Tweaked

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

TWEAKED is a powerful book about addiction, its wide-ranging effects, and the toll it takes on all those it touches.

Gordie's older brother is addicted to crystal meth. He has watched his brother go from a normal teen to a strung-out junkie. At first, Gordie was the only one in the family to recognize the symptoms, but soon everyone had fallen victim to Chase's habit.

Gordie watched as Chase skipped class to get high. Then his grades tanked and he dropped out. He sold or pawned everything he had, and then he started stealing from their parents and "borrowing" from Gordie. When crimes outside the family ended in Chase's arrest, things began to sink in for their parents.

Now the show more unthinkable has happened. Chase brutally attacks a meter reader - a young man with a wife and child. The man is in intensive care hooked up to machines. If he dies, Chase will be charged with murder. All Gordie can hope is that this will turn things around for Chase. Court-ordered detox should help him clean up his act so he can return to school and some sort of normal life.

But that's not the story with crystal meth. Addiction is often too powerful to beat.

TWEAKED is a hard-hitting story of the power of a very popular drug. Katherine Holubitsky tells a truthful and emotional story. Readers will sympathize with Gordie and marvel that he can hold on to his own values as he watches his brother self-destruct. Although the novel is filled with harsh details, Holubitsky is able to communicate her story without using the vulgar street language of the drug scene. By doing so, younger readers, even some tweens, could read and learn from this powerful book. show less

If you have ever had to deal with a friend or family member who suffers from an addiction, this book might seem very familiar to you. The prominent theme of drug addiction and its negative (and devastating) affects on the family is felt throughout the book. Gordie has to deal with a lot as the brother of an addict - it is amazing he turns out as well as he does. This book might appeal to teen readers, those who have faced addiction, and those who are currently dealing with the aftermath of losing a sibling to addiction. Full of heartache, drama, suspense and despair, this book packs a lot into 179 pages.

This book was so... depressing.

Alarmingly realistic depiction of living with drug addiction. If you've ever had a family member or friend with a serious drug addiction problem, you'll understand this story all too well. If not, you will understand how addictions are such destructive forces, not just for the people who do the drugs.

It did feel a bit didactic at times, but overall, it was a good, if not pleasant, read.

"Tweaked" is a powerful novel that deals with many significant issues. I was gripped by the story and devoured it in one sitting. The story was humorous at times, and almost always heart-breaking. Gordie struggles to deal with his older brother's drug addictions and the poor choices he makes on his path of self-destruction. Even without similar experiences, the reader can identify with Gordie and feel his disappointment, anger, and pain.

Told from Gordie's point of view readers will be drawn in as sixteen year old Gordie deals with his first love, his brothers meth addiction and the catastophe the addiction brings to his family.

Reviewed in CM magazine; April, 2008.

http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol14/no16/tweaked.html