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sampayn3's review against another edition
5.0
Guilt is a pungent emotion, penetrating its owner with the fear of hiding an internal criminal. In Ketchup Clouds, the sophomore effort from English author Annabel Pitcher, the emphasis is decidedly upon this harrowing expression and the agonising ramifications it may generate. It is a moving, passionate tale that will, of course, have its greatest effect upon a teenage audience. Yet, adults too will be pierced by the realism of this vision and the self-accusation that riddles every soul. The orchestrated bleakness of this material is mapped by Pitcher's continuing skill for narration; emotional rawness is again of the excessive importance, modified through irony, dry humour and a bluntness that makes this piece convincing and impressive. Above all, Ketchup Clouds is a perturbing controversy, an unanswerable philosophy that will strike anxiety in all readers: are the small, indirect crimes we make any less nefarious than those of murderers, rapists and serial killers?
Pitcher's epistolary fiction opens with a strong expression of the whimsical protagonist, evoking an appealingly uncomplicated and intuitive writing style. This composition, a briefly fickle and lightly comical affair, transitions towards relentless eloquence that is appreciated for its peculiarity. It is the disconcerting monologue from this young teenager to a lethal killer that shapes a beautifully quirky, colloquial and unhindered realism of her own life and the resulting symbology. The novel is consistently quotable, from the adventures of Zoe's love affair, to the misfortune of her little sister, and the occasional account of a spider that has inhabited her garden shed. It is tangible, intricate and uncensored details such as that ordered Ketchup Clouds to become indelibly engrossing to endure.
The caricatures and personas of the story follow dark tropes of young contemporary literature, coupling young love, the vast differences between childhood and teenage experimentation, drugs and sex, along with betrayal and in this case, a life changing crime. The female protagonist, Zoe, is evidently discovering an understanding of attraction and the consequential madness that obsession and necessity can create. The often melodramatic tone of her consciousness allows all to reminisce in the labours of navigating the world through naivety and innocence, one that quickly becomes marked with angst and tempestuous life lessons. In terms of her character, Zoe is obviously bright, but does not remove herself from the brash, inconsiderate and stereotypically capriciousness of teenage girls. For some this repetitive obnoxious aura, one that pushes secondary characters to languish in the background, may become too hard to bear.
Having said that, the protagonist is certainly vindicated in her distress. It is a sentimental literary premise, encapsulating the affliction of guilt as it coincides with a love triangle - an unhealthy involvement with two brothers - that has gone terribly wrong. As the plot deepens, the novel hangs on its readership's sympathy and compassion for teenage circumstance, and thus a exceedingly tough decision is presented to the audience. Should we forgive Zoe for her unfortunate participation in a crime, ultimately a weak and irresponsible child, or should we vilify her? It is a debate that highlights a further argument on the boundaries of responsibility and is hard to conclude upon even now.
The author bravely pulls themes from adult contemporary fiction, where the psychological ideal of multiple selfs has been exposed in the recent crime hit, Gone Girl. When directing her writing towards Stuart Harris - the death row criminal and ex-murderer to whom Zoe confesses her story - the atmosphere switches between dark gaiety and gaucheness that is disturbing in itself. In light of this, the protagonist is sadistically comical and out of tune, making her character absolutely endearing: as she portrays our multiple, varied and dysfunctional personalities. Indeed, the readership similarly engages with the notion that we only present the character we desire others to see and, in fact, we are capable of many selves. Evidently, the novel's heroine learns that her internal criminal and guilt can be destroyed, praising the mentality that the good must shine through the darkness.
Pitcher's descriptions of the grim and miserable climax hit a core that few readers will have knowledge of even possessing. However, the author occupies her story with more guilt than through this key plot twist alone. Dot, the playful and eccentric little sister of the main character, was born deaf. It is the consequence of this disability, the guilt we cannot control or escape which teach us the most. In terms of the fundamental "ketchup clouds" themselves, could Annabel Pitcher be referring to an old wives tale, the warning of red sky in the morning and delight of red skies at night? This symbology would leave readers with an enlightening lesson: stating that each new situation, each day and each life must start with warning of chance and possibility, either good or bad. Whereas the aftermath, the end of the day, a red sky represents the peace that needs to follow an event of pain.
