OLIVIA TWISTED by Vivi Barnes
Expected Pub. Date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 352
Age Group: YA
Source: eARC from Publisher
Summary:
Olivia
He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care.
At least at this moment, I don’t care.
Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…
Z
I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta.
It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl.
Except that she’s not.
Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.
Olivia twisted is Vivi Barnes’ young adult take on the classic Oliver Twist. I thought it was a great modern take on the classic. There are plenty of orphans turned thieves, but with a modern cyber hacking spin. Olivia Twisted is also kind of mysterious. The story kind of is developed in layers. You learn Z and Sam’s secrets one at a time. And I soon as you learn one part, a new mysterious layer is alluded to. This kind of plot development really helped to keep my attention and keep me interested in the story.
Olivia has bounced around from foster home to foster home. She’s had it rough, but through it all she has stayed such a good and innocent person. I thought it was so accurate the way that Z saw her. He kept referring to her as innocent and she totally was. It’s strange, because she had to grow up fast and learn how to fend for herself, but at the same time she still had some kind of naïve innocence about her. And it was really endearing. She knew some shady things were going on with Z and Sam, but I was super impressed with her resolve and how she stuck to her standards. She is a very admirable girl.
Z is interesting. At first, I thought it was going to be hard to like him. It seemed like he had no problem using and discarding girls. And I didn’t want him doing that with Olivia. But throughout the story, you can really see that Olivia starts to grow on him. And he even started opening up to her. The more he opened up, the more I liked him. And it turns out that Sam is the more callous one than him. At least, that’s how it seemed to me. It was all about the “job” to her. I ended up being more disappointed in Sam than in Z, which really surprised me.
Olivia twisted is a fun and fascinating read. I loved that it was a stand alone. And it was a really satisfying story and ending. I loved the way everything wrapped up. Series are great, but sometimes you just want to pick up a book and read a complete story. Fans of technology and computers will love Olivia Twisted. I thought it was a really unique and cool young adult book.
Originally from East Texas (the accent comes out more often than not), Vivi now lives in the magic and sunshine of Orlando, FL with her very understanding husband and three kids. She’s an extrovert with awkward blogging tendencies. Her debut novel, OLIVIA TWISTED, comes out November 5, 2013 from Entangled Teen!
You can connect with Vivi on Facebook,Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest. Or visit the official Olivia Twisted site at www.oliviatwisted.com.
She’s represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg of Foreword Literary.
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Michelle @ In Libris Veritas
Wow, you don’t see a lot of Charles Dickens retellings out there. I really like the new spin on it.
Bailee Christiansen
This story sounds amazing! Thanks for bringing the book to my attention and posting the giveaway!
MakeeUp4Lifeee
I am so glad that Vivi came out with this book. It looks so interesting and I need it. haha.
Danielle @ Ladybug Literature
I have been wanting to read this book for so long. I have been waiting with baited breath and now it’s almost here! November 5th, can’t come fast enough.
Anna Dase
I love this cover and it sounds so intriguing I can not wait to read this book.
evrythngzen
this sounds like a great read. Thanks for the review and the giveaway.
armywife2310
This sounds good! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
Crystal Leach
I’m so glad you liked this one! I got it on NG for review. I loved it also!
Ashley @ Book Labyrinth
I’m glad you mostly enjoyed it! I love the idea, but for some reason the characters fell a bit flat for me — I just didn’t feel invested in it.
Vivi B.
Thank you so much for hosting me on the blog tour! I’m glad you enjoyed Olivia Twisted! =)