Tweaked



Author: Katherine Holubitsky Year published: 2008 Number of pages: 179 pages Publisher: Orca Book Publisher

With the setting in Vancouver, this book is about Gordie Jessup, who has a drug-addict brother named Chase. His brother’s actions devastate the whole family by both financial and psychological means.

Plot summary: Ever since Chase started consuming crystal meth two years ago, nothing good has ever come from him. He does everything he can do to obtain another dose, from stealing things in the house to manipulating his friends and family into giving him money. His parents and numerous of his family members, including Gordie, has been trying to help him stop consuming drugs, but their efforts were futile.

Things are getting more complicated when Chase critically injures a meter reader, and he is convicted as a criminal. The family have to face a great deal of financial and psychological breakdown. His father runs out of money for lawyer and rehabilitation fee and is forced to sell the house, and his mother loses her job, suffers a mental illness and literally grows grey hairs. Gordie is also inevitably affected by his brother's menacing issues. He is forced to help his brother pay the debt, or otherwise, his brother will be dragged into a bigger trouble.

As the story goes on, the problem is not resolved. Instead, it goes even further from resolution. Chase escapes, his father is forced to spend more money, Gordie is getting very stressful to some point where it affects his academic performance. He flunks out a number of courses up to the point when he is forced to take summer school. On top of that, Chase steals his bass and sells it so he cannot go to the band practice. But, the one with the most disturbing impact from Chase's disappearance is his mother. Knowing that she is at home almost all the time, she is called by Chase from a telephone box, asked to bring him a huge chunk of money everyday. Instead from calling the police and tell what happens, she does what Chase tells her to do to make sure that Chase is still alive.