Whilst the traumatic guilt of the main character engulfs Ketchup Clouds as a novel, it is chiefly an account of assumption and expectation. The indication of confiding in someone who is unforgivable, unknown and evil, the stress of exams and future careers, bypassing parents with lies, and the incessant baiting of romantic interests all prove the fallacy of speculation. Despite that, to be incorrect and inaccurate, to be flawed and immoral, to make mistakes, stray from the norm, be precarious and therefore guilty, is to be human. Of course, the pressure of guilt can gradually rot the soul, yet the weight should be relaxed by the numbing of a memory and the retention of its life lesson. As the idiom suggests, the metaphorical red skies that break the dawn of each day offer a fresh opportunity of hope, forgiveness and chance that shall never be prevented or averted from.
Pitcher's epistolary fiction opens with a strong expression of the whimsical protagonist, evoking an appealingly uncomplicated and intuitive writing style. This composition, a briefly fickle and lightly comical affair, transitions towards relentless eloquence that is appreciated for its peculiarity. It is the disconcerting monologue from this young teenager to a lethal killer that shapes a beautifully quirky, colloquial and unhindered realism of her own life and the resulting symbology. The novel is consistently quotable, from the adventures of Zoe's love affair, to the misfortune of her little sister, and the occasional account of a spider that has inhabited her garden shed. It is tangible, intricate and uncensored details such as that ordered Ketchup Clouds to become indelibly engrossing to endure.
The caricatures and personas of the story follow dark tropes of young contemporary literature, coupling young love, the vast differences between childhood and teenage experimentation, drugs and sex, along with betrayal and in this case, a life changing crime. The female protagonist, Zoe, is evidently discovering an understanding of attraction and the consequential madness that obsession and necessity can create. The often melodramatic tone of her consciousness allows all to reminisce in the labours of navigating the world through naivety and innocence, one that quickly becomes marked with angst and tempestuous life lessons. In terms of her character, Zoe is obviously bright, but does not remove herself from the brash, inconsiderate and stereotypically capriciousness of teenage girls. For some this repetitive obnoxious aura, one that pushes secondary characters to languish in the background, may become too hard to bear.
Having said that, the protagonist is certainly vindicated in her distress. It is a sentimental literary premise, encapsulating the affliction of guilt as it coincides with a love triangle - an unhealthy involvement with two brothers - that has gone terribly wrong. As the plot deepens, the novel hangs on its readership's sympathy and compassion for teenage circumstance, and thus a exceedingly tough decision is presented to the audience. Should we forgive Zoe for her unfortunate participation in a crime, ultimately a weak and irresponsible child, or should we vilify her? It is a debate that highlights a further argument on the boundaries of responsibility and is hard to conclude upon even now.
The author bravely pulls themes from adult contemporary fiction, where the psychological ideal of multiple selfs has been exposed in the recent crime hit, Gone Girl. When directing her writing towards Stuart Harris - the death row criminal and ex-murderer to whom Zoe confesses her story - the atmosphere switches between dark gaiety and gaucheness that is disturbing in itself. In light of this, the protagonist is sadistically comical and out of tune, making her character absolutely endearing: as she portrays our multiple, varied and dysfunctional personalities. Indeed, the readership similarly engages with the notion that we only present the character we desire others to see and, in fact, we are capable of many selves. Evidently, the novel's heroine learns that her internal criminal and guilt can be destroyed, praising the mentality that the good must shine through the darkness.
Pitcher's descriptions of the grim and miserable climax hit a core that few readers will have knowledge of even possessing. However, the author occupies her story with more guilt than through this key plot twist alone. Dot, the playful and eccentric little sister of the main character, was born deaf. It is the consequence of this disability, the guilt we cannot control or escape which teach us the most. In terms of the fundamental "ketchup clouds" themselves, could Annabel Pitcher be referring to an old wives tale, the warning of red sky in the morning and delight of red skies at night? This symbology would leave readers with an enlightening lesson: stating that each new situation, each day and each life must start with warning of chance and possibility, either good or bad. Whereas the aftermath, the end of the day, a red sky represents the peace that needs to follow an event of pain.
