Common Sense Media Review
By Sage Kahn , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 17+
Steamy grumpy-sunshine romance is sexually intense, graphic.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a lot
Explicit, erotic descriptions of adults having sex with an intent to arouse, including oral sex, penetration, manual stimulation, and detailed descriptions of kissing and caressing. Sex is consensual, but aggressive, with acts of submission/domination, choking, ejacul*tion on the face, emotional domination, rough sex and the dominant male calling the female participant "whor*" and "slu*t." One time, a character's panties are stuffed in her mouth to keep her quiet while copulating in a public location. Various characters engage in casual sex and threesomes. Condom use is mentioned multiple times. Oral sex without condoms occurs, with no consequences mentioned.
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Language
a lot
Plenty of swearing, including: "f--k," "f--king," "f--ked," "s--t," "a--hole," "d--k," "c--k," "c--t," "bitch," "bulls--it," "damn," "c--kblock," "ass," "manwhor*," "blowj*b," "slu*t," "whor*," "bastard," "balls," "hell, and "slu*t."
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
Both main characters experienced violence as young children, shown in detailed flashbacks, including graphic gun violence and child abuse. A main character threatens violence when crossed, ruins the lives of business associates over disagreements, and eventually murders two villains in cold blood, with no repercussions. Other violence includes bloody fistfights, inferred torture, and physical intimidation, such as choking, kneeing someone in the balls, and kidnapping.
See AlsoWhat Is a Line in Math? Definition, Types, Examples, FactsParent reviews for The Age of AdalineParent reviews for Shatter Me, Book 113 Apps for Kids to Safely Communicate with FamilyDid you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Adults drink occasionally. College students drink heavily at a party. One minor character is drunk and "high" in a few instances, leading to impaired judgment and violent behavior.
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Products & Purchases
very little
Occasional incidental mentions of luxury brands, mostly to establish character.
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Positive Messages
some
One main character works to overcome aquaphobia and succeeds through steady perseverance. Loyalty, trustworthiness and telling the truth are valued by numerous characters. Characters work to move past childhood trauma and choose love over fear.
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Positive Role Models
some
Ava is upbeat, choosing to see the good in life. She shows courage, perseverance and stands up to a domineering love interest. Friends are caring and supportive of one another.
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Diverse Representations
a little
There's a biracial romantic relationship. One main character and a few minor characters are Chinese. Most other characters are White. Most characters are wealthy, intelligent and physically attractive; the men are described as muscular and "sexy," while the women are thin, gorgeous and "curvy." All main characters present as straight.
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Educational Value
very little
Occasional Chinese cultural references (for example, lucky numbers). Overview of the memory condition Hyperthymesia (HSAM)
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Twisted Love is the first in a series of contemporary romance novels by author Ana Huang intended for college-aged and adult audiences. The story is an opposites-attract relationship between Ava, an upbeat Chinese college student and her brother's best friend, a controlling, possessive antihero with trust issues. There are plenty of explicit descriptions of sexual acts, including oral sex, penetration, manual stimulation, kissing and caressing, as well as intense submission/domination scenarios. Violence includes verbal threats, bloody fistfights, kidnapping and the cold-blooded killing of two villains with no repercussions. There are also flashbacks to the murder of a main character's family and another character's abuse as a child at the hands of a parent. Swearing includes "f--k," "f--king," "f--ked," "s--t," "a--hole," "d--k," "c--k," "c--t," "bitch," "bulls--it," "damn," "c--kblock," "ass," "manwhor*," "blowj*b," "slu*t," "whor*," "bastard," "balls," and "hell."
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
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- Parents say (3)
- Kids say (8)
age 18+
Based on 3 parent reviews
Amands T. Adult
August 14, 2024
age 18+
p*rnography packaged as a novel. Graphic, gross, and honestly just bad writing.
I’ve been using Common Sense for years to help me preview content for my kids, who read circles around me. This time I’m honestly shocked at what people are saying. As a 42 year old married woman who’s read lots of Emily Henry/Colleen Hoover/etc, I couldn’t make it through this book. I stopped at the first “consensual” scene, which sounded exactly like p*rn to me and just as damaging. I cannot imagine the world kids are living in if a 12 year old reads this and thinks it’s fine. I might sound like I’m from the Dark Ages here, but part of our job as parents is to help them get to an age where their brains are more developed before they have to deal with issues and content like what this book has. I also didn’t make it all the way through 50 Shades for similar reasons (nasty, violent sex being normalized), so if you loved that book you’ll probably like this one too. It’s just sad to me that this is what we have sitting innocently on bookstore shelves like the one I was in yesterday and there’s no sticker on the outside warning you. If I could un-read the half of this book I got through, I would. And really, the writing here isn’t great either. So much use of the word co*ck, and just to warn you, the words “lick her own juices.” Ewww, eeww, ewwwwww. If I could give zero stars I would. By the way, we talk to our kids about sex, we have open conversations in our home, and I’ve been happily, pleasurably married for14 years and have lots of amazing sex. And what’s in here? This is not amazing sex. If you’re 12 reading this, please trust me here: you don’t want what this book is peddling.
Luke and Kate H. Parent
July 8, 2024
age 18+
Read "parents need to know" section
The author intends this for adult audiences. If the content was a movie, not just print, it would be R rated 18+. With so many other good books out there, just encourage kids to wait until they're adults before rushing into content like this.
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See all 3 parent reviews
What's the Story?
TWISTED LOVE tells the story of Ava, a free-spirited college student who finds herself under the overbearing protection of her brother's best friend, Alex, a handsome, cold-hearted millionaire bent on avenging his murdered family. Unwilling to admit their growing attraction, the two characters develop an uneasy friendship based on mutual trust. As their relationship deepens, Alex's twisted past resurfaces leading Ava to wonder if Alex is as trustworthy as he led her to believe.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (8):
This fast-paced romance has just enough mystery to keep the reader interested as the story builds. While the relationship between the two leads seems far-fetched, the sex scenes in Twisted Love are likely the primary draw for older teen readers. The main character Ava is upbeat and likable enough that she is easy to root for, even if you question her taste in men. Between the building mystery and the graphic content, there is enough excitement to please adult fans of the genre, especially if they enjoy stories with cold and controlling male leads. If older teens are reading this book or series, families will want to be prepared to discuss unhealthy relationship dynamics, controlling partners, consent, and sexually explicit content in romance novels.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the sexy stuff in Twisted Love. Is it too much? How much is OK in books and other media?
Is the happily-ever-after ending believable? Should Ava have forgiven Alex?
Is Ava's willingness to let Alex dominate and protect her at odds with her determined and courageous spirit? Talk about times when you are brave or hard-working and other times when you are the opposite. Why does that happen?
Do you think Ava would have overcome her aquaphobia without Alex's help?
What did you think about Alex's business dealings with people that crossed him? Were his actions warranted and/or fair?
Book Details
- Author: Ana Huang
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Friendship
- Character Strengths: Courage, Perseverance
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Bloom Books
- Publication date: September 27, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 18 - 18
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: April 17, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Twisted Love: Twisted, Book 1
Suggest an Update
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