Book Review: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Rating:

Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Literary Awards: Edgar Award Nominee, Printz Honor (2011), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2010), YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2011)

*****

He was free because on the inside he was tied up in knots. He lived hard because inside he was dying. Charlie made inner conflict look delicious.

I cannot ignore the awesomeness of this book (pun intended). I really, really liked Vera. If i were to go back to my teenage years (but i hope not), I would choose to be her. Oh, the irony of it all! Hating her best friend, Charlie for being dead. Hating Charlie for leaving a mess then being dead. What a fun life you have, Vera Dietz.

I immediately fell in love with King’s writing: fluid, sarcastic, funny. The perfect combination for a screwed-up teenage girl’s voice. Nothing I didn’t love about it. I felt Vera‘s loneliness, angst, and need (for a father to be present for her). I love her eccentric father (with his hilarious flowchart diagrams!) and their dysfunctional relationship. Funny at times, hurting at most (for Vera).

Charlie Kahn is a sweet enigma. Love him, hate him. It’s weird that I found his character more solid and provocative than James since Charlie’s the dead one, and James is the current fling. I always feel forlorn when reading Charlie’s POV. His regret reaches out to me, enveloping into this cocoon that i can’t help but be bitter myself on how things turned out for him.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz: one of the best contemporaries out there. You wanna know how Vera copes with her grief? Imagine her writing a note in a piece of napkin, putting it in her mouth, and swallowing it.

Lost love sucks when your best friend screwed you over long before he was dead.