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Dear Zoe
Philip Beard’s stunning debut novel is fifteen-year-old Tess DeNunzio’s letter to her sister, Zoe, lost to a hit-and-run driver on a day when it seemed that nothing mattered but the tragedies playing out in New York and Washington. Dear Zoe is a remarkable study of grief, adolescence, and healing with a pitch-perfect narrator who is at once sharp and naïve, world- worried and self-centered, funny and heartbreakingly honest. Tess begins her letter to Zoe as a means of figuring out her own life, her place in the world, but the result is a novel of rare power and grace that tells us much about ours.
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2004
69 people are currently reading
2048 people want to read
About the author
Philip Beard
7 books37 followersPhilip Beard is a recovering attorney and award-winning author of Dear Zoe, which was a Book Sense Pick, a Borders Original Voices selection, and was named by the American Library Association's "Booklist" as one of its Ten Best First Novels of the year. It has enjoyed a second life being taught in high school classrooms across the country and is currently being developed as a feature film. His latest novel, Swing, centered around an unlikely friendship between a 10 year-old boy and a legless Korean War veteran, recently received the 2016 IPPY Gold Medal for Contemporary Fiction.
Praise for Swing:
"Philip Beard's SWING is a novel to be savored"
- Sara Gruen, New York Times Bestselling author of Water for Elephants
“…at once heartbreaking, uplifting and emotionally resonant. In a word, it’s beautiful."
-Pittsburgh Magazine
"SWING is richly rewarding...a tight, poignant coming of age novel...[that] will stay with you long after you put this book down." –Sports Illustrated
“It wouldn’t be fair or accurate to call SWING a sports book. It’s too rare for that.”
–The Sporting News
“Every character—the absent father, the troubled sister, the mysterious wonder that is John Kostka—feels alive due to Beard‘s skillfully simple prose and dialogue. With SWING, Beard has hit it out of the park.”
–Foreword Reviews
“...just about perfect.”
-The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Praise for Dear Zoe,
“Like The Lovely Bones, it is a piercing look at how a family recovers from a devastating loss. Everything about this moving, powerful debut rings true.”
– Booklist (starred review)
“Dear Zoe is an almost flawless novel of self-discovery and redemption. It is the sort of book that a generation can call ‘theirs,’ a book that captures the trials of adolescence and the aching numbness of America in the aftermath of 9/11.”
– The Press of Atlantic City
“The whole novel rings with truth. By the end of it, we’re meditating on the ideas of loss and redemption, the ways in which personal tragedies get absorbed into larger ones, but never
obliterated, never forgotten.”
– The Buffalo News
Praise for Swing:
"Philip Beard's SWING is a novel to be savored"
- Sara Gruen, New York Times Bestselling author of Water for Elephants
“…at once heartbreaking, uplifting and emotionally resonant. In a word, it’s beautiful."
-Pittsburgh Magazine
"SWING is richly rewarding...a tight, poignant coming of age novel...[that] will stay with you long after you put this book down." –Sports Illustrated
“It wouldn’t be fair or accurate to call SWING a sports book. It’s too rare for that.”
–The Sporting News
“Every character—the absent father, the troubled sister, the mysterious wonder that is John Kostka—feels alive due to Beard‘s skillfully simple prose and dialogue. With SWING, Beard has hit it out of the park.”
–Foreword Reviews
“...just about perfect.”
-The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Praise for Dear Zoe,
“Like The Lovely Bones, it is a piercing look at how a family recovers from a devastating loss. Everything about this moving, powerful debut rings true.”
– Booklist (starred review)
“Dear Zoe is an almost flawless novel of self-discovery and redemption. It is the sort of book that a generation can call ‘theirs,’ a book that captures the trials of adolescence and the aching numbness of America in the aftermath of 9/11.”
– The Press of Atlantic City
“The whole novel rings with truth. By the end of it, we’re meditating on the ideas of loss and redemption, the ways in which personal tragedies get absorbed into larger ones, but never
obliterated, never forgotten.”
– The Buffalo News
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 250 reviews
August 26, 2015
Dear Philip,
How did you do that? How did you write a book that is narrated by a fifteen-year-old girl without sounding in any way like anything other than a fifteen-year-old girl? No amount of research could get you to that level of authenticity, so I am really wondering what your secret is. To capture so perfectly what it is to be young, female and utterly broken is no small feat. How did you come up with the idea for this novel (which is brilliant, by the way)? Juxtaposing an epic personal tragedy with the events of September 11th opens the reader to the realization that while the bottom dropped out for all of us that day, there are people who suffered losses on that day that were in no way connected to the worst tragedy in our nations history. Grief is a beast, a formidable opponent for the most well-balanced adults...how could you present so convincingly a picture of a teenage girl battling guilt and struggling to make sense of her grief? Oh, and where did you find that narrator? She was amazing. This is a YA book that doesn't romanticize and presents a lot for discussion. Well done. 3.5 stars.
Best Regards,
Kelli
How did you do that? How did you write a book that is narrated by a fifteen-year-old girl without sounding in any way like anything other than a fifteen-year-old girl? No amount of research could get you to that level of authenticity, so I am really wondering what your secret is. To capture so perfectly what it is to be young, female and utterly broken is no small feat. How did you come up with the idea for this novel (which is brilliant, by the way)? Juxtaposing an epic personal tragedy with the events of September 11th opens the reader to the realization that while the bottom dropped out for all of us that day, there are people who suffered losses on that day that were in no way connected to the worst tragedy in our nations history. Grief is a beast, a formidable opponent for the most well-balanced adults...how could you present so convincingly a picture of a teenage girl battling guilt and struggling to make sense of her grief? Oh, and where did you find that narrator? She was amazing. This is a YA book that doesn't romanticize and presents a lot for discussion. Well done. 3.5 stars.
Best Regards,
Kelli
June 6, 2016
THE REVIEW
Why this book?
I wanted to read something heart wrenching
What I thought
Like I said I wanted to read something heart wrenching and that is exactly what Dear Zoe was. It was a letter from Tess to her deceased baby sister Zoe. Who died on September 11th but not in the way you think. It tells of story of family, first love and a 15 year old girl struggling to make sense of her grief. I thought this was a really beautifully written book and it filled me up with many emotions. I had a couple of laughs and more then a few tears. I highly recommend it!
Why this book?
I wanted to read something heart wrenching
What I thought
Like I said I wanted to read something heart wrenching and that is exactly what Dear Zoe was. It was a letter from Tess to her deceased baby sister Zoe. Who died on September 11th but not in the way you think. It tells of story of family, first love and a 15 year old girl struggling to make sense of her grief. I thought this was a really beautifully written book and it filled me up with many emotions. I had a couple of laughs and more then a few tears. I highly recommend it!
