Happy Friday, friends! Well, we made it! Another week has come to an end, and I can think of no better way to celebrate than by welcoming my friend and author, Sharon Huss Roat, to Pop! Goes The Reader for a little something different – A blurb reveal! Coming to a bookstore and library near you August 15th, 2017 from HarperTeen, Sharon’s forthcoming sophomore YA novel, How To Disappear, is a timely and relevant examination of the increasingly prevalent role of social media as both an outlet and an escape. In How To Disappear, the novel’s protagonist, Vicky, attempts to break free from a life of isolation and loneliness by adopting a pseudonym (Vicurious) and living vicariously through her alter ego by creating a fictitious life far more glamorous and exciting than her own. As Vicurious’ popularity and follower count grows, however, Roat’s protagonist will be forced to question where Vicky ends and Vicurious begins and what it truly means to be seen.
Early reviews for the novel have already begun to appear and amongst these are a selection of phenomenally talented authors who have all given How To Disappear their distinctive – and distinguished! – seal of approval. Please read on to hear what Jeff Zentner, Marci Lyn Curtis, Maggie Thrash, Lauren Gibaldi, Paula Stokes and Kerry Kletter had to say about How To Disappear, as well as an exclusive opportunity to win an ARC of the novel!
About Sharon Huss Roat
Sharon Huss Roat is the author of HarperTeen novels Between The Notes (June 2015) and How To Disappear (August 2017). She grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and now lives in Delaware with her husband and two children. When not working on her next book, she can be found reading, gardening, cooking, or napping!
“How to Disappear is a heartfelt and heartwarming story for anyone who’s ever wanted to be someone else; for anyone who’s ever felt like they were on the outside looking in; for anyone who’s ever felt alone in a room full of people.”
– Jeff Zentner, author of Morris Award Winner The Serpent King and Goodbye Days
“This book. THIS BOOK. It punched me in the heart in the best possible way, reducing me to a small puddle of feels by the end. Flawlessly plotted. Gorgeously written. Absolutely perfect.”
– Marci Lyn Curtis, author of The One Thing
“Perfectly captures the agony and ecstasy of sharing who you are, whether online or IRL…how it feels to get attention, not knowing whether it will make you or break you. Powerful, tender, and real, Sharon Huss Roat provides a voice for every girl reaching out from the comments section.”
– Maggie Thrash, author of Honor Girl
“A beautifully touching, relevant book about who we are and who we pretend to be to feel connected. It’s a tribute to anyone who’s ever felt invisible, yet aching to be seen.”
– Lauren Gibaldi, author of The Night We Said Yes and Autofocus
“Eloquently captures the feeling of fear and loneliness we all experience when we part ways with our first real friend. Readers will root for Vicky as she finds strength through her online persona. Uplifting, empowering, romantic — it’s everything you want in a contemporary read.”
– Paula Stokes, author of Girl Against The Universe and Liars, Inc.
“Hopeful, relatable, and deeply empathetic How to Disappear is a bighearted story for the Instagram generation.”
– Kerry Kletter, author of The First Time She Drowned
Title How To Disappear
Author Sharon Huss Roat
Pages 384 Pages
Target Audience Young Adult
Genre & Keywords Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
To Be Published August 15th, 2017 by HarperTeen
Find It On Goodreads ● Amazon.com ● Chapters ● The Book Depository
Vicky Decker has perfected the art of hiding in plain sight, quietly navigating the halls of her high school undetected except by her best (and only) friend, Jenna. But when Jenna moves away, Vicky’s isolation becomes unbearable.
So she decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s pictures, posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious. Instantly, she begins to get followers, so she adds herself to more photos from all over the world with all types of people. And as Vicurious’s online followers multiply, Vicky realizes she can make a whole life for herself without ever leaving her bedroom. But the more followers she finds online, the clearer it becomes that there are a lot of people out there who feel like her — #alone and #ignored in real life.
To help them, and herself, Vicky must find the courage to face her fear of being “seen,” because only then can she stop living vicariously and truly bring the magic of Vicurious to life.
In this beautiful and illuminating narrative, Sharon Huss Roat shines a light on our love of social media and how sometimes being the person you think you want to be isn’t as great as being the person you truly are.
As an extra, exciting bonus, Sharon has been kind enough to offer one lucky reader the opportunity to win an advance reader copy of How To Disappear! This contest is open internationally and the prize will be distributed once ARCs become available. Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter!
