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If you've got an hour (or so...) to kill, and you're on the internet, ending up somewhere that is completely unexpected or seeing something you never knew existed should not be surprising. This really has nothing to do with Michealbrent Collings Twisted, but his story brought back a memory.
Maybe it was a podcast I heard but somehow I ended up on a site where photographer during Victorian times took pictures of dead people in the most disturbing poses. Those who had passed were made to appear as if alive, sometimes standing with siblings or other family members even though they were dead.
Twisted involves a young family. I've read several of this author's books and I feel one of Collings's strengths is his ability to create believable characters with which you can easily empathize. The couple has their struggles and the addition of a newborn with physical issues only adds to the overall despair for the family.
As they cope with the pitfalls of life, the creepiness comes. And if you're squeamish around centipedes, you may want to not read this book. Because they're in there and there's a lot of them.
The book also deals with abuse. The audiobook version includes some thoughts from the author about abuse and its ugliness--no horror novel can eclipse the real-life stories people experience on a daily basis. Either we've experienced it or know those who have. It brings a somber end to a book about ghosts and evil doings.
Yet, there is hope as well. We all deal with issues--it's part of being human. It's how we act and what we do that makes a difference.
As stated earlier, I have read several of Collings's books. For me this one wasn't as straight-forward as the others. Perhaps this isn't a fair statement, but I did find my mind wandering at times while I listened to the audiobook, something I don't remember doing while I listened to The Loon, Strangers, or Darkbound. I don't necessarily think the book's to blame either--it might be all my own doing. Just something took me off topic a few times.
Having said that, if you like the horror genre, Collings delivers a thought-provoking story. He's a dependable writer--you know what you're going to get. The same thing applies to Twisted. It's a story of imperfect people trying to survive.
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