October 2, 2023
Short book that really packs a punch.
September 11, 2001; a day that everyone who was alive can remember, because of the news footage of planes crashing into towers, and then the Pentagon, and then an open field. 17-year-old Tess and her family remember it for a different reason…and their grief over who they lost that day is tearing them apart…
Wow, such a beautifully written story. Makes one think about what was going on in America on 9/11 besides terrorist attacks; birthdays, weddings, funerals, adoptions, etc., all overshadowed…
Red Flags:
This definitely a book for mature young adult readers and older. There are incidents of teen drug use, and a scene of sexual intimacy. Thoughts of suicide are mentioned, but not acted upon.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.175)-“Because that’s what 9/11 is now; a day that’s named after it’s date.Will people ever be able to say “I was born on September 11”,without feeling like they have to look down and away at something off to the side when they say it?”
*A movie based on this book, in the making since 2019, will debut on November 4, 2022.*
September 11, 2001; a day that everyone who was alive can remember, because of the news footage of planes crashing into towers, and then the Pentagon, and then an open field. 17-year-old Tess and her family remember it for a different reason…and their grief over who they lost that day is tearing them apart…
Wow, such a beautifully written story. Makes one think about what was going on in America on 9/11 besides terrorist attacks; birthdays, weddings, funerals, adoptions, etc., all overshadowed…
Red Flags:
This definitely a book for mature young adult readers and older. There are incidents of teen drug use, and a scene of sexual intimacy. Thoughts of suicide are mentioned, but not acted upon.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.175)-“Because that’s what 9/11 is now; a day that’s named after it’s date.Will people ever be able to say “I was born on September 11”,without feeling like they have to look down and away at something off to the side when they say it?”
*A movie based on this book, in the making since 2019, will debut on November 4, 2022.*
April 27, 2013
I cried. Several times. I also had to check multiple times to make sure that this wasn't a true story. That this was written by a man. Not a teenage girl, or someone who remembers being that girl.
It was honest and authentic. It talked about the directly about nervous energy that comes after setting yourself free or beginning to. It talks about how external acceptance isn't enough. It explains and walks thrugh the process of inept grief. The denial, the frozenness. The secrets. The walls seperating an individual from the world. Held private. Too complex to have one simple explanation why, because of shame and guilt, be it misplaced or not it is real. The gulf between the people who are supposed to be the closest to you. Stuck in a am I doing the right thing. Eggshell I would rather just avoid it and carry it with me. Guard it, and protect it. Though rationally realize it is too late, that thing, that intangible, is broken. It has become something else and needs to be shared.
Pain and the process of coping, is highly individual even though everyone who has lived long enough has experienced it. In all the same ways.
Anyway it is a book I identify with even though the circumstances aren't ones I have experienced. It is an apt and reachable depiction of life.
It was honest and authentic. It talked about the directly about nervous energy that comes after setting yourself free or beginning to. It talks about how external acceptance isn't enough. It explains and walks thrugh the process of inept grief. The denial, the frozenness. The secrets. The walls seperating an individual from the world. Held private. Too complex to have one simple explanation why, because of shame and guilt, be it misplaced or not it is real. The gulf between the people who are supposed to be the closest to you. Stuck in a am I doing the right thing. Eggshell I would rather just avoid it and carry it with me. Guard it, and protect it. Though rationally realize it is too late, that thing, that intangible, is broken. It has become something else and needs to be shared.
Pain and the process of coping, is highly individual even though everyone who has lived long enough has experienced it. In all the same ways.
Anyway it is a book I identify with even though the circumstances aren't ones I have experienced. It is an apt and reachable depiction of life.
April 11, 2012
When people say, September 11, 2001, everyone's mind goes to the tragic attack on America, but we all seem to forget that other's lives changed that day as well that had nothing to do with the events that unfolded that. Tess witnessed her little sister, Zoe, being hit and killed by a car outside thier home. This book is written as a letter from 15 year old Tess to Zoe. Zoe's death throw the family into a state of utter confusion- her step-father now works late into the night, her mother sleeps all the time and her other little, Em, is left alone. Tess, who was suppose to watching Zoe when she was killed, is thrown into a state of guilt, as a result, Tess decides to move in with her biological father in efforts to find the space she needs to grieve, she finds a lot more than what she expected.
This book is so much more than what I expected going into it. It brought me to tears, to laughter, to tears again. I also liked how the author didn't solely focus on the events of 9/11, he uses it as a mirror to reflect that every death as an impact on the people left behind. My favorite passage states:
"You died in this tiny, silent part of that day…. The hardest part is
going to be the day itself, the anniversary. The world will stop.
People will cry. They will relive the pictures and the familiar
video of what to them felt like the end of the world. But it will
be just like before. You won't be any part of what they're thinking
about. You'll just be the silence itself. Every living person, even
ones who lost no one, will be thinking of all those people who fell
out of the sky and no one except Mom and David and Em and me will
be thinking of you."
Deals with: Death, 9/11, Love, Family, Friends, Growing up, Sex, forgiveness
This book is so much more than what I expected going into it. It brought me to tears, to laughter, to tears again. I also liked how the author didn't solely focus on the events of 9/11, he uses it as a mirror to reflect that every death as an impact on the people left behind. My favorite passage states:
"You died in this tiny, silent part of that day…. The hardest part is
going to be the day itself, the anniversary. The world will stop.
People will cry. They will relive the pictures and the familiar
video of what to them felt like the end of the world. But it will
be just like before. You won't be any part of what they're thinking
about. You'll just be the silence itself. Every living person, even
ones who lost no one, will be thinking of all those people who fell
out of the sky and no one except Mom and David and Em and me will
be thinking of you."
Deals with: Death, 9/11, Love, Family, Friends, Growing up, Sex, forgiveness
September 17, 2022
This book wrecked me...I thought it was very original and the narrator will break your heart.
September 16, 2013
"Remember how I said nothing changes everything? I think I was wrong about that. I'm starting to think maybe everything changes everything. That we never know what's going to happen next and we're not even supposed to. Maybe "Z" is the shape of everyone's life.You're going along in what feels like a straight line, headed for one horizon, the only one as far as you know, and then something happens, maybe something good, maybe something terrible, or maybe just something like seeing a guy picking out a cantaloupe at the store, something that feels like nothing, and all of a sudden you're headed at another horizon altogether. Good things can happen that you did nothing to deserve. Bad things can happen that aren't really anyone's fault. And it's sad how, if you let yourself, it's so much easier to think about what you've lost instead of what you have left. I'm not saying everything's okay because it's not. We will never, ever be the same without you. We have our good and bad days as a family, and you will always be the invisible center of both. But love is this really powerful thing that everyone's got if they'd just learn how to accept it. I mean, come on. If it's something we all have to give, and if it's something we all want, doesn't that mean there's exactly enough to go around?"