Whilst the traumatic guilt of the main character engulfs Ketchup Clouds as a novel, it is chiefly an account of assumption and expectation. The indication of confiding in someone who is unforgivable, unknown and evil, the stress of exams and future careers, bypassing parents with lies, and the incessant baiting of romantic interests all prove the fallacy of speculation. Despite that, to be incorrect and inaccurate, to be flawed and immoral, to make mistakes, stray from the norm, be precarious and therefore guilty, is to be human. Of course, the pressure of guilt can gradually rot the soul, yet the weight should be relaxed by the numbing of a memory and the retention of its life lesson. As the idiom suggests, the metaphorical red skies that break the dawn of each day offer a fresh opportunity of hope, forgiveness and chance that shall never be prevented or averted from.
eatingwords's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I had this book on my wishlist for forever and when I saw this beautiful edition with the birds on the spine in the bookstore I had to buy it. The premise sounded interesting and the cover was gorgeous: I just had to have it.
When I finally started reading it, I was immediately intrigued by the main character's point of view and her story.
The family dynamics were amazing: I loved Zoe's parents, Soph and especially Dot, who was way too adorable.
I also enjoyed reading about the kind-of-love-triangle-but-not-really. It was complicated, I dare say. Aaron and Max were both distinctive and two very different characters. I was rooting for Aaron throughout the whole story because he just seemed to get Zoe on a higher level than just physical attraction. Max was just horny and somehow seemed to like Zoe and they mostly made out, but never had anything to really talk about.
Zoe was a great main character: I loved her love for birds, her quirkiness, her love for her sisters, her working in a library. She was just a normal teenage girl wanting to have fun and experience things.
The thing that really intrigued me from the beginning was the fact that Zoe started writing letters to a man on Death Row. The letters were not only about her story and how she was doing, but she also wondered how Stuart felt on Death Row and wished him the best despite everything.
The revelation of the mystery fell flat for me. I expected a bit more of it, that's why the rating was bumped down half a star.
Other than that I really enjoyed this book thoroughly: the characters, the story itself and especially Zoe's voice and her point of view overall.
I definitely will look into Annabel Pitcher's other works and see if I like the writing as much as I did in this book.
I had this book on my wishlist for forever and when I saw this beautiful edition with the birds on the spine in the bookstore I had to buy it. The premise sounded interesting and the cover was gorgeous: I just had to have it.
When I finally started reading it, I was immediately intrigued by the main character's point of view and her story.
The family dynamics were amazing: I loved Zoe's parents, Soph and especially Dot, who was way too adorable.
I also enjoyed reading about the kind-of-love-triangle-but-not-really. It was complicated, I dare say. Aaron and Max were both distinctive and two very different characters. I was rooting for Aaron throughout the whole story because he just seemed to get Zoe on a higher level than just physical attraction. Max was just horny and somehow seemed to like Zoe and they mostly made out, but never had anything to really talk about.
Zoe was a great main character: I loved her love for birds, her quirkiness, her love for her sisters, her working in a library. She was just a normal teenage girl wanting to have fun and experience things.
The thing that really intrigued me from the beginning was the fact that Zoe started writing letters to a man on Death Row. The letters were not only about her story and how she was doing, but she also wondered how Stuart felt on Death Row and wished him the best despite everything.
The revelation of the mystery fell flat for me. I expected a bit more of it, that's why the rating was bumped down half a star.
Other than that I really enjoyed this book thoroughly: the characters, the story itself and especially Zoe's voice and her point of view overall.
I definitely will look into Annabel Pitcher's other works and see if I like the writing as much as I did in this book.
squirrelsohno's review against another edition
4.0
Now where did I leave my memory of this book... KETCHUP CLOUDS is one of those books that you kind of forget after a few days - forget the characters, their names, the specifics, but a few things have stuck around with me. I liked it well enough, and by the end it got pretty damn good, but here is the problem: it's rather farfetched on the same level as DEAR KILLER, except more...realistic I guess? It's a book about a girl who kills her boyfriend and writes to a death row killer with excessive detail about the entire encounter, which watching way too much Locked Up tells me is a sure fire way to get caught.
Oh, I'll shut up. Here are my thoughts and I'll make them short because once again, this book ultimately isn't the most memorable entry into the overcrowded YA market. Yes, it was a good entry, but good in the end doesn't mean great - or memorable.
