Please Ignore Vera Dietz

by A.S. King

[Kelly]

Charlie Kahn's life is told on small, crumpled corners of napkins, hastily written just as Charlie lived. In frenetic moments. The Khan family lived next door to Vera Dietz, the daughter of a teen mother and former stripper, raised by her thrifty and practical father. At Charlie's, his father is an abusive wife beater in a town where almost half the residents live below the poverty line. Life is tough but Vera and Charlie have always had one another. Until Charlie's life spirals out of control before his death, with only crumpled corners of napkins to clear his name.

The nonlinear narrative follows the journey of eighteen year old Vera Dietz, as she comes to terms with Charlie's death. Towards the end of his young life Charlie was a troubled young man, which wasn't always the case. Once a supportive and loyal friend, Charlie and Vera explored the world around them but as the two children begun to mature, Charlie's behaviour became increasingly disturbing.

I loved Vera's voice as she attempts to move forward with her life after Charlie. Her father, a thrifty accountant, has instilled a strong work ethic in his daughter. His expectations although honourable, place Vera under pressure to balance school with working full time. It's always been Vera and her father, even when her mother was still present in their lives. A teen mother not seemingly ready to devote her life to her child, all becoming too much when she fled to Las Vegas with her new boyfriend. The relationship between Vera and her father is cold and distant, his points of view often discuss his fear of Vera using alcohol to numb the loss of Charlie, her father a former alcoholic who understands the downward spiral of despair.

The chapters from a deceased Charlie show his self destruction, drinking and taking drugs with a group of troubled teens he met while in detention. He begins to push Vera away, isolating her and only using their friendship when it's to his own advantage. It was difficult to see the carefree and charming boy beneath the exterior, the boy Vera fell in love with. In his afterlife, Charlie manifests to play on Vera's subconscious and until she is able to clear his name, she will truly never be able to let go.

My issue is that although I liked Vera, Charlie was horrid. His character was mean spirited, degrading and self centered. It also discusses how we are often a result of our environment, Charlie's father abuses his mother, suggesting this may be the cause of Charlie's behaviour. We're all products of our environment but Charlie made the decision to push Vera away, to abuse her trust and her love for him and I had absolutely no sympathy for him. The highlight was Vera's turbulent relationship with her father. As she matures, they begin communicating with one another and grow closer. It was lovely and gentle.

I liked it. Sort of. I had read a few reviews beforehand from trusted reviewers so I had expected a wonderfully warm although confronting storyline. I expected emotion and perhaps tears but I felt nothing. I feel as though I've missed something profound and honestly, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. It was well written and I really enjoyed the rawness and confrontation of the underlying themes but the storyline let me down. Especially the usage of animal abuse to show one character as the villain of the story.

I wanted so desperately to love it but sadly was left feeling empty.