December 18, 2020
i loved the book and i can't wait to see sadie as tess. the story really kept me wanting more and more (hence why i read it so fast, i started it last night, fell asleep while reading and then continued right after i woke up) but i was really hoping to know more about what exactly happened with tess and that friend that got arrested. maybe we'll see more in the movie...? i definetly hope so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2022
3,5/5
Najtragiczniejszy dzień w życiu Tess DeNunzio zapisał się na zawsze w kartach historii. Dziewczyna czuje jednak jakby smierć jej ukochanej najmłodszej siostry nie miała tak dużej wagi w obliczu zamachu na WTC. Jest osamotniona w swojej żałobie, z którą jej rodzina nie radzi sobie zbyt dobrze. Jedyne co utrzymuje Tess przy życiu jest w rzeczywistości jej siedmioletnia siostra - Emily.
Historia Tess niezwykle mnie poruszyła i sprawiła, że mój dzień zwalniał, gdy tylko sięgałam po książkę. W obliczu tak wielu tragedii, o których wieść niesie się po całym świecie, zapominamy nieraz o tych chwilach strachu czy smutku, których inni ludzie doświadczają w tym samym czasie. Jesteśmy tak skupieni na pędzeniu i śledzeniu środków masowego przekazu, że nie zwracamy uwagi na to, co dzieje się wokół nas. Interesują nas największe tragedie, a o tych małych… zapominamy.
Tess pozwala czytelnikowi zajrzeć do jej świata, który opisuje w listach do zmarłej siostry. Droga, jaką pokonuje, nie jest prosta, bo dziewczyna cierpi, tęskni i w ciszy walczy o pamięć o Zoe. Jej dotychczasowy dom przestaje być ciepłym i rodzinnym miejscem, jakim był przed wypadkiem. Gdzieniegdzie możemy dostrzec, jak bohaterowie nieudolnie próbują radzić sobie z codziennością, w której brakuje im siły i wsparcia. Tess podejmuje wiele decyzji, które doprowadzają do nowych doświadczeń. Widać, jak kawałek po kawałku odnajduje siebie, dochodzi do pogodzenia się ze stratą, a przy tym scala rodzinę, która potrzebuje swojej bliskości, choć nie chce tego przyznać.
Uważam, że „Droga Zoe” jest ważną i wartą uwagi książką. Zwraca naszą uwagę na to, co ważne, ale nieraz niewidoczne dla otaczających nas ludzi.
Jak na literaturę młodzieżową przystało książka napisana jest bardzo prostym językiem i jak najbardziej przystępnym dla młodych czytelników. Osobiście nie byłabym w stanie przeczytać tej pozycji i zrozumieć jej wystarczająco dobrze, mając 12 czy 13 lat, więc zachęcam wziąć to pod uwagę.
Najtragiczniejszy dzień w życiu Tess DeNunzio zapisał się na zawsze w kartach historii. Dziewczyna czuje jednak jakby smierć jej ukochanej najmłodszej siostry nie miała tak dużej wagi w obliczu zamachu na WTC. Jest osamotniona w swojej żałobie, z którą jej rodzina nie radzi sobie zbyt dobrze. Jedyne co utrzymuje Tess przy życiu jest w rzeczywistości jej siedmioletnia siostra - Emily.
Historia Tess niezwykle mnie poruszyła i sprawiła, że mój dzień zwalniał, gdy tylko sięgałam po książkę. W obliczu tak wielu tragedii, o których wieść niesie się po całym świecie, zapominamy nieraz o tych chwilach strachu czy smutku, których inni ludzie doświadczają w tym samym czasie. Jesteśmy tak skupieni na pędzeniu i śledzeniu środków masowego przekazu, że nie zwracamy uwagi na to, co dzieje się wokół nas. Interesują nas największe tragedie, a o tych małych… zapominamy.
Tess pozwala czytelnikowi zajrzeć do jej świata, który opisuje w listach do zmarłej siostry. Droga, jaką pokonuje, nie jest prosta, bo dziewczyna cierpi, tęskni i w ciszy walczy o pamięć o Zoe. Jej dotychczasowy dom przestaje być ciepłym i rodzinnym miejscem, jakim był przed wypadkiem. Gdzieniegdzie możemy dostrzec, jak bohaterowie nieudolnie próbują radzić sobie z codziennością, w której brakuje im siły i wsparcia. Tess podejmuje wiele decyzji, które doprowadzają do nowych doświadczeń. Widać, jak kawałek po kawałku odnajduje siebie, dochodzi do pogodzenia się ze stratą, a przy tym scala rodzinę, która potrzebuje swojej bliskości, choć nie chce tego przyznać.
Uważam, że „Droga Zoe” jest ważną i wartą uwagi książką. Zwraca naszą uwagę na to, co ważne, ale nieraz niewidoczne dla otaczających nas ludzi.
Jak na literaturę młodzieżową przystało książka napisana jest bardzo prostym językiem i jak najbardziej przystępnym dla młodych czytelników. Osobiście nie byłabym w stanie przeczytać tej pozycji i zrozumieć jej wystarczająco dobrze, mając 12 czy 13 lat, więc zachęcam wziąć to pod uwagę.
May 7, 2022
This book was out of this world! The whole journey following along with Tess and her family was absolutely amazing. And the ending was so good and I love how it’s all written by Tess and I’m her perspective. I give this a 4.5 super easy and fast read.
November 30, 2024
Truth be told I only picked up this book because it had my name on the title, Zoe. It was an amazing read, made me feel so many emotions but most importantly fall in love with the story. I would recommend it to anyone who asked because even though it was a blind choice for me, it ended up being a beautiful one.
March 16, 2023
2.5 Stars
The book was exactly what it sounded like—a 15-year-old's letter. The narration was exactly like a 15-year-old's. I picked it up because it was about grief, but I didn't really find what I was looking for. It was just a decent short read.
The book was exactly what it sounded like—a 15-year-old's letter. The narration was exactly like a 15-year-old's. I picked it up because it was about grief, but I didn't really find what I was looking for. It was just a decent short read.
November 26, 2024
Dear Zoe by Philip Beard
Plot: B
Character: A-
Writing: B+
Setting: B+
Best Aspect: Heartfelt and realistic YA dramatic novel that was short and flowed smoothly.
