***Dear Mr. S. Harris, ***
***Ignore the blob of red in the top left corner. 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. . . .***
* * *
* * *
***I know what it's like. ***
* * *
* * *
***Mine wasn't a woman. Mine was a boy. And I killed him exactly three months ago.
***
Zoe has an unconventional pen pal--Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other.
Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe's letters, but at least somebody will know her story--somebody who knows what it's like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again.
Rising literary star Annabel Pitcher pens a captivating second novel, rich with her distinctive balance between humor and heart. Annabel explores the themes of first love, guilt, and grief, introducing a character with a witty voice and true emotional resonance.
**
### From Booklist
*Starred Review* Pitcher, author of the well-received My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece (2012), delivers a novel that is by turns heartbreaking and hilarious. Here, 15-year-old Zoe writes to a Death Row inmate in Texas. She empathizes with him and wants to share her story—after all, she killed someone, too. From the garden shed of her home in England, Zoe (not her real name) pens lengthy letters to Stuart Harris offering snapshots from the previous year: how she met a boy with beautiful brown eyes named Aaron; how, before their feelings for each other were verbalized, she kissed, and then dated, his brother, Max; how Aaron and Zoe kept up the facade of Max and Zoe to protect Max. But one of the brothers ends up dead—this much we know—but we don’t know which one, or how Zoe was involved, until the very end. The suspense is palpable, and Zoe’s voice is witty and introspective as she explores issues relating to family, grief, and love. With each new letter, Zoe writes more familiarly, addressing “Mr. Harris” as “My dearest Stu” and signing with “Love,” as the clock counts down to the inmate’s execution day. While there are a couple of missteps at the very end—including an anticlimactic family revelation—there’s no denying the emotional resonance of this bittersweet novel. Grades 7-12. --Ann Kelley
### Review
**Praise for *Ketchup Clouds*:**
Winner of the 2013 Waterstones Children's Book Prize
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
Nominated for the 2014 Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Young Adult Fiction
**
**
* "It's not just suspense that drives this epistolary page-turner, but Zoe's authentic emotional responses and unyielding wit...[Ketchup Clouds] shows just how easy it is to make mistakes and how hard love can be."
span―****Kirkus Reviews *(starred review)***
* "By turns heartbreaking and hilarious... Zoe's voice is witty and introspective as she explores issues relating to family, grief, and love."―****Booklist *(starred review)***
*"Zoe's introspective and surprisingly humorous voice will strike a chord with readers as they dwell on the space between guilt and innocence."―****Publishers Weekly* (starred review)***
"Zoe's original mind, turns of phrase, and sprightly narrative style give her story quick, light momentum and moments of lyricism...Sharp, articulate perceptions and a measure of suspense-as well as a lively thread of wit and humor-make this a very engaging read."―****The Horn Book****
**Praise for Annabel Pitcher**:
* "...Realistic, gritty, and uplifting."
―****Kirkus Reviews* (starred review)***
* "[Annabel Pitcher] deals with the topic realistically without losing sight of hope."
―****Booklist* (starred review)***
*"...Powerfully honest, quirkily humorous..."
―****Publisher's Weekly *(starred review)***
* "Compelling and believable...by turns heartbreaking and hysterically funny..."
―****School Library Journal* (starred review)***
Description:
***Dear Mr. S. Harris, *** ***Ignore the blob of red in the top left corner. 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. . . .*** * * * * * * ***I know what it's like. *** * * * * * * ***Mine wasn't a woman. Mine was a boy. And I killed him exactly three months ago. *** Zoe has an unconventional pen pal--Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other. Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe's letters, but at least somebody will know her story--somebody who knows what it's like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again. Rising literary star Annabel Pitcher pens a captivating second novel, rich with her distinctive balance between humor and heart. Annabel explores the themes of first love, guilt, and grief, introducing a character with a witty voice and true emotional resonance. ** ### From Booklist *Starred Review* Pitcher, author of the well-received My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece (2012), delivers a novel that is by turns heartbreaking and hilarious. Here, 15-year-old Zoe writes to a Death Row inmate in Texas. She empathizes with him and wants to share her story—after all, she killed someone, too. From the garden shed of her home in England, Zoe (not her real name) pens lengthy letters to Stuart Harris offering snapshots from the previous year: how she met a boy with beautiful brown eyes named Aaron; how, before their feelings for each other were verbalized, she kissed, and then dated, his brother, Max; how Aaron and Zoe kept up the facade of Max and Zoe to protect Max. But one of the brothers ends up dead—this much we know—but we don’t know which one, or how Zoe was involved, until the very end. The suspense is palpable, and Zoe’s voice is witty and introspective as she explores issues relating to family, grief, and love. With each new letter, Zoe writes more familiarly, addressing “Mr. Harris” as “My dearest Stu” and signing with “Love,” as the clock counts down to the inmate’s execution day. While there are a couple of missteps at the very end—including an anticlimactic family revelation—there’s no denying the emotional resonance of this bittersweet novel. Grades 7-12. --Ann Kelley ### Review **Praise for *Ketchup Clouds*:** Winner of the 2013 Waterstones Children's Book Prize A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick Nominated for the 2014 Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Young Adult Fiction ** ** * "It's not just suspense that drives this epistolary page-turner, but Zoe's authentic emotional responses and unyielding wit...[Ketchup Clouds] shows just how easy it is to make mistakes and how hard love can be." span―****Kirkus Reviews *(starred review)*** * "By turns heartbreaking and hilarious... Zoe's voice is witty and introspective as she explores issues relating to family, grief, and love."―****Booklist *(starred review)*** *"Zoe's introspective and surprisingly humorous voice will strike a chord with readers as they dwell on the space between guilt and innocence."―****Publishers Weekly* (starred review)*** "Zoe's original mind, turns of phrase, and sprightly narrative style give her story quick, light momentum and moments of lyricism...Sharp, articulate perceptions and a measure of suspense-as well as a lively thread of wit and humor-make this a very engaging read."―****The Horn Book**** **Praise for Annabel Pitcher**: * "...Realistic, gritty, and uplifting." ―****Kirkus Reviews* (starred review)*** * "[Annabel Pitcher] deals with the topic realistically without losing sight of hope." ―****Booklist* (starred review)*** *"...Powerfully honest, quirkily humorous..." ―****Publisher's Weekly *(starred review)*** * "Compelling and believable...by turns heartbreaking and hysterically funny..." ―****School Library Journal* (starred review)***