The Things We Leave Behind

by Clare Furniss

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, sixteen-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?PRAISE FOR CLARE ‘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

Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Fiction, Audiobook, Friendship, Family, British Literature

320 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2024

About the author

Furniss grew up in London, and moved to Birmingham in her teens. After brief stints as a waitress, a shop assistant, and working at the Shakespeare Centre Library in Stratford-upon-Avon, she studied at Cambridge and Aberdeen. She went on to work in media relations for the homelessness charity Shelter and spent several years as a press officer for the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. She now lives in Bath.

Reviews

[Quill&Queer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A potential picture of future Britain in the aftermath of a right wing political victory, this could almost be classed as Dystopia, but I felt that we're just one step away from this actually happening, making it feel chillingly contemporary. Recounting attempting to escape London to her Grandfather's with her little sister Billie, Clem tells us of her search to find home.

The start and ending of this story are gripping, but I will admit the middle is quite slow. When I reached the ending chapters though, with Clem making her jouney to Edinburgh and revealing the secrets she'd hidden, I was devastated for her, and almost wanted to go back to that slower pace of life she'd found at her Grandfather's, although temporary.

This is a such a terrifyingly realistic novel, and it's definitely left it's mark. Although this is a sad story, overall it's about hope, and the story makes sure to leave us with some. While Clem's journey across Britain will stay with you, her final words of reflection will too, as she finds lost loved ones and prepares for her future in a changed world.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i honestly am so shocked, the whole time we’re waiting for clem to reveal what happened and i did not expect that. it’s so gut wrenching when you think about how long she’s been going through the grieving and guilt, but also just trying to survive. this book was wonderful so good it’s a definite reread in the future.

[Hannah Rials Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! Beautiful, haunting, difficult to come to terms with only cause it’s such a believable near future. An unreliable narrator on a harrowing journey in dystopian England. A story of love and survival and hope. Gorgeous

[Buchdoktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wie der Zufall so spielt. Die Schwester der Frau, die in der Stadt ein mager und verwahrlost wirkendes Mädchen wahrnimmt, ist zufällig Psychologin. Die 15-jährige Clem landet daher als Klientin bei Polly, die geduldig zuhört, bis Clem zum Kern ihrer Geschichte kommt. Sie und ihre jüngere Halbschwester Billie lebten in der nahen Zukunft mit den Eltern in London, der Vater arbeitet als Journalist, Stiefmutter Claudia als Ärztin und in zahlreichen sozialen Ehrenämtern. Premierminister Toby Knight hatte mit Überwachung, Waren-Verknappung und Angst vor Fremden die Abstiegsängste der Menschen geschürt, um ein totalitäres System zu etablieren. Man munkelt über ganze Zeltstädte deportierter Bürger. Die Familie von Clems Freundin Mischa ist entschlossen, wieder nach Polen zurückzugehen, wo sie sich sicherer fühlen.

Als Clems Vater als Regimegegner seine Stelle verliert und Claudia, die aus Jamaica stammt, ausgebürgert und interniert wird, tritt ein, was Claudia lange vorausgesehen hatte. Deshalb hatte sie Clem eingeschärft, sich unbedingt um Billie zu kümmern, egal was passieren würde. Die Mädchen beschließen, zu Clems Großvater aufs Land zu fahren. Der alte Herr ist nach dem Tod seiner Frau offenbar an Demenz erkrankt, wird jedoch liebevoll vom schrankgroßen Ex-Boxer Shaun versorgt. Da das Dorf von einer selbsternannten Miliz Jugendlicher kontrolliert wird, können Clem und Billie nicht bleiben und planen einen weiteren Fluchtversuch. Irgendwo während der gefährlichen Flucht muss passiert sein, was Clem ihrer Therapeutin noch immer nicht erzählen kann und was das Mädchen schließlich zu einer betagten Frau in Schottland führt, die Clem pflegt und aufpäppelt.