Worst Aspect: Felt so empty in the style it was written in… a letter to a dead person.
Recommend: Yes.
Plot: B
Character: A-
Writing: B+
Setting: B+
Best Aspect: Heartfelt and realistic YA dramatic novel that was short and flowed smoothly.
Worst Aspect: Felt so empty in the style it was written in… a letter to a dead person.
Recommend: Yes.
May 2, 2015
September 11, 2001 was a tragic day in U.S. history. Tess’ three-year-old sister Zoe died that day, just as countless others did. Many died in the terrorist attack, but others like Zoe died in other places where the magnitude of their death only devastated a family, not a nation. But each and every one are tragedies nonetheless.
In Dear Zoe, fifteen-year-old Tess begins to write a letter to the little sister who will never read it. She tells Zoe little things about her life that she may have told her when she got older. Like how they decided as a family to name her Zoe. She also tells her about how the family she left is coping with the hole left in their lives when Zoe died.
Tess is actually Zoe’s step-sister. Her mom and step-father married when Tess was young, after her mom divorced her real dad, who still plays a part in Tess’ life. He isn’t necessarily a bad person, but is more of a dreamer and sometimes a schemer who always finds a reason not to work.
David, Tess’ step-father, is a hard working family man who loves her. He didn’t really know much about being a father, but got better at it as the family grew with two more daughters, Emily and Zoe. Tess always thought of Em and Zoe as her sisters, never “half” or “step”, loving them both with her whole heart.
After Zoe’s accident the little family imploded. The only one that seemed to be “normal” was Em. The seven-year-old has always been wise beyond her years, but losing the little sister she adored and watching the rest of her fragile family float away from her was way too much for a first grader to handle.
This book is quite possibly one of the best books I have ever read. The underlying sadness of Zoe’s death mixed with the joy she brought to the family in her three short years is heart-breakingly beautiful. Now Tess has to grow up fast and could easily take the wrong path when it is practically dropped in her lap.
Em is the one that broke my heart. She was so lost without anyone to tell her life would be ok I wanted to bring her home to keep her safe until her family was well enough to do it themselves. Em made me cry more than once as she watched her family disengage from the life she knew and she was too small to get it back.
Beard is an extraordinary author. He creates characters that are so well developed they don’t just seem real; they ARE real to the reader. Tess grows up in the year it takes her to write this love letter to Zoe, and it is not without pain. We are swept along through her loss of innocence, hoping she will make it through this personal journey without too many scars.
This is Beard’s first book, and has since written two more, Lost in the Garden and Swing. I’ve read Swing and plan to order Lost in the Garden today. It is rare to find an author that can write in so many different voices and make all of them come to life. The stories he tells are rich and full, giving the reader enough details to pull you into the world he has created with his words without a hint of slowing the flow of the intricately beautiful plot.
I read a lot of books. Only a handful of authors amaze me. Philip Beard is one of them.
Copyright © 2015 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.
In Dear Zoe, fifteen-year-old Tess begins to write a letter to the little sister who will never read it. She tells Zoe little things about her life that she may have told her when she got older. Like how they decided as a family to name her Zoe. She also tells her about how the family she left is coping with the hole left in their lives when Zoe died.
Tess is actually Zoe’s step-sister. Her mom and step-father married when Tess was young, after her mom divorced her real dad, who still plays a part in Tess’ life. He isn’t necessarily a bad person, but is more of a dreamer and sometimes a schemer who always finds a reason not to work.
David, Tess’ step-father, is a hard working family man who loves her. He didn’t really know much about being a father, but got better at it as the family grew with two more daughters, Emily and Zoe. Tess always thought of Em and Zoe as her sisters, never “half” or “step”, loving them both with her whole heart.
After Zoe’s accident the little family imploded. The only one that seemed to be “normal” was Em. The seven-year-old has always been wise beyond her years, but losing the little sister she adored and watching the rest of her fragile family float away from her was way too much for a first grader to handle.
This book is quite possibly one of the best books I have ever read. The underlying sadness of Zoe’s death mixed with the joy she brought to the family in her three short years is heart-breakingly beautiful. Now Tess has to grow up fast and could easily take the wrong path when it is practically dropped in her lap.
Em is the one that broke my heart. She was so lost without anyone to tell her life would be ok I wanted to bring her home to keep her safe until her family was well enough to do it themselves. Em made me cry more than once as she watched her family disengage from the life she knew and she was too small to get it back.
Beard is an extraordinary author. He creates characters that are so well developed they don’t just seem real; they ARE real to the reader. Tess grows up in the year it takes her to write this love letter to Zoe, and it is not without pain. We are swept along through her loss of innocence, hoping she will make it through this personal journey without too many scars.
This is Beard’s first book, and has since written two more, Lost in the Garden and Swing. I’ve read Swing and plan to order Lost in the Garden today. It is rare to find an author that can write in so many different voices and make all of them come to life. The stories he tells are rich and full, giving the reader enough details to pull you into the world he has created with his words without a hint of slowing the flow of the intricately beautiful plot.
I read a lot of books. Only a handful of authors amaze me. Philip Beard is one of them.
Copyright © 2015 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.
January 5, 2009
"Maybe 'Z' is the shape of everyone's life," writes Philip Beard. "You're going along in what feels like a straight line, headed for one horizon, the only one as far as you know, and then something happens..."
But my zigs and zags were few in Philip Beard's slim novel, "Dear Zoe." On this level of writing, it's smooth sailing. Beard is a skilled writer, and his style is seamless enough that he accomplishes the very difficult writer's task - not only of crossing genders in this first person narrative by a female, but with the voice of a very young female - all of 15 years old. And he does it convincingly.
So convincingly, in fact, that I felt myself as reader engage as I should, that is, to lose awareness of self and surroundings, soon immersed completely into the storyline and characters. "Dear Zoe" is a letter, written across time, from one sister to another. Zoe, however, will never read this letter. Zoe is gone, killed in a car accident, and this letter is, perhaps, how older sister Tess copes with her loss, her grief, even her guilt.
This extended letter is about Tess but also about her extended family. It is family like any: not without its dysfunctions, not without its baggage and broken places, with elaborate wounds and still healing scars. When a member of a family unexpectedly dies, everyone grieves, each in his or her own way and own pace, and it can at times meld a family together, at others rip apart. Beard portrays all of this messy and zigzagging process, but without any melodrama, always sensing when to draw the appropriate line.
