L??ved it. Loved it so much I want to start reading it all over again. I loved Gloria with her champagne and gin, I loved the humorous moments when Hattie found that Gloria had packed an onion in her bag, I hated Vinnie who was a complete rapist/racist/general piece of shit, I loved when Hattie told Alice that Gloria reminded her a bit of her, and I loved the mystery of Gloria's story, and the mystery over what Hattie would decide to do with regards to her own unexpected pregnancy. I totally didn't guess what had really happened to Gloria, and it was so awful! Really, really awful! I felt so sorry for Gloria, and her sister, and everything that Gloria had had to go through. Loved it ????????????????????21 abuse as ...more28 s Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling1,150 121

Adored this book!

My View:
This is an engaging read, at time hilarious, at times poignant and heartbreaking – it may sound I am describing a modern YA romance but this book is so much more than that. It is a coming of age story, a story of the circle of life – and in particular focusses on end of life/beginning of life, relationship and dementia. But it is also about memory and identity, prejudice, love, family, assumptions, domestic violence and unplanned pregnancy…this narrative discusses so many issues you will wonder how the author managed to weave them all into a totally engaging and meaningful story. I enjoyed every moment of this – so much so I had a tear in my eye at its end.

In the acknowledgments Clare Furniss gives “heartfelt thanks” to the many friends, family and colleagues who “made the writing of this book possible in so many ways, from proofreading, and advising on historical details to child-minding and …support.”(p.407)
I would to give my heart think thanks to Clare Furniss for:
• Writing diverse characters - with flaws, with temperaments, with histories, with dignity, with life experiences – the good and the bad.
• Writing empathetically about aging and dementia.
• Writing a complex narrative with so many social issues woven into its fabric - book clubs take heed – this book will suit your purposes very well.
• Writing strong female protagonists – I loved then all – Gloria, Hattie, Kat, Edie, Alice, Hattie’s mum….
• For not taking the easy way out and letting the car accident resolve the “problem” – no spoilers here.
• For exploring and revealing the intricacies and diversity of relationships, the give and take, the abuse of.
• For allowing Hattie to determine her own future.
• For writing a wonderful mystery with twists and turns that you won’t anticipate.
• For not sugar coating life.
• For the dual story line/dual time lines – I loved the social commentary, the social history.
• For writing a narrative that a fifteen year old or a fifty year old can enjoy.
• For giving me a most enjoyable and entertaining evenings read.

own18 s Jenna569 252

This review also appears on my blog, Reading with Jenna.
I received a copy of this book from Simon and Schuster Australia. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a story about two women from different generations who go through similar experiences of being pregnant at a young age. It is a heartwarming story about family and motherhood and I enjoyed it very much.

In this book, Hattie discovers that she’s pregnant with her best friend’s child and she has no idea how to handle the situation. She spends her time ignoring the situation and when she receives a phone call one day about a crazy great-aunt that she never knew existed, she decides that it’s the perfect distraction. Her great-aunt, Gloria, suffers from dementia and wants to tell Hattie some family secrets that nobody else knows about before her memory fades. Together, they go on a trip to places from Gloria’s past and Hattie discovers some answers to her predicament.

This has two separate storylines. We get Hattie’s story and how she handles the knowledge of her pregnancy, as she travels through England with Gloria. We also get Gloria’s story through flashbacks spread throughout the book. I really enjoyed that both of these storylines were included in the book and, being a lover of historical fiction, I really d the time period and setting of Gloria’s story. Gloria’s past was a mystery that was slowly being unravelled throughout the book and I appreciated the little twists that the author placed in the book. I did predict the twist that came at the end of the book, about halfway through the novel, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I also appreciated the dual perspectives that we got, but I did have some issues with it. Hattie and Gloria’s voices were too similar for my liking. I couldn’t really tell the difference between the two perspectives and if there wasn’t a difference in font and formatting in the book, I would’ve been completely confused. Gloria also acted and sounded a child most of the time, which didn’t help the confusion.

I wasn’t a fan of the writing style in general. There was far too much telling and not enough showing, which made me feel a little bit disconnected from everything that was going on. I couldn’t fully immerse myself in the story and I just wasn’t engaged with what was happening. The book could have been a much more emotional read, if I had been shown what was going on rather than told. Hattie was also a chronic question-asker and I felt I was even being told what questions I should be having about the plot. There were questions being thrown at me in quick succession, and I couldn’t help but think that they were questions I should be formulating by myself. I also thought that the flow of the book wasn’t very good. A lot of sentences were all mid-length and I think the novel needed a bit more variation in sentence length in order to have better flow.

