1 Star for pulling my heartstrings
+1 Star for great storytelling
+.5 Star for editing
-.5 Star for need of a proofreader
Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars! And you all know I round up, not down!

Now for the Rafflecopter giveaway widgets. With the first, you have a chance to win a copy of Chasing Memories (link goes to my review of that book) by Tia Silverthorne Bach and a really cool necklace! With the second, you have a chance to win a TON of really great books, gift cards, and swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, everyone!

While you're here, don't forget to check out my special guest for the week, M.R. Polish. Next week I have author Felicia Tatum! She's running a giveaway for the duration of her stay so make sure you come on back for all that!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo