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Please Ignore Vera Dietz Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 448 ratings

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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up–Vera Dietz and her troubled neighbor, Charlie, were best friends since childhood until they started to fall for one another junior year and everything broke apart. Evil Jenny Flick decides that she wants Charlie and that Vera is in the way. When Jenny offers Charlie oral sex and he refuses, she broadcasts his secret about his father's domestic abuse to the whole school and blames Vera. In “retaliation,” Charlie reveals the fact that Vera's mother was a stripper before she deserted the family and then starts a perilous relationship with Jenny. In chapters that alternate scenes in the present with “history,” plus various points of view, Vera's story begins at Charlie's funeral where she hides the truth about Jenny's part in his death. It seesaws through her full-time job delivering pizzas while maintaining “A” grades, her upsetting relationship with Charlie, her conflicts with Jenny as well as her father, her romance with a 23-year-old coworker, and other complications. This oddly compelling page-turner is unfortunately rather flawed. When circumstances call for Vera to end her heavy drinking, she surprisingly just stops. Charlie's ghostly presence manifests itself through hard-to-imagine replications. The perspectives of Vera's father, dead Charlie, and the pagoda atop the town (yes, the pagoda speaks) minimally click. Vera's father's “flow charts” about dealing with life circumstances seem out of place. Yet, Vera is a strong character whom readers will root for throughout her ups and downs. Ultimately, this will be read by teens who like edgy contemporary books dealing with untimely teen death, such as Brooke Taylor's Undone (Walker, 2008) or Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why (Razorbill, 2007).–Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, Fort Collins, CO. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* High-school senior Vera never expects her ex-best friend, Charlie, to haunt her after he dies and beg her to clear his name of a horrible accusation surrounding his death. But does Vera want to help him after what he did to her? Charlie’s risky, compulsive behavior and brand-new bad-news pals proved to be his undoing, while Vera’s mantra was always Please Ignore Vera Dietz, as she strives, with Charlie’s help, to maintain a low profile and keep her family life private. But after Charlie betrayed her, it became impossible to fend off her classmates’ cruel attacks or isolate herself any longer. Vera’s struggle to put Charlie and his besmirched name behind her are at the crux of this witty, thought-provoking novel, but most memorable is the gorgeous unfurling of Vera’s relationship with her father. Chapters titled A Brief Word from Ken Dietz (Vera’s Dad) are surprising, heartfelt, and tragic; it’s through Ken that readers see how quickly alcohol and compromised decision making are destroying Vera’s carefully constructed existence. Father and daughter wade gingerly through long-concealed emotions about Vera’s mother’s leaving the family, creating the most powerful redemption story of the many found in King’s arresting tale. Although King’s characters turn into the people they’ve long fought to avoid becoming, they ultimately rise above their challenges, reflect, and move on. A worthy, well-crafted addition to any YA collection. Grades 10-12. --Courtney Jones

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003F3PK3G
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Books for Young Readers (October 12, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 12, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3096 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 448 ratings

About the author

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A.S. King
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A.S. King has been called “One of the best Y.A. writers working today” by The New York Times Book Review and is one of YA fiction's most decorated. She is the only two-time winner of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award (2020 for Dig and 2024 for The Collectors). In 2022, King received the ALA's Margaret A. Edwards Award and 2023, she accepted the ALAN Award for her contributions to YA literature. In 2024, she will release highly-anticipated Pick the Lock--described as "a punk opera, a primal scream, and a portrait of a family buried in lies."

She also writes middle grade fiction as Amy Sarig King, including bestselling Attack of the Black Rectangles, which Kirkus Reviews called "a searingly relevant opus to intellectual freedom," The Year We Fell from Space, and Me and Marvin Gardens.

She’s taught for a decade in MFA programs, is the founder of Gracie's House, a charity that funds safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in rural and conservative areas, and spends many months of the year traveling the world speaking to high school and university students, educators, and humans who care about literacy and the mental health of young people. Find more at her website.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
448 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and emotional. They describe the characters as believable and relatable. The writing style is described as quirky and down-to-earth. Readers appreciate the rich mix of humor and angst. It's considered a quick, easy read suitable for adults and preteens. However, some customers feel it lacks excitement and is not worth their time.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

29 customers mention "Story quality"23 positive6 negative

Customers find the story engaging and emotional. They appreciate the unique psychological elements of the characters and how the book captivates their heartsstrings. The story moves through time, with the narration by Vera, who is full of pain and sadness but also hope. Readers describe the book as suspenseful, compelling, and well-written.

