By Ellie Bowker
Even though the title of this book sounds very bizarre, Ketchup Clouds is a gripping must read book for all teenagers. Pitcher has perfectly captured the voice of teenager, Zoe, who is hiding a devastating secret that has left her ridden with guilt. Through letters to a serial killer on Death Row, Zoe shares her dark and terrible secret that she can’t confess to anyone that she knows. Zoe feels as if criminal, Stuart Harris, is the only person who can understand her as he is no stranger to secrets, lies and murder.
Even though the title of this book sounds very bizarre, Ketchup Clouds is a gripping must read book for all teenagers. Pitcher has perfectly captured the voice of teenager, Zoe, who is hiding a devastating secret that has left her ridden with guilt. Through letters to a serial killer on Death Row, Zoe shares her dark and terrible secret that she can’t confess to anyone that she knows. Zoe feels as if criminal, Stuart Harris, is the only person who can understand her as he is no stranger to secrets, lies and murder.
In the first letter, we find out that our main character, Zoe Collins, has killed someone and has literally gotten away with murder. Throughout the letters, we switch between the past and the present. She tells the story to Stuart Harris of how she got in to that situation and the run up of events before she committed the crime whilst showing us snippets of her life now and how she is dealing with the guilt and remorse and how her life has changed since. What’s interesting about this book is that it’s like a reverse murder mystery novel because we find out who the murderer is first but you have to keep reading and try to figure out who the victim is. Some people might argue that you don’t find out who the killer is straight away because “Zoe Collins” is actually a pseudonym and, again, you don’t find out her real name until the end of the book. You still know that the narrator is the killer but you don’t know their name.
As well as Zoe, we meet Max Morgan and Aaron Morgan who are the components to Zoe’s love triangle. Did I mention that they’re brothers? Max is not the nicest guy around and it is implied later in the book that he has an alcohol problem but is pretty good at football. Aaron is the nice and sweet boy who Zoe prefers so much more to Max however, after Zoe sees Aaron with another girl, she immediately jumps to conclusions that he is in a relationship and, in her heartbreak, accepts Max’s proposal to be his girlfriend. Later, Zoe finds out that Aaron was never in a relationship so then begins a secret affair with Aaron and they swear to tell Max the truth on May 1st; the day the murder takes place.
The story flowed nicely. Annabel Pitcher did an incredible job of continuing the believable narrative of Zoe as a teenage girl. The reader could really understand Zoe’s feelings and empathise with her. In regards to the ending, it was satisfying. When we got to the actual murder scene, personally I felt like it wasn’t as brutal as was expected but you could still understand where Zoe’s remorse and guilt stemmed from. You couldn’t say that there was a happy ending because it ended on quite a sad note and it left you to decide what happened to Zoe after the ending of the book. There are hints of Zoe growing and moving on from the murder but it was clear that there were still some things hanging in the air.
Ketchup Clouds is a lovely coming of age story that isn’t just full of drama and mystery but there are also elements of comedy and a whole lot of romance. Pitcher has chosen a unique narrative that is so captivating that you won’t want to stop reading. The letters give you an honest and humorous insight in to Zoe’s life that not only includes her love life but also her friendships and family life. When Zoe talks about the run up to the murder, those are the most gripping parts but it is interesting to read her account of her present life to try and piece together who the actual victim is. It is a wonderfully sad yet romantic book and if you are looking for an emotional and moving read then I would recommend this one.
As well as Zoe, we meet Max Morgan and Aaron Morgan who are the components to Zoe’s love triangle. Did I mention that they’re brothers? Max is not the nicest guy around and it is implied later in the book that he has an alcohol problem but is pretty good at football. Aaron is the nice and sweet boy who Zoe prefers so much more to Max however, after Zoe sees Aaron with another girl, she immediately jumps to conclusions that he is in a relationship and, in her heartbreak, accepts Max’s proposal to be his girlfriend. Later, Zoe finds out that Aaron was never in a relationship so then begins a secret affair with Aaron and they swear to tell Max the truth on May 1st; the day the murder takes place.
The story flowed nicely. Annabel Pitcher did an incredible job of continuing the believable narrative of Zoe as a teenage girl. The reader could really understand Zoe’s feelings and empathise with her. In regards to the ending, it was satisfying. When we got to the actual murder scene, personally I felt like it wasn’t as brutal as was expected but you could still understand where Zoe’s remorse and guilt stemmed from. You couldn’t say that there was a happy ending because it ended on quite a sad note and it left you to decide what happened to Zoe after the ending of the book. There are hints of Zoe growing and moving on from the murder but it was clear that there were still some things hanging in the air.
Ketchup Clouds is a lovely coming of age story that isn’t just full of drama and mystery but there are also elements of comedy and a whole lot of romance. Pitcher has chosen a unique narrative that is so captivating that you won’t want to stop reading. The letters give you an honest and humorous insight in to Zoe’s life that not only includes her love life but also her friendships and family life. When Zoe talks about the run up to the murder, those are the most gripping parts but it is interesting to read her account of her present life to try and piece together who the actual victim is. It is a wonderfully sad yet romantic book and if you are looking for an emotional and moving read then I would recommend this one.
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