The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss (author)

‘Beautifully written’ The Stylist ‘You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll love this book’ The Sun ‘Lingers in the mind long after the final word has been read’ Malorie Blackman, former Children’s Laureate

‘I always thought you’d know, somehow, if something terrible was going to happen. I thought you’d sense it, like when the air goes damp and heavy before a storm and you know you’d better hide yourself away somewhere safe until it all blows over. But it turns out it’s not like that at all. There’s no scary music playing in the background like in films. No warning signs. Not even a lonely magpie. One for sorrow, Mum used to say. Quick, look for another.’

The world can tip at any moment … a fact that fifteen-year-old Pearl is all too aware of when her mum dies after giving birth to her baby sister. Told across the year following her mother’s death, Pearl’s story is full of bittersweet humour and heartbreaking honesty about how you deal with grief that cuts you to the bone, as she tries not only to come to terms with losing her mum, but also the fact that her sister – The Rat – is a constant reminder of why her mum is no longer around…

Shortlisted for the Branford Boase prize and longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, this breataking novel from YA bookprize shortlisted author Clare Furniss, will make you laugh, cry and hold your loved ones a little bit tighter. Perfect for fans of Jenny Downham,Meg Rosoff and Sara Barnard.