• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 7 to 12

In the wake of her mother’s death, Lyssa Thomson flees her oppressive stepfather and heads for Halifax intent on attending university and leaving her past behind. But things don’t go as planned and with nowhere to turn she’s forced to reconnect with her estranged step brother, Aidan. After finding some discarded medication, she quickly realizes all is not as it seems, and Aidan is not the person she remembers.

LISA HARRINGTON's Live to Tell won the Ann Connor Brimer Award and was nominated for the OLA White Pine Award, the SYRCA Snow Willow Award, and the Arthur Ellis Award for Juvenile/YA Novel. Her work has appeared in A Maritime Christmas; her first novel, Rattled, was published to critical acclaim in 2010. She holds a degree in Education from Mount Saint Vincent University and has worked as a childcare worker and a teacher. A lifelong resident of Nova Scotia, Harrington currently resides in Halifax.

Lisa Harrington's profile page

• Short-listed, CLA Young Adult Book of the Year

“If Twisted is anything beyond a young adult story of finding love and support under difficult circumstances, it’s a cautionary tale of the dangers of refusing to talk about mental illness and shaming those dealing with it.”

CanLit for Little Canadians

“Engaging and unpredictable, this thriller offers a chilling account of one teen’s encounter with a family member living with schizophrenia that is sure to spark meaningful conversations about mental health. Through convincing dialogue and well-paced scenes, Harrington captures the right balance of romance, self-discovery, and adolescent anxiety, but Twisted is best suited for older readers able to appreciate the mature, bittersweet nature of love, loss, and longing.”

Best Books for Kids and Teens

“Harrington is highly skilled in setting up a mystery, creating an atmosphere of foreboding, and building suspense.”

Resource Links

“Lisa Harrington excels at creating briskly-paced, carefully-plotted narratives that are taut and filled with just the right amount of tension … ultimately, it is a chilling tale that provides a sobering look at mental illness and ample food for thought but still leaves the reader wondering.”

Atlantic Books Today

“Harrington’s writing is fresh, exciting, and perfectly targeted at her young-adult audience. Her pacing is flawless, holding the readers’ interest without fail and not letting go until they reach the book’s white-knuckle end.”

The Chronicle-Herald