Then comes the true test. Nearing end, the storyline veers into an event in American history that is almost impossible to mention without imploding into melodrama. When I realized the backdrop this author was setting up for his story, I nearly winced, but, wait, what's this? Oh, my. Beard makes it work. Work so well, in fact, that he accomplishes the individualizing of something nationally, even internationally shared, and brings it down to one heart, one life, one experience, felt by one person at a time. This personal tragedy is of a size, immense and miniscule at once, that each reader will be able to absorb and comprehend, and through comprehending the miniscule, the immense suddenly gains full impact. Just as numbers that trail off into endless zero's at some point become incomprehensible, so perhaps we as human beings cannot truly comprehend tragedy unless it happens one soul at a time, passed gently on from one hand into the next.
Having accomplished this feat, the author, and "Dear Zoe," has earned my highest recommendation.
But my zigs and zags were few in Philip Beard's slim novel, "Dear Zoe." On this level of writing, it's smooth sailing. Beard is a skilled writer, and his style is seamless enough that he accomplishes the very difficult writer's task - not only of crossing genders in this first person narrative by a female, but with the voice of a very young female - all of 15 years old. And he does it convincingly.
So convincingly, in fact, that I felt myself as reader engage as I should, that is, to lose awareness of self and surroundings, soon immersed completely into the storyline and characters. "Dear Zoe" is a letter, written across time, from one sister to another. Zoe, however, will never read this letter. Zoe is gone, killed in a car accident, and this letter is, perhaps, how older sister Tess copes with her loss, her grief, even her guilt.
This extended letter is about Tess but also about her extended family. It is family like any: not without its dysfunctions, not without its baggage and broken places, with elaborate wounds and still healing scars. When a member of a family unexpectedly dies, everyone grieves, each in his or her own way and own pace, and it can at times meld a family together, at others rip apart. Beard portrays all of this messy and zigzagging process, but without any melodrama, always sensing when to draw the appropriate line.
Then comes the true test. Nearing end, the storyline veers into an event in American history that is almost impossible to mention without imploding into melodrama. When I realized the backdrop this author was setting up for his story, I nearly winced, but, wait, what's this? Oh, my. Beard makes it work. Work so well, in fact, that he accomplishes the individualizing of something nationally, even internationally shared, and brings it down to one heart, one life, one experience, felt by one person at a time. This personal tragedy is of a size, immense and miniscule at once, that each reader will be able to absorb and comprehend, and through comprehending the miniscule, the immense suddenly gains full impact. Just as numbers that trail off into endless zero's at some point become incomprehensible, so perhaps we as human beings cannot truly comprehend tragedy unless it happens one soul at a time, passed gently on from one hand into the next.
Having accomplished this feat, the author, and "Dear Zoe," has earned my highest recommendation.
August 27, 2009
Dear Zoe is a letter, from Tess DeNunzio to her younger sister, who died in a hit-and-run accident on a day when the world’s attention was focused elsewhere, with no grief to spare for Zoe’s death, except in Tess’s family. On September Eleventh, 2001, Zoe died, leaving Tess and her family devastated. It’s certainly something we don’t think about, all the personal tragedies that played out on that day. When you hear the words ‘September Eleventh,’ you see the towers falling or the Pentagon smoking, not the individual deaths of all of those people, related or not to terrorism, on that day.
That’s not what that day means to Tess, though. To fifteen-year-old Tess and her family, it means the loss of her little sister, Zoe. It means their lives are changed forever, in ways the rest of the world (to whom that day may seem life-changing as well) can never imagine. Still, Tess has to find a way to handle it all, to go on with her life, to keep on living even if Zoe can’t.
Philip Beard’s Dear Zoe is a powerful and emotional story about love, grief, growing up, and moving on even when forgetting is impossible. It’s a story about one personal tragedy on a day when everyone else mourns the deaths of thousands of others. In Dear Zoe, Tess is just one of a cast of very real characters; her voice is powerful, and will have the reader’s attention from the beginning to the end, keeping the reader breathless and racing through the book, but still not going too quickly–wouldn’t want to miss something!
Dear Zoe is a powerfully moving, beautifully written story that will haunt readers even after closing the book at the end of the last page. This painfully real, breathtaking novel is sure to be a favorite with all who read it.
Rating: 10/10 (And I’d give it more if I could…Wait, who says I can’t? 20/10!)
That’s not what that day means to Tess, though. To fifteen-year-old Tess and her family, it means the loss of her little sister, Zoe. It means their lives are changed forever, in ways the rest of the world (to whom that day may seem life-changing as well) can never imagine. Still, Tess has to find a way to handle it all, to go on with her life, to keep on living even if Zoe can’t.
Philip Beard’s Dear Zoe is a powerful and emotional story about love, grief, growing up, and moving on even when forgetting is impossible. It’s a story about one personal tragedy on a day when everyone else mourns the deaths of thousands of others. In Dear Zoe, Tess is just one of a cast of very real characters; her voice is powerful, and will have the reader’s attention from the beginning to the end, keeping the reader breathless and racing through the book, but still not going too quickly–wouldn’t want to miss something!
Dear Zoe is a powerfully moving, beautifully written story that will haunt readers even after closing the book at the end of the last page. This painfully real, breathtaking novel is sure to be a favorite with all who read it.
Rating: 10/10 (And I’d give it more if I could…Wait, who says I can’t? 20/10!)
August 17, 2021
This book was beautifully written. There was a little smut but it was ok lol. I cried at the end. Beautifully written and I am so shocked this was written by a man because he got the teenage perspective perfect. Chefs kiss
October 31, 2018
Personal Response:
This book affected me deeply from an emotional perspective. All the events were thought-provoking. Dear Zoe made me open my eyes and realize how ignorant I was to not consider all the individuals affected on 9/11 beyond those affected by the terrorist attack. Overall, this was a very well written story which is sure to captivate the reader's heart. I was touched by this book because it touched topics related to family. Like Tess, my family means the world to me, so watching Tess’s family break apart after her sister’s death affected me. I would have lost it too if one of my siblings were to die so unexpectedly. Although, I think Tess’s family could have faced her sister's death better. In order to help the family recover, the family could have supported each other instead of turning their backs to one another. Her parents did not realize that Tina was hurting like them too. Some parental support could have led Tess recovery to be much faster.
