Best Selling Books by Annabel Pitcher

Winner of the Waterstone''s Children''s Book Prize 2013, KETCHUP CLOUDS tells the story of one teenage girl with a very big secret. Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret - a dark and terrible secret that she can''t confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder. Full of both heartache and humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can - in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

My sister Rose lives on the mantelpiece. Well, some of her does. A collarbone, two ribs, a bit of skull, and a little toe. !--StartFragment-- To ten-year-old Jamie, his family has fallen apart because of the loss of someone he barely remembers: his sister Rose, who died five years ago in a terrorist bombing. To his father, life is impossible to make sense of when he lives in a world that could so cruelly take away a ten-year-old girl. To Rose''s surviving fifteen year old twin, Jas, everyday she lives in Rose''s ever present shadow, forever feeling the loss like a limb, but unable to be seen for herself alone. Told with warmth and humor, this powerful novel is a sophisticated take on one family''s struggle to make sense of the loss that''s torn them apart... and their discovery of what it means to stay together. !--EndFragment--

Er ist Zoes erste große Liebe, doch dann begeht sie einen Fehler, der alles zunichtemacht ... Alles beginnt damit, dass Zoe Collins sich unsterblich verliebt – und es endet in einem Desaster, das ihr Leben dramatisch verändert. Denn Zoe hat etwas Schreckliches getan und glaubt, mit den Konsequenzen niemals fertig zu werden. Wie soll sie auch mit dem Wissen weiterleben, dass sie den Tod eines Menschen zu verantworten hat – und ungestraft davongekommen ist? Als sie glaubt, ihre Schuldgefühle keinen Tag länger ertragen zu können, erfährt sie von Stuart, einem Mann, der ebenfalls einen großen Fehler in seinem Leben gemacht hat. Sie beginnt ihren ersten Brief an ihn, in der Hoffnung, endlich ihren Frieden zu finden und sich selbst vergeben zu können ...

Previously published under the title Ketchup Clouds 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 three months ago exactly. Zoe has an unconventional pen pal -- Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But that''s okay, because 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 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 the 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.

My name is Tess Turner--at least, that''s what I''ve always been told. I have a voice but it isn''t mine. It used to say things so I''d fit in, to please my parents, to please my teachers. It used to tell the universe I was something I wasn''t. It lied. It never occurred to me that everyone else was lying too. Fifteen-year-old Tess doesn''t mean to become mute. At first, she''s just too shocked to speak. And who wouldn''t be? Discovering your whole life has been a lie because your dad isn''t your real father is a pretty big deal. Terrified of the truth, Tess retreats into silence. Reeling from her family''s betrayal, Tess sets out to discover the identity of her real father. He could be anyone--even the familiar-looking teacher at her school. Tess continues to investigate, uncovering a secret that could ruin multiple lives. It all may be too much for Tess to handle, but how can she ask for help when she''s forgotten how to use her voice? In a brilliant study of identity, betrayal, and complex family dynamics, award-winning author Annabel Pitcher explores the importance of communication, even when we''re faced with unspeakable truths.

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret - a dark and terrible secret that she can''t confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder. Full of heartache yet humor, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can - in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

Hard-hitting and achingly real, this carefully crafted YA novel from the multi-award-winning author of My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is a moving tale of sexuality, mental health and modern family life.

Annabel Pitcher vuelve al universo juvenil con El silencio es un pez de colores, una emotiva novela sobre la búsqueda de la identidad. ¿Es posible seguir adelante cuando 617 palabras escritas en un blog desmontan tu vida por completo? ¿Cómo pides ayuda si sientes que tu voz ya no te pertenece? Tess siempre se ha sentido fuera de lugar, y la noche en que lee por casualidad lo que su padre ha escrito en una inesperada página web, comprende definitivamente que nunca conseguirá encajar en ninguna parte. Su silencio y un pez de colores serán sus mejores aliados en la nueva vida que tendrá que empezar a construirse; por no hablar perderá a su mejor amiga, encontrará a una nueva alma gemela y aprenderá una lección fundamental: el silencio es muy poderoso, pero las palabras lo son aún más. En esta emotiva y maravillosamente escrita novela, narrada desde la perspectiva de una joven de quince años que intenta encontrar su lugar en el mundo, la exitosa autora de Mi hermana vive sobre la repisa de la chimenea y de Nubes de kétchup explora de manera tierna y original cuestiones como la identidad, la comunicación y la importancia de las siempre complejas relaciones familiares.