"...I know the focus on the book was Charlie- how hypnotic, interesting, and brilliant he was- but still, Vera was an awesome character...." Read more

"...I loved the voice of Vera - close, deep, full of pain and sadness but hope...." Read more

"...read Everbody Sees the Ants and really appreciated the unique psychological element that came with the character's narration. Vera was no different...." Read more

"...Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King is a phenomenal story that shows the life of an average girl who struggled to ignore what was happening around..." Read more

16 customers mention "Voice"14 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the book's voice. They find the characters believable and relatable. The narrative voices are smart, funny, snarky, and sad. Readers appreciate the down-to-earth heroine and that the characters are young people grappling with very real issues.

"...hypnotic, interesting, and brilliant he was- but still, Vera was an awesome character...." Read more

"...King does a great job of creating characters to care for and leading us along in suspense - and dragging it out to keep us in anticipation." Read more

"...The story just popped off the pages and the characters came to life and completely drew me into their story...." Read more

"...Gripping plot, interesting characters, and snappy writing--this book has it all. I ripped through the pages and thoroughly enjoyed it...." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing quality"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing style. They appreciate the author's quirky writing style and how she understands teens. The author is described as down-to-earth and hits the tough parts of being a teen.

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

"...That said, the novel is beautifully written (thus the award) and a compelling read--I literally didn't put it down because I couldn't wait to find..." Read more

"...It was suspenseful, compelling and well written. Aside from the profanity, I would recommend this book for ages 12 - 18...." Read more

"...Gripping plot, interesting characters, and snappy writing--this book has it all. I ripped through the pages and thoroughly enjoyed it...." Read more

8 customers mention "Humor"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find it humorous, with a rich mix of humor and angst. The characters are described as sarcastic, witty, quirky, and edgy.

"...This book had me laughing out loud and crying and spitting mad. I loved every page of it and think that everyone else will too!..." Read more

"...The narrative voices are smart, funny, snarky, and sad. You could think of this as a coming of age novel...." Read more

"...PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ is a beautiful, terrifying, hilarious, quirky, fun tear-jerker of a book. I highly recommend you make this your next read." Read more

"...King paints a world that is both gritty and occasionally surreal, and captures the hope and humor that can survive under even the weirdest and most..." Read more

7 customers mention "Age range"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book suitable for adults and pre-teens. They appreciate the author's understanding of teens and their relationships with adults. The main character is lovable and smart, but also flawed and scarred. The reader learns vocabulary words as the main character does, which is a positive aspect.

"...She was so smart and mature, but also flawed and scarred...." Read more

"...She's in advanced classes and is very mature for her age. This book held our attention for the entire drive...." Read more

"...This is marketed as a Young Adult novel, but it's a great read for us grownups, too, whether we're trying to gain a better understanding of our own..." Read more

"...A. S. King's quirky writing style and how she understands teens and their relationships with adults. 4 stars" Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read. They say it flows smoothly without any slow parts.

"This is my favorite kind of YA book. It's a brief, raw, and devastating contemporary that lacks that particular John Green..." Read more

"...The book flowed so smoothly and there was never a slow patch to have to get through...." Read more

"I liked it. Quick read and not the stuff i normally read but i enjoyed it...." Read more

"This book isn't poorly written and it's not a "slow" read, but nothing remotely interesting or noteworthy happens...." Read more

4 customers mention "Time value"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the book boring and not worth their time. They say it's a slow read, but nothing interesting or noteworthy happens.

"...poorly written and it's not a "slow" read, but nothing remotely interesting or noteworthy happens...." Read more

"...I found it very boring and was expecting something interesting to happen throughout most of the book, and nothing ever did...." Read more

"terrible book" Read more

"Not worth the time..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2016
    This is my favorite kind of YA book. It's a brief, raw, and devastating contemporary that lacks that particular John Green (which in small doses is actually great) sentimentality that has become so prevalent in the genre. The novel follows a character named Vera as she deals with the resulting the aftermath of her best friend's, Charlie's, death. Vera, basically,finds herself in quite a bit of dilemmas: she is haunted by the ghosts of her families' alcoholism, her mother's reputation, and the sting of unrequited love.

    The book also focuses on other perspectives as well: we are treated with chapters from Charlie, an infamous Pagoda, and Vera's dad. We find regret from Charlie, cynicism from the Pagoda, and hypocrisy and love from Vera's father. The novel's setting is particularly interesting- a crossroads of Pennsylvania suburbia and rundown town.

    I didn't really enjoy A.S. King's debut novel that much- I found the story hard to follow and the characters very unlikeable. However, King's eclectic style of storytelling works perfect here. Charlie and Vera are sort of the opposite of Augustus and Hazel- they have effed up family lives, they don't always think of others when they make choices, they are more flawed in a bad way, than a perfect way. In a way , they are lost souls trying to escape their destinies.

    “Maybe the adults around me were too cynical and old to do anything to help innocent people like Mrs. Kahn or Charlie, or the black kids who were called ni**er at school, or the girls Tim Miller groped on the bus. Maybe they were numb enough to blame the system for things they were too lazy to change.”