I really enjoyed the plot of the story (both the main plot and Gloria’s past) but the book was a little bit slow in pace. There was a big section in the middle of the book where nothing really happens and I felt quite disengaged. There were lots and lots of flashbacks in this middle section and I felt the book wasn’t really progressing. They were pretty much just driving, eating, sleeping and walking around the streets, in the present. We were getting to know Gloria’s story (at an agonisingly slow pace) but not getting to know more about Hattie at the same time. I did highly enjoy the first and last thirds of the book though.

The characters of this book were able and relatable for the most part. I loved Hattie and how kind-hearted she was. She was also very mature and put herself and her well-being first when it came to making decisions. I also really d Gloria’s character but, I mentioned before, she acted a child a lot of the time, which was pretty frustrating to read about. I also didn’t think that Gloria’s dementia was handled very well. There were a couple of info-dumps about dementia but I found that it was the same information being dumped over and over. I didn’t think we needed constant reminders about one symptom of dementia. The information was all presented as research from websites that Hattie had done, which made it sound very unreliable. I thought the dementia could have been incorporated and developed a little bit better in the book.

Even though I have quite a lot of criticisms about the book, I still enjoyed it. I thought the story was heartwarming, well-conceptualised and brought out all the emotions in me, but was slightly lacking in its execution.contemporary review-copy romance ...more8 s QueenFra13 1 follower

It’s was beautiful and depressing but I loved it. 7 s Grace375 42

Wow! 4/5 Stars

HOW NOT TO DISAPPEAR is the gripping tale of Hattie and her great-aunt Gloria, who have not yet met until the start of the novel. Hattie is pregnant, and in a stage of denial about it, her dad died when she was little, and Gloria has dementia and is facing the memories of her complicated past. The plot mainly includes Hattie and Gloria going on a road trip to recover Gloria’s past before she can no longer remember it herself. Along the way, Gloria reveals her life story to Hattie, and Hattie reflects on her own life and learns a lot about herself.

When I first started reading HOW NOT TO DISAPPEAR, I was a little skeptical of whether or not I would end up liking it. Little did I know, I would be sucked in and not be able to stop reading it. HOW NOT TO DISAPPEAR is not just one story, it’s really two in one. I was not expecting that at all, and I was shocked by Gloria’s story. This novel ended up being a very emotional and tough read, but it is also bound to leave an impact on readers. When reading it, you do not want to know any more details than a vague synopsis to avoid spoilers.

Full of devastatingly real struggles and redemption, HOW NOT TO DISAPPEAR is shocking and bittersweet, and it will have you guessing the entire time. I enjoyed reading about the number of places Hattie and Gloria visit in the U.K., and there was humor mixed in with the seriousness that lightened the mood. Hattie’s family was incredibly entertaining and fun to read about. They were so supportive of Hattie, and it is so necessary that supportive families are represented in YA because they do exist out there, even if YA makes you think otherwise at times. Even though this book is closing in on 450 pages, it did not feel that long, the chapters are short, and there are plenty of parts and flashbacks from Gloria’s point-of-view. It turned into a rather surprisingly quick read for me.

I highly recommend HOW NOT TO DISAPPEAR to both teens and adults who can handle mature content in YA and value a compelling story. This book shines a light on the contrast between the way things used to be and the way they are now. This novel is powerful, thought-provoking, yet heartfelt, and readers will be glad they decided to pick it up.read-in-2017 released-in-2017 reviewed ...more6 s Annalise99 57

Ah, this book. I loved it.

Hattie is a teenager, who has just found out she’s pregnant with her best friend’s baby. And she’s not sure how to feel about that. A distraction comes in the form of her long lost aunt Gloria, who’s losing her memories, and so Hattie takes her on a road trip of places that mean a lot to her so she can remember them one last time.

I really love books about teen pregnancy and the issues faced by pregnant teens, and this was such a heartwarming coming-of-age story that read an adult novel, with complex and diverse characters who almost jumped off the page. At times, this book has dual narrative, which I loved, and the author doesn’t shy away from difficult and complex relationships and conundrums where there is no ‘right’ answer. This is a heartbreaking and heartfelt novel that I couldn’t put down.

