Adolescent Development and Young Adult Literature Review Assignment #2 Rebekah Haithcock SLIS 5525 Dr. Cogdell

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King 336 pages Knopf Publishing October L Lexile level Realistic fiction Michael L. Printz honor book Edgar nominee YALSA Best books for YA

Theory of specified Adolescent development Appropriate for middle adolescence (ages ), this novel addresses a young person’s movement towards Independence, specifically with complaints that parents interfere with independence, corresponding with a lowered opinion of parents and withdrawal of emotions from them. A helpful website for helping teens grow in this stage: and-youth-focus/teens-and-independence

Plot summary Vera Dietz recently lost her best friend Charlie. He’s fallen under the spell of the evil Jenny Flick, but Vera thought eventually he’d come around. Then he died in suspicious circumstances for which Vera has the key to finding the truth. The reader hears the story from many sides- Vera’s, Charlie’s, Vera’s dad, and a Pagoda where everyone goes to hang out.

Plot summary- emphasis on highlighted behavior Vera’s mother was a stripper. She left Vera and her father when Vera was little. Vera thinks that if she avoids getting close to anyone at school, then no one ever has to know, until Charlie slips up and the whole school finds out. Vera resents her father for her mother leaving, although she doesn’t respect her mother, either. Vera’s opinion of both of her parents lowers throughout the book. Her father is particularly hard on her, forcing her to get a job, forcing her to go to therapy and keeping her from going out with James, who she likes. She sees this as contradictory to his behavior as a teenager. He was a high school dropout alcoholic who knocked up the girl next door. She feels that he is a hypocrite when he tells her that she has a responsibility to help others when he has told her to ignore the domestic violence next door for her entire life. However, Vera realizes that her father is there for her when she gets hurt or sick or is in emotional pain, goes with her to the police when she needs support, and the book ends with a father-daughter road trip, showing how she has come to view their relationship.

Why this would appeal to teens The book is clever and funny. The main character is relatable, and you root for her all the way through. There is more than one storyline, so if a reader isn’t interested in Vera’s relationship with Charlie or her father, they might be interested in her romantic relationship with James. There are many situations that teens won’t be able to help but to have an opinion about, which makes it a great book for discussion.