Wednesday 16 October 2013

Review: Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher


I had first heard about this book from a friend and heard that it was meant to be really good! I had really high expectations for this book and I must say they were met. I hadn't read Annabel Pitcher's debut novel and had never really heard of her before. I ended up reading this book in a day as it was a really fast paced read and I just couldn't put it down. The synopsis of the book really excited me especially since I found out the book was written in letters and I've had a particular fondness for books like that since reading 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'.

Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret - a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder.

Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can - in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

I found the main character 'Zoe' to be complex and she makes mistakes but she's believable. Throughout the book I grew to care about her and sympathised through the tough times she had. The story portrays the experiences of a first relationship from the point of view of a fifteen-year-old girl and it also looks at relationships between adults and within families. An absolutely fascinating read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and I think fans of John Green would LOVE this book!