How Not to Disappear

A pregnant teen and her gin sling loving great-aunt go on the journey of a lifetime in this "absolutely gorgeous, heartfelt, and incredibly enjoyable" (Robin Stevens, author of Murder Most Unladylike) novel that shows what happens when you''re on the brink of losing everything.

Our memories are what make us who we are. Some are real. Some are made up. But they are the stories that tell us who we are. Without them we are nobody.

Hattie''s summer is not going according to plan. Her two best friends have abandoned her: Reuben has run off to Europe to "find himself" and Kat is in Edinburgh with her new girlfriend. Meanwhile Hattie is stuck babysitting her twin siblings and dealing with the endless drama surrounding her mother''s wedding.

And she''s also just discovered that she''s pregnant with Reuben''s baby.

Then Gloria--Hattie''s great-aunt who no one even knew existed--comes crashing into her life. Gloria''s fiercely independent, rather too fond of a gin sling, and is in the early stages of dementia. Together the two of them set out on a road trip of self-discovery--Gloria to finally confront the secrets of her past before they are erased from her memory forever and Hattie to face the hard choices that will determine her future.

Clare Furniss grew up in London and moved to Birmingham in her teens. After brief stints as a waitress, shop assistant and working at the Shakespeare Centre Library, she studied at Cambridge University and worked for several years in political media relations. She now lives in Bath and has completed an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Clare’s novels have been shortlisted for numerous awards including the Branford Boase, CILIP Carnegie and The Bookseller YA Bookprize. You can follow her on Twitter @clarefurniss and find out more information on her website www.clarefurniss.com.