Plot:
Tina, a young teen, started off by writing a sweet letter to her sister. Her sister tragically died due to a distracted driver. As a matter of fact, she died on the same day the twin towers were attacked. For that reasoning, Tina detested the world around her. It seemed as though everyone around her could not give the same respect to her sister, because they were too focused on the victims of the terrorist attack. Furthermore, she was annoyed and sick of how her parents would try to fix what happened by just going to therapy. She perceived therapy as a waste of time and she did not feel as though talking her feelings out to another individual would provide much help. Her heart was still in great pain and she could not manage to accept the tragic events that happened that day. As the story continues, more events pile on pushing Tina to her edge. As a result, she decided to go move in with her dad. She intended on taking a break from the outside world. Although, her dad did not seem to know what he was doing with his own life. He was to busy trying to get his act together he did not show much interest in implying rules on Tess, he pretty much let her loose. Consequently, Tina took advantage and did everything she desired. Despite all the freedom she had and the daring things she did, nothing seemed to fulfill her. The memory of her sister’s death continued haunting her. Tina could not accept the happenings of that day. She continued blaming herself for what had happened. Tina had to learn how to fight those accusing thoughts before she went crazy. Not just that, but as a result of her daring actions, her relationship with her parents was not looking good. As a result, Tina had to try to reconnect with her family before it was too late. Tina had to understand that what happened that day was out of her control. Despite what she thought or did, she could not go back in time.
Characterization:
Tina did lots of character development throughout the book. At the beginning of the book she was a disagreeable individual. Her parents negative environment furthered Tina´s depression and hatred. Tina did not seem to make any progress in continuing on her life after her sisters death, because she continued denying the happenings of that tragicall day. Although, as the story progressed she was able to turn around her perspective on life. She became aware that by holding hate and grudge in her heart she was going to get nowhere in life. She showed the world that she was capable of getting her life back on track. Also Tess noticed life is crazy and we have no control over what happens in it. Furthermore, Tess learned that if one continues living off the past, they will never find happiness.
Impact of Setting:
Tina’s environment played an important role in the person she was. At her mom's house, she was faced with a negative environment causing her depression and anger to increase. Similarly, at her dad’s house, things were not much better. He showed no interest in giving Tess any moral support. In fact, he, himself was trying to figure out what he was doing with his life, so Tina had a hard time going for him for help and advice. There was no place Tina could refer to for comfort or advice. These negative environments furthered Tina’s depression and grief. Furthermore, the world around her seemed to only pay interest to the victims of the terrorist attack. They were ignorant to all the additional lives impacted that day, including Tess’s sister’s death. This ignorance provoked Tess and deepened her hatred.
Recommendations:
I would recommend Dear Zoe to all genders due to the universal themes covered. Also I would recommend that individuals reading this book were at least at a high school reading level due to the mature content.
This book affected me deeply from an emotional perspective. All the events were thought-provoking. Dear Zoe made me open my eyes and realize how ignorant I was to not consider all the individuals affected on 9/11 beyond those affected by the terrorist attack. Overall, this was a very well written story which is sure to captivate the reader's heart. I was touched by this book because it touched topics related to family. Like Tess, my family means the world to me, so watching Tess’s family break apart after her sister’s death affected me. I would have lost it too if one of my siblings were to die so unexpectedly. Although, I think Tess’s family could have faced her sister's death better. In order to help the family recover, the family could have supported each other instead of turning their backs to one another. Her parents did not realize that Tina was hurting like them too. Some parental support could have led Tess recovery to be much faster.
Plot:
Tina, a young teen, started off by writing a sweet letter to her sister. Her sister tragically died due to a distracted driver. As a matter of fact, she died on the same day the twin towers were attacked. For that reasoning, Tina detested the world around her. It seemed as though everyone around her could not give the same respect to her sister, because they were too focused on the victims of the terrorist attack. Furthermore, she was annoyed and sick of how her parents would try to fix what happened by just going to therapy. She perceived therapy as a waste of time and she did not feel as though talking her feelings out to another individual would provide much help. Her heart was still in great pain and she could not manage to accept the tragic events that happened that day. As the story continues, more events pile on pushing Tina to her edge. As a result, she decided to go move in with her dad. She intended on taking a break from the outside world. Although, her dad did not seem to know what he was doing with his own life. He was to busy trying to get his act together he did not show much interest in implying rules on Tess, he pretty much let her loose. Consequently, Tina took advantage and did everything she desired. Despite all the freedom she had and the daring things she did, nothing seemed to fulfill her. The memory of her sister’s death continued haunting her. Tina could not accept the happenings of that day. She continued blaming herself for what had happened. Tina had to learn how to fight those accusing thoughts before she went crazy. Not just that, but as a result of her daring actions, her relationship with her parents was not looking good. As a result, Tina had to try to reconnect with her family before it was too late. Tina had to understand that what happened that day was out of her control. Despite what she thought or did, she could not go back in time.
Characterization:
Tina did lots of character development throughout the book. At the beginning of the book she was a disagreeable individual. Her parents negative environment furthered Tina´s depression and hatred. Tina did not seem to make any progress in continuing on her life after her sisters death, because she continued denying the happenings of that tragicall day. Although, as the story progressed she was able to turn around her perspective on life. She became aware that by holding hate and grudge in her heart she was going to get nowhere in life. She showed the world that she was capable of getting her life back on track. Also Tess noticed life is crazy and we have no control over what happens in it. Furthermore, Tess learned that if one continues living off the past, they will never find happiness.
Impact of Setting:
Tina’s environment played an important role in the person she was. At her mom's house, she was faced with a negative environment causing her depression and anger to increase. Similarly, at her dad’s house, things were not much better. He showed no interest in giving Tess any moral support. In fact, he, himself was trying to figure out what he was doing with his life, so Tina had a hard time going for him for help and advice. There was no place Tina could refer to for comfort or advice. These negative environments furthered Tina’s depression and grief. Furthermore, the world around her seemed to only pay interest to the victims of the terrorist attack. They were ignorant to all the additional lives impacted that day, including Tess’s sister’s death. This ignorance provoked Tess and deepened her hatred.
Recommendations:
I would recommend Dear Zoe to all genders due to the universal themes covered. Also I would recommend that individuals reading this book were at least at a high school reading level due to the mature content.
August 5, 2022
dear zoe is a letter of grief, understanding, and loss of innocence after losing someone you love. tess’ 3 year old sister died on the same day as 9/11 and has felt lost in every minute since. everyone in her family is processing differently and tess finds herself questioning it all through her letters to zoe.
i felt like i was back as a teenager reading this as beard perfectly captures what it is like to be a 15 year old. this book devastated me because of how candid and stark, tess our narrator, was about her feelings and the guilt and heartbreak that came after her loss. her letter of what happened ended in such a raw way i was crying my eyes out. i think everyone should take the time to read this book.
i felt like i was back as a teenager reading this as beard perfectly captures what it is like to be a 15 year old. this book devastated me because of how candid and stark, tess our narrator, was about her feelings and the guilt and heartbreak that came after her loss. her letter of what happened ended in such a raw way i was crying my eyes out. i think everyone should take the time to read this book.