Die 15-Jährige Clem erzählt das Geschehen im Rückblick in Ichform, im Wechsel mit ihren Träumen und Geschichten, wie sie sie schon immer für Billie zum Trost und zur Beruhigung ausgedacht hat. Die Märchen ergänzen das Geschehen um einen weiteren Blickwinkel, säen jedoch auch Zweifel am bisher Erzählten. Clem, die sehr reif wirkt, durchschaut feinfühlig ihre komplizierten Gefühle. Sie liebt zwar ihren Vater am stärksten, vermisst Claudia und Billie jedoch mehr und fühlt sich besonders für Billie verantwortlich. Auch was es bedeutet, auf der Flucht zu sein und sich um liebe Menschen zu sorgen, zu denen der Kontakt abgerissen ist, kann Clem empathisch vermitteln. Eine berührende und begeisternde Hauptfigur!

Fazit
Der Wechsel zwischen Gegenwart und Rückblick, Sorge und Trost, Realität und Alptraum ließ mich bis zum überraschenden Schluss wiederholt an meinem Urteil zweifeln. „The Things We Leave Behind“ ist nicht nur eine Dystopie für Jugendliche, sondern zugleich Warnung vor totalitären Tendenzen und ein Roman über die Macht von Geschichten, die heilen und trösten können.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slow starter for me. I expected great things as I was a massive fan of The Year of the Rat, but this took quite a while to warm up so I was initially quite disappointed. This is the first book I've listened to as audio on my commute to work so maybe that partially explains why it took time to grow on me. It also didn't help that I read a massive great spoiler in someone else's review, which took the shine off a bit for me. However, ultimately I was totally invested in Clem's journey and recovery from her ordeal. I will say something, Clare Furniss absolutely nails relationships and emotions. I was emotionally hit by The Year of the Rat and this one was the same. The closing chapters of the book were absolutely heart-wrenching.

[Sarah-Jane Garside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really harrowing for a YA, themes that are so relevant for today's world. I had my suspicions the whole way through about what Clem was hiding but I was just as evocative and heart wrenching anyway!
I just wish the ending hadn't been so drawn out - I felt like I was listening to a "and then..... and then...." sort of thing which I felt sort of ruined it. Altogether a really beautiful book.

[Milly Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

On this year’s Yoto Carnegie list. This could almost be a dystopian novel but what happens within it seems to be so close to what we are seeing around us today. An ultra right wing government has come into power and life for our main character, Clem, is about to get difficult. She is 15/16 and her family is no longer safe. Her step-mum is Jamaican and the government is being the mass deportation of anyone whose grandparents were not UK born. Families are being split up, there is violence and anyone opposing the government is arrested. The police eventually arrive for Clem’s step-mum and she is left in charge of her little half-sister, Billie. Then things become even more unsafe and Clem’s father sends the two girls to Wales to their grandfather. But even there she faces danger and she and Billie hide away in a hut in the woods where Clem spends her time telling Billie stories. We know all this from the stories that Clem, in present time, is telling her counsellor. We get to find out her story but are the tales she is telling reliable? Is Clem a reliable narrator? Or, is she telling the story that she wished had happened? But what stays with you is her love for Billie. Clem’s story is moving and harrowing and as you read with one eye on the news, you wonder if stories like these could come to pass - after all, during Covid neighbours were encouraged to report on each other. This is a book that should encourage young adults to think critically about the society that they are living in now and the society that they want to live in. A thought provoking read.

[The Bibliognost Bampot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly moving and deeply unsettling book. It really is just a very, very small step from our current world to this one and that is terrifying! A well crafted story, hopefully making its readers stop and think. Packed full of action and tension, but this story is absolutely not about the journey.
Luckily I’ve read several of these stories recently so I absolutely saw the gut punch coming, from the very beginning - didn’t take away the heart-break though. Incredibly moving.
Encourage your young people to read it, to compare it to what is being said and done by our politicians, leaders and influential people at the moment. Encourage them to put themselves in Clem’s place. Think about but for one more law slipped through without anyone saying anything … this could be us.

[Evey Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world we live in right now feels like one where anything could happen - where villains triumph and justice is rarely served adequately.
This novel captures the possibility of our lives being spun significantly as a result of political upheaval and terrifying changes… those that seem unfortunately plausible with the state of the political climate across the world at present. Cleverly written with unexpected plot twists, it kept me hooked! I could have easily read in one go, had I the time to focus!

