Twisted Summer (Mass Market Paperback)

by Willo Davis Roberts (Author)
Key Phrases: Grandma Molly, Aunt Pat, Aunt Mavis (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9?The brisk pace of this suspenseful murder mystery lures readers right to the gripping ending. Fourteen-year-old Cici Linden's anticipated summer among family and old friends on Crystal Lake in Michigan takes an abrupt turn when she realizes that the brother of the boy she likes has been convicted of murdering a flirtatious girl from the summer community. Convinced of Brody's innocence, Cici searches for the real killer in the midst of the illness and death of her beloved grandmother and her growing conviction that her stepgrandfather is somehow involved in the crime. Before discovering the murderer's identity, Cici survives being shot at and uncovers double blackmail. Roberts writes insightfully about death and the different ways in which people grieve. This is a well-crafted, sophisticated story that conveys Cici's conflicting feelings as her hopes for a romantic summer turn sour.?Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Gr. 6^-8. Last summer Cici and her family couldn't make it to their Michigan cabin. This summer promises to be better. Fourteen-year-old Cici fits into her new bikini beautifully; surely, 17-year-old Jake will notice. But last summer, Jake's older brother was convicted of murder, and this summer, Jake wants to talk about it. As Jake and Cici review the facts of the case, clues surface. In the middle of their investigation, Cici's grandmother dies. Although Cici feels guilty for suspecting the mourners, she prepares a list of suspects with motive and opportunity. When the list disappears, it's apparent that someone knows what the teens are doing. Cici's first-person narrative enhances the realistic characterizations, and although the ending is a bit formulaic, it's still a suprise. A charming mystery for readers who like Nancy Drew. Karen Simonetti --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689806000
• ISBN-13: 978-0689806001
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #444,387 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted Summer Review, November 3, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Twisted Summer (School & Library Binding)

The book Twisted Summer by Willow Davis Roberts is about how a girl named Cici and how she spends her summer at Crystal Lake. Cici is fourteen and going on fifteen years old and is hoping to have a special summer at the lake, joining the big kids. Cici and her family have spent every summer at the lake, for as far back as she could remember, except for last summer. When they arrive at the lake, they find out that there was a murder at the lake, of a young girl, and Jack a boy 2 years older than Cici, his brother, Brody, had been convicted, and sent to jail. Cici cannot belive that Brody would do such a thing, and neither could jack, his mother, or some other residents at the lake. So Cici tries to discover what really happened. Their summer is then complicated with the illness and death on Cicis grandma Molly. The cottage they all stay in belonges to the Judge, Mollys second husbend. Molly's illness then helps Cici to make unexpected discoveries about the Judge, things that may or may not have information about the murder. It then becomes clear to her that she will be in mortal danger if she continues her investigation. Befor it is all solved, she finds she has matured and that she is now one of the big kids. I difinitely would recommend this book to people of all ages to read. It's an easy to read book, which has suspense, mystery and friendly characters. It also has a lot of drama and you will want to finish it quickly, to see what happenes at the end.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Twisted Summer, May 15, 2000

By	"dohertylo" (White Heath, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twisted Summer (School & Library Binding)

Twisted Summer by: Willo Davis Roberts 6th Grade

Do you like murder stories? Or do you prefer mysteries? Well this new book Twisted Summer, is a mix of both murder and mystery. Don't worry though, it isn't scary for those of you who aren't into scary stories. I know what you're thinking right now what is the book about? And what kind of murder? If I read on will it give the book away? No, I hate when people give away a good story. When fourteen-year-old Cici comes back to Crystal lake after two years everything seems fine at first. Then the new maid tells Cici of a murder that a boy named Brian committed. Cici can't believe that Brian would murder anybody, so she and Brian's brother Jack get together and make a list. This list contains suspects, their opportunity, and why they would desire to murder a mischievous girl in her teens. When they find the list is gone, things start to seem more serious. Cici's grandmother died, the list is gone, and things were definently twisted. This book brings you to a stomach turning ending of truth. Since Cici and Jack had made the list everybody seemed to be a suspect. When Cici snuck into the judges office she found something very peculiar. In the Judge's ( the owner of the house) recordings of cash, she finds that each month for about one and a half years, the judge has been paying one thousand dollars cash to somebody for something. Then she hears the screen door open and hurries out of the office. The next day she remembers in horror that she left the list in the judge's office and hurries to get it only to find it was gone. Did the judge find it? Or was it the maid? This was my favorite scene in the book because it left me on a cliff hanger, and I like cliff hangers. I'm afraid I can't give away anymore because it would give the book away. Believe me the ending is a real surprise.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great page turner!, June 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Twisted Summer (Hardcover)

I read this book in an afternoon. (I couldn't put it down.) It doesn't seem like the kind of book I would read but my mom picked it out for me, because I was sick. It brightened my day! I wish my parents would take me to a cabin where I could meet guys like Jack that I never saw everyday at school!