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Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King

32 Critic Reviews

The author depicts the journey to overcome a legacy of poverty, violence, addiction and ignorance as an arduous one, but Vera’s path glimmers with grace and hope.
-Kirkus

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School Library Journal

Synopsis

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?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.

From the Hardcover edition.

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About AS King

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A.S. King is the author of the highly acclaimed Everybody Sees the Ants, a 2012 ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults, and the Edgar Award nominated, 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book Please Ignore Vera Dietz. She is also the author of The Dust of 100 Dogs and the upcoming Ask the Passengers. After a decade living self-sufficiently and teaching literacy to adults in Ireland, she now lives deep in the Pennsylvania woods with her husband and children.

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Published October 12, 2010 by Knopf Books for Young Readers. 337 pages
Genres: Young Adult, Literature & Fiction. Fiction

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Critic reviews for Please Ignore Vera Dietz
All: 32 | Positive: 31 | Negative: 1

Kirkus

Reviewed by Kirkus Reviews on Sep 15 2010

The author depicts the journey to overcome a legacy of poverty, violence, addiction and ignorance as an arduous one, but Vera’s path glimmers with grace and hope.

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School Library Journal

Reviewed by SLJ on Feb 17 2011

The structure of Please Ignore Vera Dietz is fabulous, just the kind of “confusing but not really” storytelling I enjoy.

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Jenn's Bookshelves

Reviewed by Jenn on Jan 12 2011

No fantastical creatures or mythical lands. It is brutally honest, a book that must be read.

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The Book Smugglers

Reviewed by Ana on Nov 15 2010

The real tragedy of the book, the real story that the author is telling is the one that is flawlessly woven in the narrative.

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Book Addiction

Reviewed by Heather on Jan 25 2012

Vera is the most adorable, smart, kick-butt, emotionally damaged character I’ve seen in teen fiction in a while. I absolutely loved her and felt her pain so deeply.

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Alpha Reader

Reviewed by Alpha Reader on Nov 15 2011

A.S. King is exquisite proof that some of the most exciting and refreshing writing are being explored in the genre intended for younger readers.

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Jen Robinson's Book Page

Reviewed by Jen Robinson on Feb 01 2011

A. S. King's writing is a deft mix of funny and dark. Some of Vera and Charlie's experiences are tragic, but they both retain a certain degree of wry humor.

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YA Librarian Tales

Reviewed by Sarah on Jan 19 2011

There is just something different about this book that really appealed to me. Vera faces a major conflict throughout the story and she deals with it in some very bad ways before deciding something for the better.

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Reading Rants

Reviewed by Riot Grrrl! on Jan 15 2011

Author A.S. King uses dark humor to explore themes of alienation, intervention and socio-economic class in a whip-smart story that doesn’t tread over the same old “problem novel” ground.

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The Readventurer

Reviewed by Tatiana on Feb 08 2012

As a whole, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is just one clever novel.

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Forever Young Adult

Reviewed by Jenny on Jan 18 2011

This book has everything I look for in a relationship: sincerity, a sense of humor, heartache --and the ability to overcome it. I'm happy to live in the same world in which this book exists.

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Bloggers Heart Books

Reviewed by lanna-lovely on May 30 2012

The story really surprised me, the plot surprised me and I was so not expecting it to be about what it turned out to be about.

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reutreads

Reviewed by reutreads on Sep 17 2011

A.S. King has written such a marvellous book, it’s hard to find the words for it. But here, I’ll try. Brilliant. Beautiful. Heart-breakingly amazing.

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Zoe's Book Reviews

Reviewed by Zoe on Jan 09 2011

The emotional journey that Vera takes is fun and heart-wrenching to read about. With every book she writes, A.S. King gets even better.

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Eve's Fan Garden

Reviewed by Kate on Jan 31 2011

It gets under your skin and makes you uncomfortable and yet, you connect with the characters and you really want all of them to be okay in the end.

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Book Blather

Reviewed by Katie on May 17 2011

There is a reason that this book won the Printz Honor, folks! The writing is chock full of awesomeness.

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Finding Wonderland

Reviewed by Aquafortis on Jan 19 2012

This one had me thinking about the story long after I was done; had me wondering what I'd do if someone close to me was in a terrifying situation.

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Brush Up On Your Reading

Reviewed by Nina B on Oct 08 2011

I liked reading Please Ignore Vera Dietz, it had some awesome potential.

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Painting with Words

Reviewed by lffath on Apr 12 2012

The story was complex but simple at the same time, gritty, yet smooth and I thought that King put everything together flawlessly.

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Reviewer X

Reviewed by Steph on Dec 26 2010

Just when you think you know the meaning of awesome, she goes and reinvents it.

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The Readable Kingdom

Reviewed by Hannah on Jan 07 2012

The writing in this book was terrific. A.S. King truly captures the situation Vera is in and her personality shines throughout.

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Little Read Writing Hood

Reviewed by Arielizabeth on Nov 09 2011

In the end, you have to answer your own questions. There is only really one question someone else can answer for you, and that is whether or not you should read this book. And the answer, according to me, is yes.

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YA Bibliophile

Reviewed by YA Bibliophile on Sep 26 2011

Thank you for making me laugh in the midst of my tears. Heartbreaking yet quirky. Bittersweet memories. Snarky comments. Flow charts. All so real!

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YA, Why Not?

Reviewed by LovelyAbigail on Aug 01 2011

Told in honest, heartfelt prose that pulls no punches, this is a story that shouldn't be missed. Coming of age meets coming to terms with our own mortality.

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The Library Lurker

Reviewed by Taylor on Jan 31 2011

The end is ultimately hopeful, but I really didn't want it to end.

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Miss Bookaholic

Reviewed by Miss Bookaholic on Apr 27 2012

I absolutely loved this book, to say the least, and if I was as awesome as A.S. King, I would probably have something wittier or cooler to say.

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Attack the Stacks

Reviewed by attackthestacks on Apr 19 2012

There was one thing that didn’t work for me and that was Vera’s poor decision making during a certain major event in the book, and her poor decision making that followed for a really long time afterward.

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Afterglow Book Reviews

Reviewed by Matthew MacNish on Mar 26 2012

It is a lonely, sad, but ultimately uplifting tale of one girl's struggle to find herself, and to stand up for truth in the face of grief.

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Writer Quirk

Reviewed by Shalena on Mar 03 2012

Full of humor and tragedy and a winding narrative told from multiple points of view, Vera's story illustrates the complexities of life.

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Lauren Gets Literal

Reviewed by Lauren on Nov 23 2011

If you like contemporary YA and have a dark sense of humor you HAVE to read it. You will love Vera just as much as I did, I know it!

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Adventures in Biblioland

Reviewed by Fauvely on Nov 13 2011

I adored the writing. I loved the characters. The book was incredibly complex and it's hard to sort through my thoughts and feelings about it.

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In the Good Books

Reviewed by Skye on Mar 24 2011

Vera was a dynamic character, who was enjoyable to read about. She's smart, hardworking, sarcastic, and has character flaws that make her seem real.

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