October 27, 2017
What a surprising story. I got this audiobook free with some other purchase and had no prior interest in it. But it was excellent. It was a beautiful, tragic story, and what I think I liked best was that Tess, the narrator and main character, spoke like a 15 year old girl- not like a 35 year old PHd student. This was a quick but thought provoking book. ❤️
December 3, 2022
Perks of being a Wallflower vibe. Another good exploration of trauma on teens. Also has interesting insight on what it’s like to lose a loved on September 11th but not as a result of the attacks. The ending felt kinda rushed. That’s my only real issue with the book.
September 17, 2019
Zoe, Tess DeNunzio's toddler half-sister, is dead, and Tess thinks it's her fault. In this gripping, honest novel, Tess attempts to ease her sorrow and guilt by writing to Zoe about the accident, what led up to it, and what happened afterwards; her feelings and emotions, fears and hopes; what it's like to be a "normal" 15-year-old, and what it's like to live so burdened with tragedy. And since Zoe died on 9/11, there's a whole array of outside influences and experiences to consider. Thought-provoking, well-written, captivating.
April 2, 2023
sweetest little book, nothing insane to make me cry or jaw drop this time but reminds me how much i love my little brother
October 8, 2024
I love this book. It’s my comfort book. Tess’s letter to her sister and truly wonderful, and eye opening to how people can cope with things differently and you don’t always know what happening. This book made me laugh, cringe, and cry.
March 16, 2023
Dit boek bracht me aan het huilen, zeker het einde was echt prachtig! Het voelt heel echt en het verhaal is origineel en de manier van schrijven perfect en maakt het hele boek pakkend op een bijzondere manier.
October 3, 2022
4.5 This was a powerful little book. Tess is a great YA heroine. I stopped reading several times to just sit with the raw teen emotions. The insights into September 11th and other tragedies that happened on that day were insighful.
November 5, 2012
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
On September 11th, 2001, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in numerous acts of terrorism against the United States. Even now, five years later, people still ask the question, "Where were you on 9/11?" I remember watching, on that fateful day, news coverage that left me horrified, aghast, and haunted. Where was I on 9/11? At work, on a day that started out like any other and quickly turned into one that no one will ever forget.
If you asked Tess DeNunzio, the fifteen-year-old girl at the center of DEAR ZOE, where she was on 9/11, she'll be quick to tell you that she was at home with her younger half-sister, Zoe, waiting for the school bus like any other day. Except for that one moment, when she let her gaze wander elsewhere, and Zoe ran into the street, into the path of an oncoming car. For Tess and her family, 9/11 is a day they'll never forget.
DEAR ZOE is Tess's letter to Zoe, her way of healing from her sister's death and coming to terms with the changes that have taken place in her extended family. This isn't a story about September 11th, 2001, in the ways that most of us have come to view that day. As Tess puts it, "...just like all the people who go to New York and cry over the rubble. I want to tell them all to go home. I want to tell them to go home and hold their children or their lovers or their parents. I want to tell them that they are using that place as an excuse to be sad and afraid when there will be reason enough for that in their own lives if they just wait."
According to recent facts, nearly 150,000 people die every day. That's about 1.8 people every second. And yet no one seems to remember the other 147,000 people that died on 9/11. That includes myself. Until reading DEAR ZOE, I had never stopped to consider that there were other people around the world who were grieving for lost loved ones who had nothing to do with an act of terror.
Thanks to Mr. Beard, I now have a new way of looking at that day in history. I also have the story of Tess and Zoe, which will stay with me for much longer than it took for me to read the book. Love, loss, regret, and forgiveness mingle within the pages of DEAR ZOE to form a story that, quite possibly, you'll remember even five years later.
On September 11th, 2001, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in numerous acts of terrorism against the United States. Even now, five years later, people still ask the question, "Where were you on 9/11?" I remember watching, on that fateful day, news coverage that left me horrified, aghast, and haunted. Where was I on 9/11? At work, on a day that started out like any other and quickly turned into one that no one will ever forget.
If you asked Tess DeNunzio, the fifteen-year-old girl at the center of DEAR ZOE, where she was on 9/11, she'll be quick to tell you that she was at home with her younger half-sister, Zoe, waiting for the school bus like any other day. Except for that one moment, when she let her gaze wander elsewhere, and Zoe ran into the street, into the path of an oncoming car. For Tess and her family, 9/11 is a day they'll never forget.
DEAR ZOE is Tess's letter to Zoe, her way of healing from her sister's death and coming to terms with the changes that have taken place in her extended family. This isn't a story about September 11th, 2001, in the ways that most of us have come to view that day. As Tess puts it, "...just like all the people who go to New York and cry over the rubble. I want to tell them all to go home. I want to tell them to go home and hold their children or their lovers or their parents. I want to tell them that they are using that place as an excuse to be sad and afraid when there will be reason enough for that in their own lives if they just wait."
According to recent facts, nearly 150,000 people die every day. That's about 1.8 people every second. And yet no one seems to remember the other 147,000 people that died on 9/11. That includes myself. Until reading DEAR ZOE, I had never stopped to consider that there were other people around the world who were grieving for lost loved ones who had nothing to do with an act of terror.
Thanks to Mr. Beard, I now have a new way of looking at that day in history. I also have the story of Tess and Zoe, which will stay with me for much longer than it took for me to read the book. Love, loss, regret, and forgiveness mingle within the pages of DEAR ZOE to form a story that, quite possibly, you'll remember even five years later.
June 3, 2023
Opowieść o wielkich emocjach, które rozdzierają serce. Oraz miłości, która uzdrawia...
A przynajmniej tak głosi napis z tyłu tej właśnie książki. Jednakże nie wiem, co poszło nie tak, ale okazała się moim (mam nadzieję) ostatnim niewypałem tego roku.
Jako że jestem raczej mało wymagającym czytelnikiem, którego zachwycają i doprowadzają do łez nawet najbardziej sztampowe płaczliwe sceny, tutaj tego niestety nie dostałam.
Przygotowanie się na odejście najbliższych jest bardzo trudne, zwłaszcza na takie, które przychodzi znienacka. Wie o tym piętnastoletnia Tess DeNunzio, której siostra ginie potrącona przez samochód. Droga Zoe to poruszający list, który Tess pisze do zmarłej siostry. To szczere i intymne wyznanie układa się w niezwykłą opowieść o niej samej, przeżywaniu straty i samotności, odkrywaniu na nowo wspomnień, a przede wszystkim o tym, co tak naprawdę jest ważne.