If you’re looking for an emotional rollercoaster with a strong focus on family, HOW NOT TO DISAPPEAR is a top choice.5 s Aaron268

Hattie learns she has a great aunt she never knew about. She decides to visit her and learns that her great aunt has dementia. Hattie decides to help her relive some of her old memories and share her story. Hattie is also pregnant and hasn’t told her parents or the father yet.

I enjoyed this but it felt it was missing something for me. It had an interesting story and I d the characters. I was never wowed though. I thought I would be following some of the I’ve seen. I did the epilogue in this but it did seem some of the characters (particularly Alice and Ollie) hadn’t changed enough for it to be 4 years later. They would be approaching their teens but they still read as kids. This took me a little while to get through because I kept being distracted by other books so it didn’t really keep me gripped. I might’ve enjoyed it more if I didn’t leave long gaps in between reading it. This might be a book I’ll have to revisit at some point in the future. august-20215 s Bookread2day2,367 63

I really loved reading this book. Clare Furniss is an outstanding author building truly amazing characters, with an incredible story line. I just couldn't put this book down. I read this all night until I had finished. I loved reading about the relationship, Hattie with her great-aunt Gloria, who no one knew existed, who now has early stages of dementia. Hattie finds herself pregnant by Ruben, and in her mind she is set to have an abortion. Hattie tells her aunt Gloria her secret about being pregnant. Gloria has secrets of her own that she shares with Hattie. I highly recommend How Not To Disappear as it is one of those books that is a must read.4 s Eleanor598 131

an interesting read scarily similar to unbecoming. I feel if had read this one first I might have enjoyed it more, but I felt I was just reading the same book. and also I thought that some things weren't tied up at the end. but it was good. carnegie-longlist-2017 contemporary three-star5 s Emily Mead569

Eh.

I mean, I'm all for family stories but I'm really not a fan of the "past and present" approach.

____________

REVIEW

I read a lot of Aussie YA and US YA, so this UKYA was nice and refreshing.

(also, that’s a lot of letters)

(I apologise)

ANYWAY so How Not to Disappear is nice because it’s mostly about FAMILY. Basically we’ve got this long-lost aunt who’s got dementia, and a kindly neighbour reaches out to her only family – which just so happens to be our main character, Hattie.

What I love about Hattie (apart from the fact that she’s just super-odd) is that she visits this great-aunt who she’s never met purely out of spite.

And because her mum tells her not to. Now that is a girl I can get behind.

HOWEVER (which is not a surprise because I’ve been picky as of late), I was not the biggest fan of this book.

REASON NUMERO UNO:

The past and present sections.
I am a notorious grump when it comes to novels that switch between past and present, because 9 times out of 10 it just doesn’t work, and one ends up being much less interesting than the other (usually the past).

REASON NUMERO DUO:

Narration from great-aunt Gloria.
I WANTED HATTIE. HATTIE IS THE REASON I’M READING THIS STORY.

I also hated Reuben with a passion.

Why is it that in contemporary books (and I’m talking chick lit as well) it’s always the GIRLS who are waiting behind while the losers they profess to “love” are being jerkwads who don’t deserve the time of day?

THIS. MAKES. ME. MAD.

But I did how all the family stuff tied together, how it came full circle, how their family was messed up and wonky but still really important.

(Because I mean, I’m pretty sure everyone’s family is messed up and wonky)

(Some more so than others)

(I mean, have you seen Game of Thrones)

Basically: recommended if you don’t mind books that switch between past and present, and if you stories about family.

I guess I’m just grumpy because I’ve only read ONE five-star book this year.

Humph.contemporary4 s prim111 45

? 4.5 stars

this book is an emotional roller coaster and needs more appreciation.

tw: domestic abuse, suicidal thoughtsya-contemporary4 s Beth Bonini1,329 293

This is Clare Furniss's second YA novel - her first was the well-received The Year of the Rat - and she has definitely demonstrated that she can write realistic YA with enough depth for an adult to read and enjoy. As with her first novel, this one takes place in contemporary London. Furniss writes characters with believably messy and complicated personal lives, but relatably so. The tone is not melodramatic in any way, although the protagonist Hattie is dealing with some fairly big problems. Neither gritty nor glamorous, Hattie lives in the kind of middle-class home that will be familiar (or at least imaginable) to many readers. She has a loving but slightly chaotic family life, and loyal but somewhat inconsistent friends. She also has a big problem: she is pregnant from a one-night stand with her friend/crush Reuben.

