The Year of the Rat is a powerful and emotionally resonant young-adult novel that explores grief, friendship, loyalty, and the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood.
 
Set against the backdrop of a year shaped by the Chinese zodiac’s “Year of the Rat,” the novel follows Pearl, a teenage girl struggling to process the death of her mother while navigating fractured friendships and unresolved anger. Her bond with her former best friend, Vicky, is central to the narrative — a relationship marked by shared history, silence, resentment, and unspoken truths.
 
Clare Furniss writes with restraint and emotional intelligence, allowing small moments to carry significant weight. The novel avoids melodrama, instead offering a quietly devastating portrait of how grief alters relationships and identity. Its structure mirrors Pearl’s emotional state, gradually revealing past events and motivations as the year unfolds.
 
Widely praised for its sensitivity and honesty, The Year of the Rat is regarded as one of the stronger contemporary young adult novels dealing with loss and emotional resilience, appealing to both teenage and adult readers.
 
This copy forms part of a strictly limited, numbered hardback issue of 1,000 copies, signed by Clare Furniss to the title page and hand-numbered 423/1000.
 
Limited signed editions of this title were produced at publication and were not reissued, making surviving copies increasingly scarce — particularly in clean, unclipped condition.