Zoe ha quindici anni, e troppa fretta di innamorarsi. Ma, proprio quando crede di aver capito cosa significa conoscere l’attrazione e la passione si accorge, troppo tardi, che l’amore vero appartiene a un altro sguardo, a un’altra bocca, a un’altra persona. E di aver commesso un tragico, irreversibile, errore. Attraverso la voce fresca, brillante, commovente e pura di una quindicenne aggrappata alla sua umanità, Annabel Pitcher, autrice dell’indimenticabile Una stella tra i rami del melo, cattura indelebilmente la perdita dell’innocenza di Zoe così come il suo cammino, irto di dolore e desiderio, verso un futuro fatto di promesse.

Hoeveel mensen heb je vandaag gered, Girl M?'' vroeg ik. Ze deed alsof ze ze op haar vingers aftelde. ''Negenhonderdzevenendertig,'' antwoordde ze schouderophalend. ''Het was een rustige dag.'' We grinnikten. ''En jij, Spiderman?'' Ik krabde op mijn hoofd. ''Achthonderddertien,'' antwoordde ik. ''Maar ik ben laat begonnen en vroeg opgehouden.'' Jamie is vijf jaar als zijn zus Rose door een terroristische aanslag om het leven komt. Sindsdien is er weinig over van het ooit zo gelukkige gezin. Vijf jaar later is zijn vader aan de drank, zijn moeder is er met een andere man vandoor en zijn oudere zus Jasmine lijdt aan anorexia. Het enige lichtpuntje in Jamies leven is zijn kat Roger. En Sunya, een moslimmeisje in zijn klas. Maar na de dood van Rose haat Jamies vader alles wat met moslims te maken heeft, en Jamie moet zijn prille vriendschap met Sunya angstvallig geheimhouden... Annabel Pitcher schreef een aangrijpende roman over een jongen die grip op zijn leven probeert te krijgen nadat zijn familie door een verschrikkelijk verlies uiteen is gevallen.

Tutti continuavano a dire che col tempo sarebbe passata, ma Jamie sa che è solo una di quelle bugie che i grandi dicono nelle situazioni difficili. Da quando sua sorella Rose è morta in un attentato sono passati cinque anni, e ora è peggio che mai: il papà beve, la mamma se n''è andata con un altro e a Jamie sono rimaste tante domande a cui deve rispondere da solo. Anche sua sorella Jasmine, la gemella di Rose, non sembra essersi ripresa: si è tinta i capelli di rosa, si è fatta un piercing e ha smesso di mangiare. Jamie però ha deciso di salvarsi: gioca con il suo gatto Roger, pensa alla maglietta di Spider-Man che desidera tanto e fa amicizia con Sunya, una bambina musulmana, cercando di tenerlo nascosto al padre. Quando un giorno vede alla tv l''appello per partecipare a una trasmissione di giovani talenti, sogna che possa essere un modo per salvare la sua famiglia... Sullo sfondo del piccolo mondo di Jamie rimbombano le grandi questioni dell''umanità, ma è la sua voce trasparente e pura, sono i suoi occhi ingenui di bambino che danno la misura della forza che hanno solo le cose essenziali: l''amore della mamma, la verità della morte, l''immensità della vita.

Jamie, petit Anglais de dix ans, a deux idoles : Wayne Rooney, le footballeur, et Spiderman. Il a aussi deux soeurs, des jumelles. Jasmine a les cheveux roses, un piercing et un petit copain punk. Rose vit sur la cheminée. Dans une urne, depuis son décès dans un attentat, cinq ans auparavant à Londres. Ce jour-là, quelque chose s''est brisé dans le délicat équilibre familial. Depuis, pour continuer à vivre, Jamie s''invente une existence de superhéros, et va porter sur son entourage, et contre l''adversité, un regard plein de candeur et d''optimisme.