Hattie's pregnancy is an important storyline, but it is actually secondary to her relationship with Gloria - the great-aunt she never knew she had. Gloria is a former actress and more than a bit of a 'character'. She is also suffering from the early stages of dementia. After a rocky start, Hattie and Gloria decide to take a (somewhat improbable) road trip together in order to unearth/resolve some of the secrets and mysteries of Gloria's early life.

I had some trouble warming to the book at first, and particularly to Hattie's voice. However, about halfway through the book I felt Furniss really started to take command of the different threads of her story. Gloria's past is very compelling, and the reader - along with Hattie - has to unravel it a mystery and piece it together a puzzle. There are also some interesting parallels between the two, seemingly so different, characters.

Many readers will have an older relative who suffers from some form of dementia, and I thought that this aspect of the story was skillfully and sensitively handled. I also appreciated the fact that Hattie has a loving and supportive family life. (The character of her 'almost' step-father as particularly endearing.) The ending was satisfying, although - again - realistic, as opposed to simplistically 'happy' and tidy. Overall, I enjoyed the novel far more than I expected to.

This novel appeared on the 2017 UKYA Prize shortlist.contemporary family london ...more3 s Rebecca197

How Not to Disappear was an emotional story that did not shy away from some difficult elements, and addressed those elements without making you want to stop reading it. By addressing troubling issues it showed how important it is that we face problems in our society and stand up to its flaws, such as racism and rape culture. It showed how important progress is, in that it reminds you of how much worse things used to be, but also how we still have room to keep improving.
While doing this, there was at the same time still a sense of humour which helped the book feel optimistic in the face of the tough decisions and situations that the characters had to deal with. There was an important message of keeping hopeful in the face of despair and this was helped by the fact that the two narrators still managed to find moments of humour, and it felt more realistic that way too, as it showed how complicated and mixed up life can be, with many different ups and downs.
The novel also had a wonderful use of language to convey emotion, it was evocative and heartfelt, and witty too. The language was well used to emphasise the significance of feeling in the story, and the importance of the idea of being alive in the moment and letting yourself feel in the moment.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review3 s Zoe Hall292 4

After absolutely loving The Year of the Rat, I was so excited to read this book and I certainly wasn't disappointed. This book is gorgeously written; Hattie is a brilliant protagonist and Gloria is such a fantastically complex character.

How Not to Disappear is a beautifully poignant book about the power of memories and how they shape our identities in the present.

As Hattie is sent on a reminiscent journey with her Great Aunt Gloria, a somewhat cantankerous, yet lonely, spirited soul, Hattie begins to find herself and make sense of her life as the two narratives entwine in a genuinely lovely story about love and life.

Life is not always as simple as we perceive. Life is a series of events that shape who we are. Hattie learns this in the most incredible way.

'Memories', she says. 'Some are real, some are made up. Most are a bit of both'.

'People think being brave means not being scared of anything. But that's wrong, Gloria. How can you be brave if you're not scared? Feeling afraid and not letting it stop you. That's being brave'. 4-stars3 s Karen Barber2,726 69

Our memories make us who we are. So, what does this mean when we start to lose our memories?
This story focuses on two characters-Hattie and Gloria. They have never met, but find each other at just the moment that each needs the other.
Hattie is pregnant by her best friend, Reuben. He’s disappeared to France while her other friend, Kat, has gone to Scotland with a new girlfriend. When Hattie is contacted about an elderly relative in the grip of early onset dementia she decides to visit her.
What follows is a road trip with a difference as Hattie takes Gloria on a trip back through time.
Told with unflinching honesty this is a moving exploration of family, memories and learning to accept the decisions you make.owned-physical-books3 s Kirsty 3,540 345

I enjoyed Clare's previous book and as a consequence I had high hopes for this book. I am glad to report it did not disappoint at all.

I loved How not to disappear. I loved the main character Hattie and really enjoyed getting inside her head and seeing the world from her point of view. I equally loved meeting Gloria, Hattie's long lost great aunt. I particularly enjoyed seeing the relationship between the two develop. I also loved getting into Gloria's backstory over the course of the book.

A really heartfelt book which has a lot to say about family and its importance. I thoroughly recommend it.favourite-teen-reads favourites review-books ...more3 s Wolf (Alpha)851 9

I loved this book so much! I love how we get to switch between two people. I loved Hattie so much and I love how she becomes close to Gloria. I love that she decides to have her baby and names him Dylan. I'm loved Gloria and I love that she was finally able to remember things from her life. I felt so bad for her reading about how she had her baby and how he was given up for adoption. I loved that her sister Gwen adopted the baby and raised him as her own. I was so glad when Gloria finally got things off her chest and told Hattie what had happened to her with Gwen's husband. Overall this was a heartwarming read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. 10 stars!This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review3 s Emma CarrollAuthor 33 books535

A wonderful story of family secrets and huge bursting-with-life characters. I absolutely LOVED this book from start to finish. Perfect in so many ways- and definitely best read with a box of tissues to hand. 3 s Bee256 15

How Not To Disappear follows the story of Hattie and Gloria, Hattie's great aunt whom no one knew existed.