[Becca ♡ PrettyLittleMemoirs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clem is just a normal teenager living in London—that is until her world spins on it’s axis after her birthday, a civil unrest turning life as everyone knows it into turmoil. The country is being run by a dangerous figure that incites violence and begins mass deportations for people who’s grandparents weren’t born in the country, splitting up families and getting his friends in high places to fire people and take over companies that disagree with his regime. For Clem’s family—her dad, half-sister Billie and stepmother Claudia—that means their worst fears come true. Official officers storm their house one morning and Claudia is gone, leaving their life in disarray.

Cast into a world that is becoming more dangerous as the weeks tick on, Clem isn’t sure what to tell her young sister Billie who asks where her Mum is. She doesn’t know how to help her Dad, who is trying to fight back against the resistance. Her best friend Mischa might be leaving to get to safety, and her estranged friend Danny is taking sides she can’t help but fear. Through the dark times Clem writes stories for her and Billie, about the forest from her childhood. When the unthinkable happens and Clem must escape London and leave her Dad to make her way to her Grandpa’s house with nothing but Billie, her notebook of stories and a heavy heart, she isn’t sure what is worse: fearing the future or remembering everything the way it was before it became distorted in her mind.

Overall, The Things We Leave Behind was catastrophically emotive, lyrical and harrowing. Told in timelines of the past and current day where Clem is in a dormitory with other people with no homes, we read the story as Clem intends, whether that is true or not, through these tragic times and soul-stirring memories that made me turn pages fast into the night. This book broke me in the most beautiful of ways. Clem is a character that will long stay in my heart, and the way she cared for and loved her sister was extremely moving. Clare has this effecting way of pulling you into the story and making you feel a part of it. This book deserves all the fanfare and praise—a rare gem of a story that demands to be read. Five stars.

[Danielle Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

DNF 16% in. It's my own fault for not doing more research and reading the whole synopsis. I can't remember if I added it to my TBR because of BookTok or because the narrator has a nice voice. But near-future political dystopian type novel set in Britian while living in 2025 America is difficult to read. Rating high because the writer has a great style and I'm too sensitive to finish it.

[Fraser's Fun House · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is terrifying when you consider how close our country is to tipping over into this kind of dystopian world. Although I’d guessed the reveal this book still broke me. Interested to read more from this author and can see why this book has been shortlisted for the Carnegies.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another tough read.

Even though I kinda figured out some of it, I still cried. It is sad. But yeh, like most good YA, there's always hope.

[Payal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touching, haunting novel about sister’s and about moving on when life takes away everything from you. There are some twists, though the man in one is quite easy to guess pretty early on. I like the narrative pace, and how plausible the story feels given the times we live in.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

[Vivienne Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

YA/Dystopia. Civil unrest in the UK, totalitarian regime, shifting from present to past, the power of storytelling. A pacy and lyrical read. Will be recommending!

[Levi Carleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting this to be so relevant and moving. while reading it I could relate moments in the book to things that are happening across the world already. it feels like we are a hair breath away from the events in this book which is saddening but made it all the more relatable and poignant.

everyone should read this.

[Shannon Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, very sad, very scary to read a dystopian book that feels like it could only be a few years away… I unfortunately guessed the plot too early as it was very similar to the Beekeeper of Aleppo, but still a great book nonetheless.

[Katherine Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book full of tragedy, mystery and surprise. As our protagonist attempts to travel across the world to find her mother as well as salvation, she must also endeavour to confront her past . . . and the things she left behind.

[Emma Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Thank you so much to NetGalley for this book - I took longer to read it than I hoped, but had the very best time reading it - I will be sharing about it everywhere!)

Oh. My. God.

This BOOK.

This was by far one of my favourite reads this year. I'm now going to read everything Clare Furniss has ever written, because she has such a masterful style of writing teenagers that so few adults manage to get right. My main scepticism when going into this book is that it was sold more so based on its epic premise, rather than being well-written... but somehow, it managed to pull off both.