    Through the novel, Vera spends quite a lot of time talking about the things she wishes she could change. She wishes she could change the past- the people around her, her circumstances. Her whole arc- of stopping with her wishing and moving on to her doing was very inspiring. I know the focus on the book was Charlie- how hypnotic, interesting, and brilliant he was- but still, Vera was an awesome character. It's not everyday I find such an interesting protagonist.

    “Then I think of Charlie and our first New Year’s apart, and how I miss him. I miss him so much, but it’s confusing, because I missed him long before he was dead, and that’s the bitch of it all. I missed him long before he was dead.”

    A large part of the book, of course- focuses on Charlie and Vera. Charlie and Vera are a lot like Elliot and Angela from Mr. Robot. They have this chaotic, all consuming love- that's more like a mutual need than mutual adoration. The problem is that Charlie is cruel because that's all he's ever known, and Vera is so desperately trying not to be like her mother or father- so they are bound to fall apart. There relationship is multi-dimensional: built on stronger stuff than inside jokes and promises.

    “Now it’s my turn. I am going to birth myself. I am going to be a better mother to me than she ever was. I’m going to stay faithful and stand up for myself. I am going to do more than send me fifty bucks on my birthday, and if I ever call myself on the phone, I’m going to act like I care, just a little, because I’m aware that I might need it. I will comb my own hair gently and never make myself get into bathwater that’s too hot. I am going to be the kind of mother who shows warmth.”

    There is so much more to this book than unrequited love. Go out and read it. That's all I can say. Be amazed, cry even. Because I know I did after the end of this spectacular book
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2013
    A.S. King writes daringly, breaking the rules. She gives us a YA in first person but not just from the main character, Vera, but from the points of view of Vera's Dad, her dead friend, and even a pagoda! I loved the voice of Vera - close, deep, full of pain and sadness but hope. Dark issues are woven into the story, some head on and some skirted (alcoholism/abuse/bullying/drugs/pedophilia) -all may make you uncomfortable. I found most of the characters in this book sad, lost or in pain - characters that I hated even while I empathized with them, characters that my heart ached for. It made me sad for all teens living under oppression, indifference, abuse, and emotional neglect.

    While I couldn't completely suspend disbelief about Vera's friend, Charlie, contacting her from the dead - I accepted it enough to accept the rest of the story. For me, it would have been more realistic if it were her own guilt creating her visions and she was led by his final words to discover what she had to discover to free his name. Adding the paranormal to this story, that is so grounded in reality, seemed out of sync for me.

    I also, wanted to know the exact details behind Charlie's death - but on the other hand, using my imagination made it so much more horrific and perhaps that was King's intent. Other than that, I was with it all the way. King does a great job of creating characters to care for and leading us along in suspense - and dragging it out to keep us in anticipation.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2011
    Charlie Kahn is dead, and Vera Dietz can't decide if she still loves him or hates him irrevocably.

    In the aftermath of death, Charlie has become a villainous cautionary tale for Vera's classmates. The events surrounding his death are shady, horrendous and psychopathic.

    But Vera knows the truth that could clear Chalie's name. And Charlie wants to be proven innocent - he haunts Vera with his paper-cut-out ghosts who fold like an accordion around Vera in the small confines of her car or at the Pagoda Pizza Delivery shop where she works.

    But Vera has her own problems. Like convincing her Zen-like dad that she isn't succumbing to his lousy alcoholic genes. Or convincing herself that she's nothing like her stripper mother who abandoned the family when Vera was twelve. Vera also has to convince herself that her friendship with Charlie meant something, and wasn't tossed away because of some Detentionhead losers who stole him away from her in the months leading up to his death.

    Vera Dietz may just want to be ignored - by her dad, classmates, arch-nemesis Jenny Flick and the thousand-and-one Charlie's who haunt her daily. But some things you can't ignore . . . like the truth.

    `Please Ignore Vera Dietz' is the acclaimed Printz Honor novel from literary young adult author, A.S. King.

    Urgh.
    Wow.
    Sigh.

    Words cannot express (but I'll try).

    Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one of my new all-time favourite novels - `Please Ignore Vera Dietz'. This, *this* right here is why young adult novels are more than the sum of their parts. When somebody gives me a perplexed look after I tell them that I write and most enjoy YA books - I wish I could shove `Please Ignore Vera Dietz' down their throats and make them eat it the same way Vera and Charlie eat their napkins. A.S. King is exquisite proof that some of the most exciting and refreshing writing is being explored in the genre intended for younger readers. The young adult genre is the cable television network of writing (HBO, baby!). Everyone may think that movies and adult literary fiction are where it's at - but cynics and critics need only look to `Vera Dietz' to know the truly astounding work that lies within this genre.

