4 out of 4 stars
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Werewolves and Vampires at odds in a cursed and dying world form the basis for the plot of RA Winter’s Twisted. In this world, werewolves are mostly males and vampires mostly females. A single witch, Tabitha, holds the key to lifting the curse on the land, but she cannot lift the curse by herself. When a werewolf and vampire appeal to her for help at the same time, Tabitha sees the possible end of the curse. Without warning, she swaps the bodies of the werewolf and vampire and sends them on a quest.
Twisted is definitely not an epic work. At only 72 pages, most readers will likely finish the book in just one or two sittings. Since most novellas leave me feeling a bit underwhelmed, I was pleasantly surprised at how well written this novella is. Often, a novella can feel rushed or superficial, but I finished this one and felt satisfied. Reading and finishing this one was a bit like enjoying a freshly-baked chocolate chip cookie for a snack in the afternoon.
As with most novellas, character development in Twisted does not go terribly deep. Winter managed to provide just enough character development to help me feel like I understood the characters well enough to be invested in their plight. Each of the three main characters showed a character arc that included growth and change before the end of the book. These characters may not be incredibly deep, but they did not feel superficial, either. Winter made a good choice in keeping her main cast small so that she could develop them well enough to satisfy her readers in a short format.
I am also quite impressed with Winter’s ability to narrow her focus to the core theme of the novella. Overcoming prejudice by understanding your enemy acts as the primary theme, and she develops it well with her relatively simple plot and few characters. By avoiding unnecessary details and plot twists, Winter opens the space to explore her theme. Even though Winter does not delve deeply into her theme, she covers it sufficiently to give her novella a purpose.
Readers should know that there is a moderate amount of mature language. There are also some discussions of bodily functions and body parts. Toward the end, the author includes a deftly handled sex scene in the book. Using film standards for ratings, I would give this a PG-13 rating. I felt that this book fits right in with the paranormal romance genre. It provides exactly what I would expect in terms of content, especially when compared to other paranormal romance novellas. While it may be somewhat predictable, the high quality of Winter’s writing makes this book stand out from the other novellas in this genre.
Twisted gets a resounding 4 out of 4 stars from me. Winter’s writing is excellent, focused, and very well edited. I highly recommend this novella to mature readers that enjoy paranormal romances. This is an excellent snack-sized novella, which makes it perfect for a quick break or a lunchtime read.
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Twisted
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