It's about a girl who hides her name but otherwise gives away every detail in the death of her boyfriend. Someone can figure that out. But Zoe, our heroine, is a girl caught between two boys - the boy that every girl dreams of who is also an asshole, and the sweet, caring boy that reminded me too much of my first boyfriend who I care not to discuss. Anyway, the book is told in letters from Zoe to her prison pen pal, a convicted murderer about to be executed for killing his wife after he discovered her cheating on him. He never writes back, but KETCHUP CLOUDS follows her pouring her soul - and every detail that would give her away - into letters trying to come to terms with how she killed a guy.
The beginning is slow going, but about 30-40% in (around page 75 I think) things picked up and I finished the rest of the book in one sitting. I do, however, think it dealt with a love triangle well, especially since the girl has a lot of issues with having two love interests with differing levels of attraction. BONUS POINTS FOR YOU, BOOK. There were ups, there were downs, but mostly I liked Zoe minus her horrible thought process. I think she needed a sassy gay friend to help her, but instead she got... I can't remember, but they weren't sassy.
Anyway, KETCHUP CLOUDS... I read it. I enjoyed it. Other than that? Can't remember a damn thing.
VERDICT: Although a little forgettable and farfetched, KETCHUP CLOUDS is a look into the life of a girl dealing with consequences, regrets, life, and love - and does it well. Check it out.
♥♥♥♥ - FOUR HEARTS
Oh, I'll shut up. Here are my thoughts and I'll make them short because once again, this book ultimately isn't the most memorable entry into the overcrowded YA market. Yes, it was a good entry, but good in the end doesn't mean great - or memorable.
It's about a girl who hides her name but otherwise gives away every detail in the death of her boyfriend. Someone can figure that out. But Zoe, our heroine, is a girl caught between two boys - the boy that every girl dreams of who is also an asshole, and the sweet, caring boy that reminded me too much of my first boyfriend who I care not to discuss. Anyway, the book is told in letters from Zoe to her prison pen pal, a convicted murderer about to be executed for killing his wife after he discovered her cheating on him. He never writes back, but KETCHUP CLOUDS follows her pouring her soul - and every detail that would give her away - into letters trying to come to terms with how she killed a guy.
The beginning is slow going, but about 30-40% in (around page 75 I think) things picked up and I finished the rest of the book in one sitting. I do, however, think it dealt with a love triangle well, especially since the girl has a lot of issues with having two love interests with differing levels of attraction. BONUS POINTS FOR YOU, BOOK. There were ups, there were downs, but mostly I liked Zoe minus her horrible thought process. I think she needed a sassy gay friend to help her, but instead she got... I can't remember, but they weren't sassy.
Anyway, KETCHUP CLOUDS... I read it. I enjoyed it. Other than that? Can't remember a damn thing.
VERDICT: Although a little forgettable and farfetched, KETCHUP CLOUDS is a look into the life of a girl dealing with consequences, regrets, life, and love - and does it well. Check it out.
♥♥♥♥ - FOUR HEARTS
chloe11sophia09's review against another edition
4.0
this book itched my brain in the right way. the writing style was so different but I really liked it
michalice's review against another edition
4.0
Spoiler
When a newsletter was sent for upcoming books, the minute I read a small passage for Ketchup Clouds I knew I wanted to read this book, and while I have not read anything by Annabel Pitcher before, I knew I would like this book.When I began reading, literally within the first few paragraphs I was laughing, the protagonist Zoe, is frank and gets straight to the point with everything she says, and doesn't filter her thoughts.
"...It's jam not blood, though I don't think I need to tell you the difference. It wasn't your wife's jam the police found on your shoe".
By the time I was a few chapters in I lost count of how often I laughed. Zoe was a quirky protagonist who sees the world in her own unique way, and in an attempt to clear her guilty conscience writes letters to Stu, a prisoner in America who is on death row for killing his wife. Her letters tell Stu, and us the reader, about the events that led to the murder of Max. Each chapter is a letter she has written for Stu and I loved the uniqueness of this writing style. By having the chance to read the letters from Zoe, you felt closer to the characters and more involved in the plot, like the letters were actually written for you.
While the letters in Ketchup Clouds are a main part of the story, they lead up slowly to how Max died, along the way we get glimpses into Zoe's life, her friends, her family and their struggle with money, parental arguments, boyfriend, her feelings for another, and the uniquely named cats next door, Lloyd and Webber. All of these pieces make up a story that I could not put down, and I quickly devoured the book.
