Review: Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

Title:  Ketchup Clouds 

Author:  Annabel Pitcher
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date:  November 12th, 2013

Pages:  272
Genre:  YA Realistic Fiction

Series:  Stand Alone
Source: Audio

 

Zoe has an unconventional pen pal--Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other.

Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe's letters, but at least somebody will know her story--somebody who knows what it's like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again.

Rising literary star Annabel Pitcher pens a captivating second novel, rich with her distinctive balance between humor and heart. Annabel explores the themes of first love, guilt, and grief, introducing a character with a witty voice and true emotional resonance.

This book got lost in my TBR. I remember being so excited for this book. It was one of my most anticipated reads that year, however, it got away from me. Let me just say this book- so awesome. I just fell for this book, the story, the characters,  the writing, the mystery. It was all so grand. 

Zoe has a secret, A secrets she is afraid to let anyone find out about that a secret she needs to tell someone. This secret is haunting her. She finds a way to deal with this secret by writing to a convict sentenced to death row in Texas. She feels it is safe to confess to this man. He doesn't know who she really is and who is going to tell. The story from start to finish is about Zoe and her secret and is written in letters to this man in prison. It's written in a timeline of two different years. The current and the year before. Zoe's secret slowly comes out. 

This book has become a new favorite of mine. I can't really pinpoint what was so amazing because it was everything. 

The story had emotion- regret,  love, fear... this story had a mystery- the secret that just needs to be revealed and is little by little...friendship... family drama... oh and one very lost and hurting teenage girl. 

Zoe is a flawed character. Her flaws come from being a teenager and all the crap that she has gone through. She was pretty sheltered growing up and didn't learn how to make rational decisions. She really wasn't good at making decisions at all. The choices she made were not good at all. Her flaws are what made her real and the story gritty and raw. 

I felt for Zoe from the very beginning and throughout the book. Even when I was screaming at her because of her choices and lack of judgment. And yes I was screaming at her. I was rooting for her. SO many times I wanted to comfort her and tell her it will all be okay. She needed someone to do that one thing for her. 

At the beginning of her tale... she was so innocent and naive, by the end she was a mess but more self-aware and world aware. She loved she lost she learned- through her experience. 

the story was also very enthralling. There as a mystery. The mystery of Zoe's secret. We learn very early what her secret is but we don't know how it happened or what exactly happened. The how and what made the story so intense for me. I just needed to know the entire story. I seem to have a soft spot for stories written like this, where events come out little by little. Even though I wanted and needed more I was also just satisfied being in the moment. The author is such a grand storyteller. 

The feels in thsi book. The writing. Just beautiful. I really couldn't get enough. The ending was good, perfect even for this story. I will for sure read more by this author. 

An overwhelming and beautiful read. 

Annabel Pitcher studied English at Oxford and has since worked as a script writer and an English teacher. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband. MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE was her first novel. She is a full-time writer.