Tweaked Review
Gordie Jessup’s older brother, Chase, is in jail for aggravated assault while his victim lies comatose in intensive care. So begins Gordie’s account of his brother’s perilous addiction to crystal methamphetamine. As the story opens Chase is two years into his addiction. A bright, conscientious 16-year-old, Gordie takes school seriously, plays the bass guitar in a rock band, and has a budding crush on Jade, a classmate and coworker. Similarly to Gordie, Jade also endures the weight of a family burden and adult worries disproportionate to her age. Her mother is ill and Jade must care for both her mother and a younger sibling. Not just a romantic interest, Jade is a knowing ally and empathetic friend for Gordie.
Gordie’s life as a well-adjusted teenager unravels as Chase’s addiction cracks the foundation of his safe and stable family. Gordie’s parents are distraught by their elder son’s nightmarish act of violence, barely able to consider the prognosis of his victim. Gordie is haunted: He can’t stop thinking about the man in intensive care.
Without the knowledge of his parents, Gordie visits Chase’s victim, Richard Cross, in the hospital by posing as his nephew. In the hospital room, Gordie finds a child’s artwork, drawings of unicorns, colored in crayon and taped to the wall. They bear the name “Daddy,” transforming Gordie’s vision of Richard Cross from a stranger to a father and a husband. Gordie is horrified by the severity of Richard’s head injury. Attached to a respirator, his head entirely bandaged, Richard appears serene, almost lifeless. Gordie’s intended apology will fall on deaf ears. Richard Cross may die, or at the very least, suffer serious, irreparable brain damage.
Gordie’s parents leverage their home to make bail for Chase. Gordie leverages his life savings and sells off a beloved guitar after drug dealers attack him, demanding $2,000 for Chase’s drug debt. Despite his misgivings, Gordie attempts payoff, if only to alleviate his parents’ surmounting financial pressure. The transaction backfires and Chase disappears with the money. When Richard Cross passes away, the police must arrest Chase on upgraded charges of second degree murder. Chase is still missing and the family stands to lose their home and the last vestige of their emotional footing.
Tweaked, a title referencing the altered state of a user strung out on crystal meth, is a powerful account of drug addiction. The first-person narration creates a fast-paced, cohesive story. The narrator’s voice is predominantly authentic and reliable. Only occasionally, unlikely words or phrases (such as rivulets) remind the reader that this is an adult writer trying to mimic a teenage narrator, but this is a common challenge for young adult authors using first-person narration. For the most part, Holubitsky’s writing is solid and the story well-paced, making this book a viable option for reluctant readers and students, ages 13 and older who prefer realistic fiction.
Tweaked serves as both a cautionary tale and one that illustrates the harrowing experience of families struggling with the drug addiction of a loved one. Despite the gloomy subject matter, there is hope even as Gordie’s parents separate in an attempt to heal. Both a high school counselor and a police detective encourage Gordie to keep going and to live a full, meaningful life. The safety net of friends provides Gordie with the emotional support to know he is not alone.
Holubitsky’s first novel, Alone at Ninety Foot, won the CLA Book of the Year for Young Adults. Her other books are Last Summer in Agatha, The Hippie House, The Mountain That Walked, and The Big Snapper.
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