Together they go on a journey. For Gloria it's a chance to tell the story of her past, to have someone else know, before the cruelty of dementia takes it away forever.

For Hattie it's a chance to get to know her great aunt while having to make her own life choice on whether or not to keep her baby, a result of a one night stand with flaky best friend, Rueben.

This is a very emotional book, especially when all the loose ends are tied together. You're kept second guessing about Gloria's past and the twist is so raw and emotional I felt physically drained and emotional. I'm talking tears in my eyes kind of emotional. I loved Gloria and Hattie both and I recommend this book to everyone.2 s Kirstie682 13

Love d the characters in this book and thought it was a sensitive approach to dementia too2 s bookworm jem249 2

This book dealt with a wide range of topics such as teen pregnancy, rape, abuse and dementia which is great but I didn’t find the plot very engaging and it took me longer to finish it as I wasn’t enjoying it much. I finished it because I wanted to see how Gloria’s story ended but the rest of it was boring really 2-stars 2023 library-book ...more2 s Katy 810 54


Originally posted here

A largely enjoyable read featuring some pretty heavy topics such as teen pregnancy, society's attitude to pregnancy outside of wedlock, abortion, dementia, the break-down of family units - pretty serious and depressing stuff. Going into it, I didn't realise quite how depressing the story was and I thought it was going to be more of a comedy and a light summery read. There are funny bits here and there but the overall tone of the book was pretty heavy. The POVs go back and forth between Hattie and her great aunt Gloria's memories, which I really d.

Gloria in particular was a great character, she d her booze, high heels, and just had the 'I don't give a fig' attitude which I find highly entertaining in an elderly character. Her secret though was just slightly underwhelming and easy to guess. As for the rest of the secondary characters, they all felt very distinct and full of personality which was great. I particularly d reading about what Reuben's problems were and Hattie's extremely relatable family dynamic.

I would say that overall this book is a pretty average read, I d it and it was enjoyable. It just lacked that special something to really make it memorable for me. The ending felt a bit rushed and I felt a little more elaboration of Hattie's life after she made her critical decision was needed. It just was a bit too... happy. Which is a weird thing to say but the story was full of hard-hitting topics so it would have felt more poignant to me if it had ended a little differently. ya-contemporary1 Veronika144

!!!!;:’,... loved this book!! ...,’:;!!!!
Since the first time I read the title it spoke to me and I wanted to read this book, but no fantasies of mine met the content of this book. I expected a crazy adventure involving a car and never ending roads meeting ways of staying unforgettable. It sorta was there, but that wasn’t the depth of it. The author nailed it and I’m moving this book to my favourite pile!
I think this book is perfect for anyone missing meaning in life, someone going though hard time of making the right decision (aka me) and every girl possible that has anything to do with babies. This book discuss abortion so well. It doesn’t support it but doesn’t judge it either. It’s not our decision to make, people, it all depends on the mother of the child, it’s her decision to make. Though it’s heartbreaking to not give a chance of life to the little one, we shouldn’t judge a woman for choosing to do so.
I’ve realized that I read young adult books all the time, but I guess this was the first one about pregnancy I can recall. Though it is a huge part of teenage life it doesn’t appear much in these books. I’m very happy of this one therefore!!
I started reading this book at least a month ago (?) and I only read first chapter and then found other books to read. Usually in my case putting book aside means that I won’t the book much, that we just didn’t click. But with this one it was different (I just had too much other stuff to read) and still this story got to me and I am super happy I read it and absolutely recommend to anyone. If you expect anything from this book, there’s more!!20182 s Debosmita257 34

Ratings-- 4.25 stars.

I love reading Young Adult because they tells the story of brutal and honest life (most of the time). I love reading about a teen who goes through so much angst still find a way going back to life.