Droga Zoe bardziej pasuje tu miano książki-pamiętnika niż długiego listu do siostry. Czytając tę książkę, miałam wrażenie, że wspomina o dosłownie wszystkim i każdym okresie jej życia, nie tylko ten, w którym Zoe była już na świecie, ale również przed.
Znajdziemy również szczegółowo wymienioną listę jak, czego i jak długo dany jej etap porannej toalety trwa, co było trochę przedziwnym akcentem, jednakże nie to sprawiło, że rozczarowałam się tą książką. Raczej miałam problem, z tym że to, co sugeruje opis, dostajemy dopiero w drugiej części książki, gdzie to całkowicie byłam wymęczona skróconym opisem życia Tess, które, choć szybko się czytało, to niestety nie sprawiało, że czułam się poruszona lub też nawet jakąkolwiek więź z bohaterką.
Jakby nie zrozumcie mnie źle, pokazanie z tak naprawdę trzy rodzaje żałoby i etapy, jakie tam zachodzą były jak dla mnie świetnie pokazane, jednakże brakowało mi konsekwencji tego emocjonalnego napędu, który pojawiał się tak naprawdę na końcu, gdy byłam po prostu tymi wszystkimi informacjami i wspominkami Tess wymęczona, że nie poczułam takiego efektu, jak większość osób, które czytały i zrecenzowały tę pozycję. Choć liczyłam na wylane łzy i złamane serce.
Może to nie był jej moment, może nie była skierowana dla mnie.
Moja ocena to 5/10🌟
A przynajmniej tak głosi napis z tyłu tej właśnie książki. Jednakże nie wiem, co poszło nie tak, ale okazała się moim (mam nadzieję) ostatnim niewypałem tego roku.
Jako że jestem raczej mało wymagającym czytelnikiem, którego zachwycają i doprowadzają do łez nawet najbardziej sztampowe płaczliwe sceny, tutaj tego niestety nie dostałam.
Przygotowanie się na odejście najbliższych jest bardzo trudne, zwłaszcza na takie, które przychodzi znienacka. Wie o tym piętnastoletnia Tess DeNunzio, której siostra ginie potrącona przez samochód. Droga Zoe to poruszający list, który Tess pisze do zmarłej siostry. To szczere i intymne wyznanie układa się w niezwykłą opowieść o niej samej, przeżywaniu straty i samotności, odkrywaniu na nowo wspomnień, a przede wszystkim o tym, co tak naprawdę jest ważne.
Droga Zoe bardziej pasuje tu miano książki-pamiętnika niż długiego listu do siostry. Czytając tę książkę, miałam wrażenie, że wspomina o dosłownie wszystkim i każdym okresie jej życia, nie tylko ten, w którym Zoe była już na świecie, ale również przed.
Znajdziemy również szczegółowo wymienioną listę jak, czego i jak długo dany jej etap porannej toalety trwa, co było trochę przedziwnym akcentem, jednakże nie to sprawiło, że rozczarowałam się tą książką. Raczej miałam problem, z tym że to, co sugeruje opis, dostajemy dopiero w drugiej części książki, gdzie to całkowicie byłam wymęczona skróconym opisem życia Tess, które, choć szybko się czytało, to niestety nie sprawiało, że czułam się poruszona lub też nawet jakąkolwiek więź z bohaterką.
Jakby nie zrozumcie mnie źle, pokazanie z tak naprawdę trzy rodzaje żałoby i etapy, jakie tam zachodzą były jak dla mnie świetnie pokazane, jednakże brakowało mi konsekwencji tego emocjonalnego napędu, który pojawiał się tak naprawdę na końcu, gdy byłam po prostu tymi wszystkimi informacjami i wspominkami Tess wymęczona, że nie poczułam takiego efektu, jak większość osób, które czytały i zrecenzowały tę pozycję. Choć liczyłam na wylane łzy i złamane serce.
Może to nie był jej moment, może nie była skierowana dla mnie.
Moja ocena to 5/10🌟
July 30, 2010
i think this is one of my favorite books i have ever read in my life. philip beard's style of writing is beautiful, and i think it goes a lot deeper than most novels that appeal to teenagers (or at least me) do. i myself am around tess's age, and although a lot of people say that they "didn't think this portrayed a teenage girl well at all" i extremely disagree. it may just be me, but i was able to relate to tess on so many levels it actually felt like philip beard used me to make tess. how she is so concerned about her looks, but there are underlying issues she faces that she thinks about underneath the surface... this book is spectacular. it contains my favorite quote ever too: "I’m starting to think that maybe everything changes everything. That we never know what’s going to happen next and we’re not even supposed to. Maybe “Z” is the shape of everyone’s life. You’re going along in what feels like a straight line, headed for one horizon, the only one as far as you know, and then something happens, maybe something good, maybe something terrible, or maybe just something like seeing a guy picking out a cantaloupe at the store, something that feels like nothing, and all of a sudden you’re headed at another horizon altogether. Good things can happen that you did nothing to deserve. Bad things can happen that aren’t really anyone’s fault. And it’s sad how, it you let yourself, it’s so much easier to think about what you’ve lost instead of what you have left." phenomenal writing. i can't give this book enough praise. i cried, laughed and enjoyed it. it's also a plus that it is set in pittsburgh, where i grew up.
March 17, 2014
Dear Zoe, is a unique book. What drew me in was the preview in the inside cover. You quickly learn that this book is a long letter written by Tess to her younger sister Zoe, who was tragically killed on 9/11 by a hit-and-run driver. It’s through these letters that Tess finds herself and comes to terms with the accident.
As Tess goes through the grieving process, using distractions like a new job, marijuana, and boys, her unique voice kept me hooked till the end. Because the novel is written as a letter for her sister who will never be able to read them, Tess’s voice is very self-revealing and candid. As an intelligent character, her realizations/revelations following her sister’s death are deep and humbling, without trying too hard.
Instead of shying away from a difficult topic like death of a loved one, Phillip Beard writes a wonderful novel that gets to your emotions without being cheesy and overdone. Would recommend to anyone looking for a more emotional/deeper read.
As Tess goes through the grieving process, using distractions like a new job, marijuana, and boys, her unique voice kept me hooked till the end. Because the novel is written as a letter for her sister who will never be able to read them, Tess’s voice is very self-revealing and candid. As an intelligent character, her realizations/revelations following her sister’s death are deep and humbling, without trying too hard.
Instead of shying away from a difficult topic like death of a loved one, Phillip Beard writes a wonderful novel that gets to your emotions without being cheesy and overdone. Would recommend to anyone looking for a more emotional/deeper read.
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