    When the novel begins Vera is eviscerated by her emotions. Her childhood best friend (turned enemy in recent months) has just passed away under a cloud of suspicion. Vera misses Charlie every day . . . while also hating him for the way he treated her before his death. But Vera's emotions are even more complex than that. Because Vera loved Charlie, even when she hated him she loved him. And now that he's dead she loves to hate him even more in a never-ending spiral of mixed messages and hopeless emotions for a dead kid.

    Vera's grudge extends to her reluctance in helping `ghost' Charlie clear his name. Vera holds the key to Charlie's innocence . . . but before she can find it in her to forgive him enough to free him, she has to go back to where it all began . . .

    The story back-tracks through Charlie and Vera's history. Sometimes figments of memory feel empty and pointless - like tossing paper airplanes off the rocks overlooking the Pagoda shopping mall. Other times previously forgotten memories take on bigger-than-life meaning . . . like a white Chrysler cruising by. Or the wall-shaking fights that come from the Kahn house next door.

    Interjecting Vera's recounts is the dead kid himself, putting his two cents in from beyond the grave. Also piping up is the inanimate object, Pagoda - a monument to failed dreams and questionable symbolism. Vera's dad also has a thing or two to say - about how Vera is coping with Charlie's death (not well, and with copious amounts of alcohol).

    And as Vera remembers, she misses and mourns. She mourns the tree-climbing friendship she and Charlie had in their youth, and she misses the future she and Charlie don't have to mend.

    `Please Ignore Vera Dietz' is a novel of magnificence. It's about bullying and grief, abandonment and ignoring a problem until it festers and explodes. But above all else, it's a novel of forgiveness. Forgiving people their mistakes and bad choices, the hurts inflicted and sorry's never given.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Michelle Cardozo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Emotional and moving story about friendship, grief, mistakes and secrets
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2014
    Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King was the last book that I read in 2013 and oh wow, was it amazing! I'd bought the ebook of it absolutely ages ago and it sat unread on my Kindle for far too long. I remember that I bought it because I'd heard good things about the book and about the author generally but I didn't know anything very specific about this story. It's always really refreshing to read a book that is a complete surprise in terms of plot. I will definitely be buying other books by this same author!

    This book had kind of an unusual structure to it. It is mostly told from Vera's perspective but occasionally the story is told from Vera's father, and Charlie Kahn Vera's best friend who has died before the beginning of the story. At times, bizarrely, we also get the perspective of a local landmark (a pagoda). It is also not told in a linear fashion ... as well as the present day, we also see flashbacks to key moments in Vera and Charlie's friendship and within Vera's family.

    Despite the multiple POVs and the flashbacks, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is not at all confusing to read. In fact, each jump in perspective and flashback adds such a wonderful, interesting and emotional layer to the story. I love the slow build-up and how emotionally invested I became in Vera's life and in her relationship with Charlie. By the last third of the book, I was practically in tears at every swipe of the Kindle pages!

    Vera Dietz is a senior in high school and works full-time as a pizza delivery technician. In between deliveries, she takes large gulps of alcohol to get her through the day. This is because she is still grieving over the death of her former-best friend, Charlie Kahn. The main crux of the story is about Vera holding onto Charlie's secrets - especially that of the events leading up to his death - and for this reason she is haunted by visions of him.

    Like I said, I really loved this build-up of Vera and Charlie's relationship. They were childhood friends and shared many things but we know right from the outset of this book that something happened between them that meant that at the time of Charlie's death, they were no longer friends. It seems unlikely when you read about their adventures together, building a tree house together and flying paper aeroplanes in the pagoda. I found theirs to be a friendship that was absolutely heartbreaking as they both grow up and make mistakes. Not only do we get to see Vera's family history which helps shape her into who she is but we also see a lot of what shapes Charlie into the person he was as well. Both Vera and Charlie are both really complex and flawed characters that I was able to connect with completely.

    Please Ignore Vera Dietz was an amazing book. It was very emotional and moving. A book about friendship and grief and mistakes and secrets. I really recommend it!
  • Hope
    2.0 out of 5 stars Don't reccommand...
    Reviewed in France on October 31, 2016
    The story is soooo boring! I didn't like it! It was the first book I picked up to read in English and although I made me love reading in that language, the story wasn't my favourite!
  • rhiann
    4.0 out of 5 stars D
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2015
    I'd love to know what happened to Jenny, Mr & Mrs Kahn, Vera and her dad. I also want to know what happened to Charlie; if he still communicates with Vera.
  • Lisa Busby
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2015
    I loved this book and put off finishing it because I didn't want it to end. Moving, unsettling it captures the troubled teenagers without holding back. I am sorry I reached the end.
  • Nadia
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2014
    It was a brilliant book that sucked me in from start to finish. I thought the ending was a little weak though

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