Review: The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan

Goodreads Summary: 

The new guy at Tracy’s school is handsome, intense, and desperately needs her help—but there’s something about him that isn’t quite right
 
High school junior Tracy Lloyd is unsure about the new guy in school. Brad Johnson is attractive, smart, and polite, but Tracy can’t help but feel he watches her too closely. Then one day Brad confides in Tracy a horrible secret: His little sister Mindy has been kidnapped by his stepfather, and he needs Tracy’s help to get her back. But even as Tracy commits to a plan to help her vulnerable new friend, details emerge that suggest nothing is what it seems.
 
The Twisted Window is a zigzagging thriller that keeps readers guessing up until the final page. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Duncan including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

Publication Date: August 28, 2012 (Original Publication May 1, 1987)

When I was in middle school and high school, I loved the novels of Lois Duncan. Since it's probably been fifteen years since I last read one, I was curious to see how well the story would hold up. The copy I read for review is the updated ebook version published this year by Open Road. There were some aspects of the novel that kept me reading while others that really left me wanting more.

What I Liked: The characterization of Tracy and Brad was done very well. The alternating point of views were enjoyable and I liked the characters different takes on the same situation. Tracy is sympathetic and I could see how she uses Brad as a way to escape her own problems at home. Brad creeped me out from the get-go. Duncan describes him as an attractive golden boy, but he was too overeager and stalkerish to be considered normal. Although there was a certain level of predictability, the novel had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the end. The final showdown was especially tense and I read the last half of the novel in a single sitting.

What I Didn't Like: The novel was obviously written in the 1980s. The slang is dated and many of the characters use landlines and paper phone books. To update the novel, there were these random cell phone references thrown in. It distracted from the plot and felt really forced. I think the publisher would have been better off just setting the plot in the 1980s and leaving the novel as is. The ending was also very frustrating. There were too many questions left unanswered and readers weren't given a satisfying conclusion to the events that took place over the course of the novel.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!