In this book,we follow Hattie and her great auntgrandmother, actually Gloria going to a trip to know each other better, experiencing life and Gloria living her bitter sweet mostly painful memories. I love it how this book is not about one subject rather it talks about love,grief, betrayal,hope and most importantly,having choices in life and not having too. I loved all the characters here, except Vinnie. They were strong and stood by themselves. The writing was both poignant and funny. At some point the story felt dragged and Hattie seemed a drama queen(so there is no 5 stars) but still it left a mark on my heartsbest-ending made-me-sad-in-a-good-way women-literature ...more2 s Amy Lou983 24

WOW. I picked this up as a challenge to read a book you had never heard of before. I didn't have much time at the library, so I mostly just skimmed the synopsis too. I was extremely pleasantly surprised! This is, of course, a contemporary, but there were so many secrets and the entire experience was such a journey. I completely fell in love with the characters and they were incredibly fleshed out. Such a fabulous hidden gem!2 s Rupali663 57

Perfect. <3books-on-rainy-days heart-eyes2 s Aimee Bates104 43

I spent the last 20 pages with tears streaming down my face. Where did that come from? Since when was I attached to these characters?! Help me! standalones2 s Beth (bibliobeth)1,943 56

This review comes with a big thank you to my wonderful sister and fellow blogger Chrissi Reads for recommending this book as part of my most recent Chrissi Cupboard Month, a bi-annual event where I attempt to get through some of the huge pile of books she has loaned me! I was first compelled to read this novel after being initially attracted by the front cover. Now I don't normally "people" on covers but for some reason, I find this one really appealing, there's something about the colours and the attitude of the woman on the front that makes me smile. Then I read the synopsis and when I realised it touched on the subject of dementia, it was a no-brainer that I had to read it. Dementia is a topic really close to my heart for personal reasons, it's probably my worst fear of getting older and I was completely right in thinking this would be a touching, emotionally poignant exploration of what it's to suffer from it.

This is the story of a young woman called Hattie who finds herself unsure about her future path in life, exasperated with her siblings, mother and stepfather and abandoned by her best friends whom it seems, have moved so far away (Edinburgh and Europe) that keeping in touch via email and the occasional text is the best form of contact she can hope for. Worst of all, she now finds herself pregnant with her friend Reuben's baby and completely stuck as what to do as it seems unly Reuben would be willing to settle down. Surprisingly, Hattie then finds herself in contact with an old relative on her late father's side, Gloria who also finds herself alone, troubled and in need of a friend. Gloria suffers with dementia and whilst her memories are starting to fail her she is determined to travel the length and breadth of the country with Hattie in tow in order to tell her story and make sense of a shattered past. As the two women travel and get to know each other, Hattie might just find the comfort and answers she desperately desires and Gloria may finally find peace along the way.

This book really knew just how to tug on your heart-strings. The dementia is obviously a huge part of the story and it's absolutely gut wrenching to see how Gloria deteriorates, even in the short time that Hattie has with her but I also found it all so life affirming if that makes any sense? Gloria writes down everything in her little notebook, including tid-bits that Hattie shares with her about her own life and her problems regarding the pregnancy (in that she doesn't know HOW to feel about it). It really warmed my heart the lengths Gloria went to and how hard she concentrated on trying to get to know Hattie better by any means necessary despite the failures in her own brain. One of my favourite things about this story just has to be Gloria as a character however, she was quite simply wonderful in every aspect of the word. From a very young age, she's independent, says what she thinks and has a bright spark of a personality that refuses to be tamed. She goes through so much in her life, huge events that attempt to dampen that spark and sadly, they kind of succeed in one way but in another way, you can still see that old Gloria in there, refusing to lie down and be silenced. That just broke my heart.

This is a work of young adult fiction but to be perfectly honest, at no time when I was reading it did it feel that way for me. It delves into some very dark, difficult areas including teenage pregnancy, mental illness, domestic violence and emotional abuse and the intricacies of family relationships and these were all subjects that were handled so sensitively and intelligently that I constantly wanted to read on and uncover the mystery of Gloria's life. This is a novel that has so much heart and soul emanating from every page and although it made for some tough, bitter-sweet reading moments at points, I'm ever so glad I read it and will certainly be watching out for anything Clare Furniss writes in the future.

For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com1 Chloe Reads Books936 430

I'd say this is closer to 3.5 stars to be precise!
I struggled with the first 100 pages of this book, loved the last 50 pages, and felt a bit 'meh' about the rest of the book. I really d the storyline, but the writing style didn't really sit well with me. I also think the book could have been shorter, and the same ending could have easily been reached. Plot twists got the book at least 1.5 stars by themselves!1 Hannah Wingfield453 13

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