King, A. S. (2010). Please Ignore Vera Dietz. NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Vera is going through a tumultuous time in her teenage life, in more ways than one. She is being haunted by the ghost of her former best friend, Charlie, who died after a fire at the local pet store in town. She is also a closet alcoholic, having trouble dealing with the secrets she knows about Charlie and the fire.
Growing up, Vera and Charlie were inseparable best friends. Charlie suffered from an abusive home life, and found solace in his friendship with Vera. They spent a lot of time in a treehouse they built together, and were as close as friends could be, until Charlie fell in with the wrong crowd. Vera was scared for Charlie when he got wrapped up in selling his underwear to a local pervert.
Once Charlie met a new girl named Jenny Flick, she began to drive a wedge between the two by spreading awful rumors about Vera and her family and also lied to Charlie about her.
Vera finds out later from the ghost of Charlie and letters who actually burned down the pet store. Soon, she goes to the police about what she knows and comes to terms with the death of her best friend. She begins to reconcile her problems by going on a road trip with her father, and lets herself move on with her own life.
Many of the issues that Vera faced are relatable to readers. She is torn between doing what is right, and what feels right at the moment. A clear example of Havighurst’s Theory of Developmental Tasks is the lack of communication between Vera and her father. During this age, kids start to seek emotional independence from their parents. The topics of alcoholism and death in this story would be most appropriate for high school readers.
**Required YA author
Books with similar themes:
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes ISBN 978-0060094898
The Perks of Being a Walflower ISBN 978-1451696196
https://www.as-king.com/ - Author's Webpage
Book Trailer
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