Annabel has done an amazing job at drawing the reader in and not letting them go until the very end, and while I enjoyed the book I am quite sad that I did not get to see the drawings that are in the story, so I will be picking up a finished copy very soon to sit and enjoy again.
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
5.0
Zoe wants to make a confession. She can’t tell her friends or family of her guilt, so instead she writes letters to a convict on death row. If anyone can understand, he can. She killed a boy and she got away with it.
Ketchup Clouds at its heart, is a story about guilt. Whether or not that guilt is justified, it wells up inside Zoe (not her real name) and forces her to hide in the garden shed to write letters to a stranger. A stranger whose reaction we never see. As she writes, we discover she has got involved with two brothers. One is a rather typical teenage boy (and how refreshing this is to see) and the other is the perfect match so often present in YA fiction. There’s this huge reality check; relationships are not always romantic.
Whilst her love life might be a bit of a disaster, she is the heart of her family, looking out for her sisters whilst her parents are going through a rough patch. I loved the family dynamics and it makes you like Zoe despite her other behaviour. Her youngest sister is deaf, portrayed as a wonderfully vibrant character and the middle sister is rather mean but with reasons that will be revealed.
Zoe’s narrative voice is spot on. Some of her actions are immature and her writing feels young. But it’s not over-simplified or patronising. I found myself laughing at times, loving the irony and her matter of factness. Then there’s the way the letters sound conversational even though there are no replies. They start off addressed to Mr S Harris and slowly become more informal until she’s calling him Stu. Her belief in the goodness in him made me want his story to turn out well too.
This structure does seem to be a growing trend in young adult fiction; the protagonist who has done something bad, revealing part of the picture from the start and using the rest of the novel as a slow reveal. Here, it is done well, but I’m not sure I’d want to read these sorts of books all the time. It helps with the pace as you want to keep reading to get round full circle but I always feel the book is waiting to catch up.
I had a proper snuffly cry at the end. It’s a fantastic book for teenagers to read. I don’t think guilt is always an obvious emotion but it’s one that can ruin lives and relationships.
Ketchup Clouds at its heart, is a story about guilt. Whether or not that guilt is justified, it wells up inside Zoe (not her real name) and forces her to hide in the garden shed to write letters to a stranger. A stranger whose reaction we never see. As she writes, we discover she has got involved with two brothers. One is a rather typical teenage boy (and how refreshing this is to see) and the other is the perfect match so often present in YA fiction. There’s this huge reality check; relationships are not always romantic.
Whilst her love life might be a bit of a disaster, she is the heart of her family, looking out for her sisters whilst her parents are going through a rough patch. I loved the family dynamics and it makes you like Zoe despite her other behaviour. Her youngest sister is deaf, portrayed as a wonderfully vibrant character and the middle sister is rather mean but with reasons that will be revealed.
Zoe’s narrative voice is spot on. Some of her actions are immature and her writing feels young. But it’s not over-simplified or patronising. I found myself laughing at times, loving the irony and her matter of factness. Then there’s the way the letters sound conversational even though there are no replies. They start off addressed to Mr S Harris and slowly become more informal until she’s calling him Stu. Her belief in the goodness in him made me want his story to turn out well too.
This structure does seem to be a growing trend in young adult fiction; the protagonist who has done something bad, revealing part of the picture from the start and using the rest of the novel as a slow reveal. Here, it is done well, but I’m not sure I’d want to read these sorts of books all the time. It helps with the pace as you want to keep reading to get round full circle but I always feel the book is waiting to catch up.
I had a proper snuffly cry at the end. It’s a fantastic book for teenagers to read. I don’t think guilt is always an obvious emotion but it’s one that can ruin lives and relationships.
sclyndes's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed very page and the structure of writing to someone on Death Row was pleasant (I developed an affinity for poor Stuart). I was hoping that there would be a few more twists and maybe a more developed secret. The characters were warm and hilarious but I did struggle with the selfishness of the main character.
christiepb's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
3.25
I think I was anticipating a very different book based on the blurb and extracts, so it’s hard to write a review. For what it was, it was fairly enjoyable although I’m not sure the author has ever actually spoken to or interacted with a teenage boy based on the dialogue they wrote…