Paperback pick: The Year of the Rat

Fifteen-year-old Pearl is dealing with the death of her mum (who’s still making her presence felt), feeling estranged from her beloved step-dad, wondering about her biological father and contending with the overwhelmingly negative emotions she feels towards her baby sister, who looks just like a rat.

Clare Furniss is brilliant at getting to the nitty-gritty of a life that’s been tipped upside-down, in this haunting, funny tale of love and loss.

The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss (Simon & Schuster, £7.99) is out now