TTWLB is a sort of UK-dystopia, which isn't something we often see being published. Contemporary dystopia, particularly within YA, is so often set in the US, which requires a whole new backstory and political landscape to fuel its terror. This book subverted every expectation I had about the genre. Maybe I don't enjoy contemporary dystopia because I can't see it happening in my own world... but with this book, I could see it, and it was even more horrifying.

The book imagines Britain in the grips of a Prime Minister with a rather skewed perception of what it means to be "British", bringing about all sorts of important questions and debates. He plays on the fear of the nation to create a system of self-surveillance which governs the country and keeps "criminals" at bay, using brainwashing tactics and playing on terrorist attacks and threats to make the people scared, fearing the "other".

I think the reason the book worked so well is because we've already seen such practices, if only played out in minor ways, over the last decade or so - both with the pandemic, and with small things like hose pipe bans, and fearmongering after major attacks on our security. The kind of "laws" which cause neighbours to curtain twitch and snitch on their neighbours - "You've been outside for more than your allotted hour a day!"

I loved the way the old English village stereotypes were played out, too. There's an Imogen Glass in every single village across the country, who thinks she has more power than she actually deserves. And I loved the twist, the way Clem's mental deterioration plays out throughout the book. The focus on the hurt the new system caused all kinds of people, but particularly Claudia, the stepmother, one of those annoyingly perfect types doing her best to stay out of trouble.

I fully believe this book should be taught in schools, if only to teach children to think critically about the kinds of society they're placed under, and to equip them to handle their own dystopia - if and when comes.

[whatbooknext · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clem is loving her 15th birthday party. Among the guests are her best friends Mischa and Danny, her dad who always makes a huge fuss of her birthday since mum left, and her step mum Claudia and step sister Billie.

This birthday party is what she looks back on a year later when her family is smashed beyond repair, her country is trying to extricate itself from the chaos and turmoil it has been subjected to, and she's reeling with loss and loneliness.

An MP had risen to power quickly on a vehicle of hate, racism, prejudice and lies. First it was letters to the public, reassessing whether they 'belonged' in the UK. It didn't matter if they were born there, or what their profession is. When Clem's super organised, doctor and loving step mum Claudia receives such a letter, the entire family is stunned.

Clem's father is among many wanting to resist this regime and he becomes part of a resistance group. But it seems no one can hide from the authorities. When Clem herself must flee, she sets off to her Grandpa's home in the country. There is no escaping the new regime however and Clem's life is far from normal here too.

All she wants is for life to return to normal, but she knows that events along the way will never allow the old normal to return. The UK spirals even further into hate, suspicion and loss and Clem doesn't know where to turn or who to trust.


A dystopian novel that seems scaringly close to possible, with immigration around the world stirring up bigotry, suspicion and lies. The slide into chaos around main character Clem and her family is gradual at first, with no one believing the key instigator will ever rise to power. Using media and propaganda to spread hate and lies, the downward spiral speeds up and everything the characters think impossible comes barging through their front door.

This story is told in pieces by main character Clem to a patient and kind social worker. A fairytale narrative runs alongside the real one as another story thread, and the secrets Clem holds are kept until she must finally reveal them. These twists surprised me more than once and made me reach for the tissues, for good and bad reasons.

An all too possible future which started with the unbelievable and became the unthinkable.

Novels like The Things We Leave Behind are so important to show us what is possible in our troubled world. 

Left me a little shell-shocked.

[Katy Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Floods of tears. Oh this got me. Affecting near-reality dystopia.

Can I call it dystopia when the events here feel mere days away from happening right now? Frightening world for us, and for the characters. This was NOT a beach read, it it dark and upsetting and powerful writing for Young Adults - it's to the author's credit that she delves into the subject for a generation to see the similarities with their own world. And to her credit for making a refugee experience feel incredibly close and possible for anyone.

The structure and narration are also not the most straightforward, though teens will keep up I'm sure. We start at the happy occasion of Clem's 15th birthday, though already know Clem will not long after be picked up by a stranger on the streets of Scotland, homeless. Already the darkness is foreboding.

