LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
April 2024 Book of the Month
London teenager Clem enjoys her 15th birthday surrounded by friends, family, and glorious sunshine – a perfect day. The world is changing though, and soon everyone and everything she knows, and loves, will be in danger.
Set in a not-so-distant future, England is ruled by a racist far-right authoritarian government, as civil unrest grows Clem must flee London with her younger sister, Billie. Safety lies in newly independent Scotland, but to get there the sisters must face unknown danger, suspicious bigots, and a terrifying small boat.
This was a gut-wrenching read; the concept was so believable and the writing so powerful that I felt sick on more than one occasion whilst reading it, but I couldn’t put it down. Whilst it might technically be described as a dystopia, really it is a modern horror story that could occur tomorrow. Putting a white, British teenager firmly at the centre of a modern refugee crisis, Furniss skilfully blends in events and ideologies of contemporary Britain. Making the reader question themselves and the world we live in.
The story is told through a mix of flashbacks, therapy sessions and fairy tales. Our main character Clem is a gloriously unreliable narrator and keeps the reader guessing until the end. A gentle romance creates further tension, but never detracts from the main story. The cast of secondary characters all leap from the page, they are all perfectly drawn and contain a sense that they too have a story to tell.
Bleak and scary The Things We Leave Behind reveals the worst that humanity does to each other, but is also full of love, hope and the best of humanity. A moving and thought-provoking must read.
Amy McKay
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About
The Things We Leave Behind Synopsis
How I Live Now meets Exodus – a startling YA dystopia that imagines London as the epicentre of the refugee crisis, from critically acclaimed author Clare Furniss.
In the near future, in a world that could be, but is not quite, ours, fifteen-year-old Clem is happy. Celebrating her birthday surrounded by friends, family and a warm summer evening, there’s nothing that could ruin this day. But by morning, everything has changed . . .
After years of a growing totalitarian regime, civil unrest in London has reached an all-time high, and it’s no longer safe to stay in the city. Fleeing with nothing but her half-sister Billie, a notebook filled with stories and memories of home, Clem must make the treacherous journey to Edinburgh, first by road and then by boat. What waits for the sisters on the other side – the start of a new life, or a mirror held up to the past?
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781471169816 |
| Publication date: |
14th March 2024 |
| Author: |
Clare Furniss |
| Publisher: |
Simon & Schuster Childrens Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster Ltd |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
320 pages |
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Press Reviews
Clare Furniss Press Reviews
‘A frighteningly remarkable, relevant and moving novel, told gently and with impeccable style. Clare Furniss is one of the very best writers for young people and this new novel is her finest yet. I loved it.’ – Sarah Crossan, author of One
'Gripping and heart-wrenching, the story has a tragic denouement that is almost too painful to read, but Furniss’ exquisite writing carries the reader through.' – The Bookseller
Praise for Clare Furniss:
‘Lingers in the mind long after the final word has been read’ Malorie Blackman, author of Noughts & Crosses
‘Absolutely gorgeous, heartfelt and incredibly enjoyable’ Robin Stevens, author of the Murder Most Unladylike series
‘Funny, sharply observed, shocking and wonderful’ Sunday Times
‘A beautifully executed story . . . gloriously funny, deeply emotional and a triumph’ Daily Mail
‘Beautifully written’ Stylist
Author
About Clare Furniss
Clare Furniss studied at Cambridge University and worked for several years in political media relations. She now lives in Bath and is completing an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University.
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A Letter to the Reader
The seeds that eventually grew into The Things We Leave Behind were planted several years ago. I remember reading an account of life in Aleppo before the Syrian war, a beautiful city where tourists and locals mingled and shopped, families enjoyed good food together, friends met for coffee. How close it felt to my own family’s life. How fragile the things we take for granted are.
Meanwhile, refugees were portrayed as threatening invaders. The news was full of the everyday cruelty of the hostile environment, the terrible injustices of the Windrush scandal, bitter Brexit divisions, mass protests. With the shock and upheaval of a pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the ongoing rise of populism, that fragility felt increasingly real and my story began to take root.
The world of The Things We Leave Behind isn’t quite our world, but I wanted it to feel within touching distance, not a far-off dystopia but our own world given a push in a particular direction. I can’t help feeling we’ve moved closer to that world in the time that I’ve been writing it, but I was determined this story wouldn’t feel bleak. As a parent of teenagers, I know how engaged and aware of the world around them this generation is. I also know that anyone who tries to tell them what their views should be, will be - quite rightly - ignored. It’s not the job of any story to tell its reader how to think.
Instead, the best stories show readers complex characters and say: Step into their world. Imagine being them. How would that feel? This is how stories can build empathy and it’s what I’ve tried to do in The Things We Leave Behind. But above all else a story must entertain. I wanted this story to sweep the reader up, to grip them so they’re desperate to know what happens next.
There are mysteries and secrets, twists and shocks. There is danger and heartbreak. There are memories and lies. There are fairy tales and magical birds. There is romance and laughter – because life goes on, even in the worst of circumstances. There are characters I hope readers will care deeply about. Most of all, there is family, friendship, and love.
Clare Furniss
