Book Review: Olivia Twisted - Vivi Barnes

Title: Olivia Twisted

Author: Vivi Barnes

Release Date: November 5th 2013

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: eARC from publisher

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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.

If there's one thing Olivia Twisted made me realize, it's that I had no idea what Charles Dickens' classic book is about. Seriously. And I dare call myself a book addict.

Okay, back to this retelling. Uh, holy mother of shizz, talk about awesome! I wanted to read this book because of the computer hacking, and you don't know how happy I am that it didn't disappoint in that aspect—not that it disappointed in any aspect. I was hooked right from chapter one, with Liv's and Z's engrossing voices.

It's hard not to like and relate to Liv. Not counting all the horrible stuff with being a foster kid—which I pitied her for—she really was just a simple girl: shy, uncertain, innocent. And prideful, too, which she showed the most when she took Z up on his hacking challenge, knowing that that was exactly what he's doing. Being a computer engineering student, I know that feeling all too well. Anyway, she did irritate me one time. It was unbelievable how Liv was so... good. Like, for someone who'd been through a lot, I'd imagine Z's job would be easy for her to stomach. Or maybe that's just me and my messed-up morality lol.

Now let's talk about Z. Oh, Z. He was a walking enigma, and with his long-ish blond hair, black leather jacket, sexy glasses, and oh, a freaking Ducati, he's as swoon-worthy as a guy can get. Plus, he's an expert in social engineering! He wasn't all tough and manly though; he cared genuinely and deeply for the other kids in the group home he was in, putting their needs and safety before his own.

Even with Z's douchebag act at the start of the story, the attraction between him and Liv was immediately palpable. And when that turned into a full-blown romance? Yowza. They were sweet and steamy (nothing R-18, don't worry) but also mature, showing just how much they'd been hardened by their experiences, and that was sad and heartening at the same time. And they were perfect for each other, really, because they both wanted a better life for each other.

Exciting and intense all throughout, Olivia Twisted is the kind of book that I would just love to read again and again. I'd say I want to read the next chapter in Liv's and Z's lives, but nah, I'm happy with how the author left them in the end. They both seriously deserved a break, anyway.

MY FAVORITE PART was the epilogue :3

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