Clem takes us through the events of the last year or so, while in some sort of care facility with a social worker/psychologist, as her younger sister plays outside.

The government has been replaced by what appears to be a far right party. The media is being censored. Those who have not got several generations of British citizenship are being rounded up. There are shortages and protests. Clem's stepmother, a doctor, is threatened with court due to her grandparents not being British. Clem's (half)sister Billie and she are eventually sent away by their father until things get better.

And so a 15 year old in charge of a small child travel to Wales, to her granddad's rural home, to the safety of her childhood idyll, where even village life has been poisoned by the same control and menace as their city home.

Clem continues to tell her interviewer her story, though she admits some of it is as fairy-tale-like as the stories she makes up for Billie. What can we believe?

Goodness this affected me. I almost couldn't bear to read at times in case something happened to the girls.

The setting was just too realistic for me to feel safely ensconced in a fictional world.

And the last few chapters as the last little scraps of truth are revealed... I was in bits. And I'm a proper grown-up. Dear me.

Superb writing, doesn't pull a punch for its audience, worthy of its Carnegie Shortlisted status.

For ages 13 and above.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the near future, in a world that could be, but is not quite, ours, sixteen-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?

A truly stunning book that I can't put out of my mind. This world in only a small step away from ours which makes the story even more powerful, the knowledge that this could be waiting for us just around the corner. The characters are wonderfully portrayed, Clem is a typical teenager with a half-sister she adores but who is just as irritating as small children can be. Clem's friendship with Mischa is deep and their repartee is typical of their age; when Clem leaves with Billie she still keeps up conversations with Mischa in her head, a brilliant way of getting her thoughts across. Throughout the book the characters she meets are brought to life in a few sentences, Clare Furniss has a real gift for pen portraits and I got totally involved in Clem's conversations with Polly the charity worker who tries to help her.

I can't praise this book highly enough, it's thought provoking, heart-breaking and totally 'unputdownable'.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children's for an advance copy in return for an honest review

[Chris Vick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book: Superbly written, gripping and – in the end – a moving, account of a girl and her sister’s quest to find safety in a near future dystopian Britain.

It’s very much an odyssey tale; as the sisters travel, and search, for answers, for family and for home.

Clare Furniss gets so much right.

There’s a strong exploration of political themes, in particular how a functioning democracy can morph; from populist leadership into outright dictatorship. At first it seems odd that the setting is the UK. Not us, surely? But perhaps the very point is how democracy is not stable, or baked in to our system, even though we take it for granted. How far from Boris Johnson to Trump; from freedom to the use of ‘special’ ‘executive’ or ‘emergency’ powers justified by whipping up fear and hatred. How far then from a US to a Russia; (a not so long ago a post-communist fledgling democracy), how far from that to Russia now; or to Iran? The creeping - though rapidly accelerating - slide described; is convincing.

Whilst this is all well done, it never overshadows the story; which is first and foremost about family and friendships. Clem, sister Billie, besty Mischa, Clem’s grandfather’s carer Shaun, and others bring warmth, humour and heart to the story. They make us care. To say more than that would be to create spoilers. All I’ll say is; prepare yourself for an emotional ride at the latter end of the book!

There���s a mythical element too as Clem creates fairy stories from her experience. Only towards the end do we really discover why.

All these elements work together; seamlessly, convincingly. Clare Furniss is just too damn good a writer! Most of all, it’s a book with mountains of heart. One to treasure.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Submitted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal consideration

Clare Furniss’s The Things We Leave Behind is a hauntingly relevant dystopian novel that feels more like a warning than a work of speculative fiction. Set in a near-future Britain that’s disturbingly close to our own, it follows sixteen-year-old Clem as her ordinary life is shattered by the rise of an ultra-right regime. After her stepmother is taken by the authorities during a mass deportation, Clem flees London with her younger sister Billie, embarking on a journey north that is both literal and emotional.

