Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Please Ignore Vera Dietz is heartbreaking, sad, and left me wanting to cry at times. It is a story that could happen with students today unfortunately, and I kept thinking about how real this could be for some young adults.

http://www.amazon.com/Please-Ignore-Dietz-

Vera Dietz and Charlie Kahn have been best friends since they were little. They are secretly in love with on another, but both are affected by the actions of their parents. Their parents’ actions make them not want to openly love one another because they are trying to avoid their destiny. Vera not wanting to turn out like her ex-stripper mother who got pregnant at seventeen or her alcoholic father. Charlie does not want to become his abusive father.

Vera and Charlie’s relationship begins to change once they enter high school. Charlie changes their friendship entirely when he becomes friends with the “Detentionheads”, a group of kids who drink and do drugs. A series of events leads to one fateful night were a lot of different things come to play, but only Vera knows the truth of that night.

Nine months after that tragic night that took Charlie’s life, Vera is trying to live her life. She is struggling with not to allowing her destiny of becoming like her parents come true. Vera is struggling with the death of Charlie, and having a hard time moving on because Charlie is showing up everywhere to her. Vera is also struggling with taking the secrets to the police in order to clear Charlie’s name, and allow to finally allow the truth of that night come out.

The story goes back and forth between present time, and the past that led up to Charlie’s death. Mainly Vera narrates the story, but there are chapters where Charlie after he dies, Vera’s dad, and the Pagoda (a landmark in the book where the kids hang out) also tell the story from their point of view. The different characters telling parts of the book helps you understand the different characters. It helps you understand the hatred Vera feels for Charlie, but also why she loves him. Charlie’s point of view really helps you understand his character, and how is parents’ behaviors affect how he acts with Vera.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz discusses death, teen pregnancy, underage drinking, drugs, pedophiles, sex, and has bad language.

I enjoyed reading Please Ignore Vera Dietz; it was very insightful to me as an adult.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz would be excellent to teach students about loss, and coping. Vera lost her mother (because she left) and her best friend.  n high schools’ today children unfortunately lose their lives leaving behind their friends.

The novel would also be used to help students understand the issues that come with drinking. I would have them research how alcohol is dangerous. How much of an addiction alcohol can become, and affect their bodies and lives.

There are different points of view in this story from the different characters. The students would look at the different points of view in the book, and compare and contrast how each character is seeing the same events in different ways. 

The students would also look at how the book is centered on not becoming their parents. The students would find events in the book that have Charlie and Vera acting like their parents.