A review by shhchar
Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

4.0

Ketchup Clouds was really interesting. I wasn't expecting much from the synopsis because it came across as a bit immature to me, but I really loved it. While most of it is cute and the protagonist is relatable, there are darker aspects of it.

Zoe came across as pretty self-centered at first, but I didn't dislike her for it. She can't be expected to be perfect, she's human and a teenager. Her two romances contrasted one another so much. It was mystifying to remember that this was the same girl in each relationship (but in a good kind of way.)

Spoiler

I really think that Zoe and Aaron could have still been together in the end. I often don't say that I would change big things about the book, but in this case I would. The face that Aaron ran off to South America wasn't unexpected, but him coming back but not to her was a big let down.

The end of the novel didn't leave me with very much closure. There were a few big things that I would change, but they didn't hurt the book overall.

I loved all the relationship dynamics, especially within Zoe's family. Her sisters were very interesting and I'm glad they got a lot of focus. Her parents were a force to be reckoned with

Spoiler

and along with the lack of closure, who knows if they ended up staying together?

The fact that Zoe's mother was SO unlikable but then turned out to have real reasons for her over protectiveness in the end was a good plot twist that I wasn't expecting.

I liked how the book was written in form, with letters to Stuart and also in present and past. The entire book I went back and forth, wondering who would be the one in the coffin. The end was very unexpected.

P.S. The fact that someone dies isn't a spoiler, it's included in the synopsis and is spoken of in the first letter!