Ketchup Clouds

Product Information

After reading Annabel Pitcher debut book My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece in my Carnegie Shadowing Club in 2012, I was first in line to read Ketchup Clouds. It is the second book by Waterstone's Children's Book Prize winning author Annabel Pitcher, and although I think My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is slightly better in the way it is presented, Ketchup Clouds is still an amazing read. Jhaneel I LOVED this book and I'm so sad its only a novel, coz it needs a sequel. I Love how Pitcher can capture the heart of anyone who reads!!! ***** 5 stars Ketchup Clouds is a young adult novel by Annabel Pitcher. It follows the story of fifteen year old Zoe, who writes letters to a prisoner on death row, unbeknownst to her family and friends. Through the letters she reveals her deepest secrets and feelings, including her involvement in the death of her best friend. As the story progresses, Zoe finds the strength to face her inner demons and come to terms with the choices she has made. Ketchup Clouds is a story of guilt, redemption, and ultimately hope. When a Nun visits Zoe's school to talk about capital punishment and tells them about prisoners on Death Row in the USA, Zoe becomes intrigued. It is there, in the most unlikely place, that Zoe finds someone she can confide in. Stu Harris, convicted murderer, facing the death sentence. Zoe creeps out into the garden shed night after night and writes letter after letter to Stu, spilling her secrets and her innermost thoughts honestly and candidly. If you are looking for a happy summer read which leaves you in the same way as you were before you started the book then maybe this is not for you.

Kámové, upřímně, tohle je fekál. Takový, co dokázal smazat dvě žlutá srdíčka nakreslená WC čističem do záchodové mísy. -_- Sadly, this fierce but delicately orchestrated novel ends on a bum note: a letter from the surviving brother to Zoe that is both patronising and mawkish. Its final words ("Spread those strong wings of yours. Fly") brought the wrong kind of lump to my throat. That cavil aside, Ketchup Clouds is risky, confident, compelling and ends, as all prize-winning teen novels seemingly must, with hope for redemption and self-forgiveness. Pitcher should clear her diary for next year's award ceremonies. I just know for a fact that had I read this book when I was fifteen, it would’ve been an all time favourite and I probably would’ve orbited my personality around it. As an older reader I was a tad more critical, but this was still a brilliant read.This is a clever, multi-layered book. It's heartstoppingly sweet, very sad, and very, very real. Everyone should take notes on how to write a love story from this gorgeous novel because I believed every word. And, of course, I cried. I will admit that it did take me a while to get used to Zoe. The letters are clearly written in a younger voice than my own, which was difficult at first. However, as the book progressed and I got to know our protagonist, I could see her personality shine through on the paper and she even managed to made me laugh quite a few times! Pitcher certainly has a talent for getting into the mind of her characters - not only Zoe, but the rest of the characters also felt very realistic. I find it amazing how well the author has written the voice of a young teenager. Several friendships and other relationships are explored in this book. Zoe's relationships with two brothers, Max and Aaron, play a vital part in this book, but I personally found Zoe's relationship with her family to be the most interesting and touching part of this book - particularly her interaction with her sisters. I also enjoyed it when Zoe clearly directed her thoughts and feelings towards the reader of her letters - with a somewhat childish naiveté but also with great sincerity.

Okay, ketchup clouds. After reading this book I still do not know why it is called ketchup clouds. Well not really. Ketchup Clouds is a coming-of- age novel by the author Annabel Pitcher which tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl, Zoe, who is dealing with a huge secret. She has written a series of letters to a murderer on death row and is trying to find the courage to confess her secret to her family and friends. Along the way, she learns about the importance of family, friendship, and making peace with the past. As she tells her story, Zoe discovers the power of words to heal and the strength of human connection. The novel is thought-provoking, heart-breaking, and ultimately uplifting. Ketchup Clouds EndingAt Max’s funeral, Zoe recites Stuart Harris’ poem, as well as a poem written by her friend. Alice Jones, the woman who signed her last letter, is her true name. In the final scene of the novel, Alice receives a letter from Aaron in Bolivia. Aaron points out that if you love something, you must let it go. At the party she meets a 'boy [...] brown eyes [and] messy blond hair' whom she feels she has chemistry with and in which she engages in sexual activity with Max Morgan and later on, a relationship. She soon finds out that the brown-eyed boy, Aaron, is Max's brother and unbeknown to Max, there are still feelings between them. It is the accident that follows after he discovers Zoe and Aaron together that lead her to identify both with Mr Harris as a murderer and his unfaithful wife whom she calls a "scarlet woman" and believes she deserved her death.

We never hear directly from Stuart but there is quite enough going on in day to day life as well as “Zoe’s” gradual revelation of the events of the past year – May 1st is the first anniversary of the boy’s death. The author succeeds in weaving an intriguing tale of family relationships, the intensity of young love, the angst of the teenager as well as keeping the readers on the edge of their seats wondering who died and who is to blame. Trigger warning: Sexual consent issues. Slut shaming. Sexual coercion. Talk of domestic violence leading to death. Indecent photos taken and distributed without consent; utilised for public humiliation.

Ketchup Clouds Summary

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. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for an invigorating, coming-of-age book. The young adult category can often come off as whiney and "woe is me" but this book proves that that is not always the case, even when the main character does have a lot to whine about. There are good authors of every genre if you just know where to look and Annabel Pitcher is one of them. At first, I found such passages hugely funny, yet out of tune. In fact, they deepen the complexity of Zoe's feelings for Harris. The nearer he approaches death, the more intimate she becomes. He is not only her confidant but her proxy – it transpires that his wife was having an affair with his brother. Perhaps there is something unconsciously punitive, and therefore self-punishing, in this blithe ghoulishness. The actual events of the book aren't enough to bring a reader from one chapter to the next. I didn't care about Zoe or her love life, given that nothing much happened, even if I cared about her family's drama. I hated her love life. I wanted to shoot her love life in the face, and sit her down in juvvie for a few years to think about her own unimportance, and require her to write lines about how other people don't just exist for her own edification.

I'm hardly the type to say that teen characters need to act kindly to each other, or communicate effectively, because that's boring. It's more a problem that she gets away with being so heartless and clueless, when previously she painted herself as a bookish nerd who is laughed at by the entire school. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Nutila jsem se do čtení, převracela očima, nevěřícně mrkala nad sebestředným chováním hlavní hrdinky, která prostě nechtěla zavřít tu svou ukecanou ... ústa. Opravdu jsem ještě nečetla užvaněnější dopisy o ničem. Skoro jsem ji slyšela, úplně mě z ní začala bolet hlava. -_- Protože nějakého vraha určitě zajímá, jak si flirtuješ o zvratcích!Dealing with some complex and difficult themes and issues, Ketchup Clouds is perhaps best suited to older teenage readers. Blending powerful emotion and darkness with ironic humour, it is a gripping and moving story about secrets, lies and growing up. Sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes wistful, often funny and always compassionate, this is a beautifully-crafted and unexpected coming-of-age story that will win readers’ hearts. I don't know why, but I somehow love reading books of the contemporary genre. And for the record (aside from its strange title), I chose Ketchup Clouds because of its cover (haha can't help it) and its interesting synopsis that got me curious all along. When Annabel Pitcher's debut novel My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece was published in March last year she really raised the bar for authors of young adult novels and set herself a very very high standard to keep. The novel was shortlisted for numerous awards and was praised by other authors, by the press and by book bloggers.