What sets this novel apart is its emotional depth and grounded realism. The dystopia here isn’t wrapped in science fiction tropes but rooted in current social anxieties, political rhetoric, and the fragility of civil liberties. Yet, Furniss avoids bleakness by anchoring the story in powerful familial bonds, particularly the moving, fiercely protective relationship between Clem and Billie.

The twist, when it comes, lands with weight, reshaping the narrative and forcing the reader to reconsider Clem’s reliability. The framing device, Clem recounting her experiences to a counsellor, raises poignant questions about memory, truth, and how we survive trauma.

Furniss’s writing is sharp, empathetic, and deeply British in its cultural touchstones, making the world feel both intimate and chillingly plausible. While undeniably political and timely, the story is carried by character more than concept. It's a novel that not only provokes thought but invites young readers to examine the world around them, and imagine how they might act if faced with the unthinkable.

A timely, quietly powerful novel of resistance, sisterhood, and the stories we tell to survive. 4.25/5

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a review copy from the publisher as part of the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

THE THINGS WE LEAVE BEHIND is a thought-provoking, heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful tale of a country turning on itself and a young girl's attempt to survive and find safety.

It's a dystopian tale where a populist government takes power then does its best to ensure it cannot be overthrown, turning on "outsiders". It is chillingly possible, drawing on recent political events to create a world that feels like only a few bad electoral votes away from reality. It makes for unsettling reading at times as you see things happen that are far too believable - some of which is already happening. It challenges you to think about what can be done to stop this - and how and why it feels so possible.

The story is split between Clem recounting what happened to her and Billie on their trip to Scotland and Clean struggling to find a new normal in Scotland, talking to a psychiatrist. I liked that juxtaposition as it shows just how much those experiences linger, how much work and kindness it takes from strangers to reach out to those in need - in a society that often looks away.

The big twist ending is heartbreaking. I predicted it about 67% in (because it felt like there was going to be something even more awful happen!) but even preparing myself for it didn't make it hit any less. It's so sad. However, there is hope at the end, a light at the end of the tunnel.

In all, it's a brilliant tale that stays with you for a while after finishing the last page.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a hankering for some dystopian fiction & this hit the spot perfectly. It reminded me of Prophet Song but accessible and appropriate for a younger audience. I found it gripping & read it in two (late) nights!

The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss is a YA novel set in a near-future England, descending into authoritarianism. Anti-immigrant rhetoric, populism, divisive politics… sound familiar? This all felt worryingly close to home.

Along with many others, Clem’s family are resisting the anti-democratic changes of Toby Knight’s government-in-waiting. One day, her step-mother –granddaughter of immigrants– is detained indefinitely as part of a tightening of rules. Clem’s journalist father is another likely target of the crackdown. Clem and her step-sister, Billie, are vulnerable, and after orchestrated violence breaks out on the streets, it’s time to leave England.

The story is peeled away bit-by-bit in flashbacks, revealing a difficult journey to safety. Traumatised by recent events, Clem is not an entirely reliable storyteller and we begin to see hints that she is not telling the whole truth.

Furniss intersperses the flashbacks with short sections of a fairy tale. Story-telling has been an important part of the girls’ upbringing. Faerie, quests and faraway kingdoms. The focus on stories emphasises how important it is for Clem to tell hers. The fairy tale also reminds us of the girls’ youth and what they have had torn away from them. The tale itself reflects and interplays with the girls’ journey.

This book illuminates how quickly a crisis could occur anywhere, and in turn will help grow empathy for those hoping for refuge across the world.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this story very confusing. The constant time shifts, the interspersed fairy stories, and the conversations Clem held in her head with her friend Mischa, all combined to make this book read like an elongated old fashioned riddle.
The idea of Britain falling into chaos under a right wing authoritarian government, where immigrants were to be arrested and either imprisoned or deported, appears to be terrifyingly prophetic given the times in which we are living. However given this impactful beginning, I thought the story lurched from one improbability to another. There were some startling holes in the plot, especially the fact that Clem was sent from London to her grandfather’s home in a rural village, to escape the riots, a grandfather we are informed Clem remembered with love, her family having had no contact with him for the previous two years, unaware he had dementia. The fact that she journeyed to Edinburgh, Scotland, to her long-lost biological mother‘s address taken from a postcard sent a year previously, a mother who had abandoned her as a young child. Were these all fantasies of Clem’s imagination, given her traumatic state?
However, the conclusion of this book leaves the reader with confirmation that these happenings really did take place, as she escapes to Ireland with her mother, and reconnects with her friends in Poland and Britain. A puzzling story with the consolation of some beautifully evocative writing in certain sections, especially the descriptions of nature, and of heartbreaking loss. So a tentative 3 stars.

