Please Ignore Vera Dietz/ by A.S. King/ 326 pages

I heard about this book because it won a Michael Printz Honor this year, and the title intrigued me. Turns out that the title refers to Vera's message to the universe as she tries to make her way through high school unnoticed and un-bothered by the usual trivial high school matters.

Told mainly from Vera's perspective, the book bounces back and forth between present and past tense, and it occasionally brings in other characters' for their perspective on the matters at hand. Among an absent mother, an emotionally distant father, and a mysterious boy-next-door best friend/love interest, the characters in this book come together around some pretty serious topics. The plot is driven by a mystery involving Vera and her neighbor Charlie.

That's all I'll say so as not to give anything away. The book is realistic without being overly intense about the topics it covers (domestic abuse, bullying, teen drinking), and it contains some fantastic elements that keep you guessing.