Reading Rave: Please Ignore Vera Dietz
A.S. King deserves every one of the starred reviews this novel garnered. It's the first of three books I need to review for the Vermont Department of Libraries by January 21, which is closer than I care to think. I don't know why I chose this one to start, but am I ever glad I did. I started reading at about 8 pm yesterday. I did stop for a good night's sleep, because it was Friday at the end of a long week. However, I could not wait and finished the book this morning.
How good is this book? --I'm going to buy a copy for myself, so that I can study how King did what she did. I'll also be recommending it to any number of teen readers.
Vera Dietz's voice hooked me from the prologue: "To say my friend died is one thing. To say my friend screwed me over and then died five months later is another." We've heard similar voices (from Goth Girl, for starters), but none have been quite like Vera, who is going to high school and working full-time as a "pizza delivery technician" because her parsimonious father expects it of her. Both she and her dad are worried about Vera repeating her parents' mistakes (Dad is a recovering alcoholic; Mom got pregnant at 17, which is why they married, and then left with another man when Vera was 12).
But Vera is only human and certain "risky behavior" is tempting when your best friend is dead and you're trying to figure out what you're supposed to do with certain secrets you possess.
How Vera manages to work things out is only part of what makes Please Ignore Vera Dietz so enjoyable. Charlie, Vera's dad, and even the Pagoda, a local landmark, throw in their perspectives from time to time. All the characters, even secondary ones like Jill, the cheerleader-who-works-in-fast-food and has a Nazi skinhead boyfriend, are treated with a certain amount of sympathy.
If you like contemporary fiction and are looking for a satisfying read that will stay with you for days after, pick up a copy. If your budget is tight, ask your local library to order it. Please Ignore Vera Dietz is not to be missed.