[Hannah Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Claire Furniss, and Simon and Schuster UK Children's for this ARC copy in return for an honest review.

There were parts of this book that I really liked and where I felt really engrossed in the story, but other parts were I really struggled to get into it. I think ultimately this book just wasn't for me, but I have to say the parts I enjoyed I really enjoyed!

Firstly I really liked the plot of the book. It felt a little too real at times with the current state of things but that made it all the more emotive. I loved Billie and Clem's dynamic, and came to love both the characters by the end of the book (along with Polly). I like books that make me feel things and I have to admit I cried when it was revealed that Billie was dead the whole time, I thought this was a (heartrenching but) great twist!

The reason I gave 3 stars is that I really struggled to get in to this book until about halfway. I found myself feeling a little confused with the time hops and struggled to connect with any of the characters (until the second half). I really did start to get into the book at the 50% mark but then when I was really invested in the story the narrative from Mischa and the short stories pulled me out of that. If it wasn't for struggling to get into it and the short stories/Mischa commentry I would have given 4/5 stars!

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, with no phone, no internet, I didn't know how to find out anything. Secrets and rumours and vanishing acts were possible again. People disappeared. You could lose them in the moment between one heartbeat and the next.

Dystopian novels based on current events are always the most chilling. The fact that this story isn't so far-fetched made it a grim and difficult read at times, but also darkly compelling.

The beginning wasn't very gripping -- I think the decision to use a split timeline took a lot of the emotion and immediacy out of it. Having Clem tell her story to Polly created distance, instead of letting the reader get caught up in the terror and uncertainty of events as they happened. But it got better, with the pace picking up after the protest, and fewer interruptions back to the present day. There were so many great characters, especially Claudia and Mischa and Shaun.

I suspected very early on that Billie died at the protest, because after that point no one interacted with her apart from Clem. And despite all the terrifying things happening to them, Billie continued to act like a happy little kid -- singing made-up songs and playing games etc -- which wouldn't have been realistic if she was still alive. So the ~reveal~ didn't come as a surprise, but I still cried when Clem recounted those days in the hospital.

[coala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zwischen Dunkelheit und Hoffnung

The Things We Leave Behind von Clare Furniss entfaltet eine bedrückende, zugleich berührende Dystopie. Im Mittelpunkt steht die sechzehnjährige Clem, die nach einem Verlust mit ihrer kleinen Schwester Billie fliehen muss. Zwischen Trauer, Angst und Unsicherheit wächst eine dabei besondere Verbindung, die von Zuneigung, Verantwortung und Mut geprägt ist.

Die Geschichte überzeugt durch ihren eindringlichen Ton und die klare, manchmal schmerzlich poetische Sprache. Besonders stark ist dabei die Schwesternbeziehung, die einem beim Lesen wirklich nah geht und die Spannung zwischen Verzweiflung und Hoffnung intensiv spürbar macht. Das Erzähltempo ist eher ruhig, manchmal fast langsam, trägt so jedoch zur nachdenklichen und atmosphärischen Wirkung bei. Einige Passagen sind etwas herausfordernd durch die wechselnden Zeitebenen und Märchenmotive, doch gerade diese Struktur verleiht der Handlung Tiefe und eine fast schon märchenhaft-düstere Dimension. Am Ende bleibt der Eindruck einer Geschichte, die mehr ist als nur eine Fluchtgeschichte: ein Roman über Erinnerung, Widerstand und die Kraft von Geschichten selbst.

Eine leise, kraftvolle Dystopie, die emotional tief berührt und lange nachklingt.