Please Ignore Vera Dietz

King, A. S. (2012). Please ignore Vera Dietz. Chicago: Ember.

Summary: Vera and Charlie have been best friends for what seems like forever. Both of their home lives have been less than perfect. Charlie's dad beats his mom and Vera's mom left her and her father 6 years ago. Vera is now a functioning alcoholic that works 40 hour weeks and Charlie begins to fall into the wrong crowd. Tragedy strikes when the pet store burns down and Charlie dies. In a series of flashbacks, we can see Vera and Charlie's past and how their relationship fell apart. Vera is the only one who knows that Charlie did not burn down the pet store. She gathers the courage and evidence (given to her by Charlie's ghost) and has her father take her to the police to clear Charlie's name.
Commentary: The style the author uses is one that she has used in her other books as well. She alternates between past and present as she builds up the the climax of the book. There is a lot of conflict in this story as well. Vera is pitted against her first love and best friend, Charlie. He turns on her and she both loves and hates him at the same time. Vera is also in conflict with her father because he is very strict and cold. Vera is also in conflict with Charlie's exgirlfriend because she knows the truth about what really happened to Charlie.
Connections: Teacher Resources, Book Trailer, Book Review, Author Interview
Similar Books: Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes; Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick; How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
Textbook Connections: When I read Please Ignore Vera Dietz, I was reminded of Havighurst's Developmental Task of adolescents needing to work. Having a job is important but Vera's father takes it to an extreme.