How to Disappear

by Sharon Huss Roat

Overview

From the author of Between the Notes comes a story that 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. Perfect for fans of Vivi Greene’s Sing and Susane Colasanti’s Now and Forever.

Vicky Decker’s social anxiety has helped her to master the art of hiding in plain sight, appearing only to her best 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 photos and posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious.

Instantly, she begins to get followers, and soon, Vicky has made a whole new life for herself without ever leaving her bedroom. But the more followers she amasses 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, she must stop living vicariously and start bringing the magic of Vicurious back to life. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062291769
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	421,986
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sharon Huss Roat grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and now lives in Delaware with her family. Between the Notes, her debut novel, was followed by How to Disappear. When she's not writing (or reading) books for young adults, you might find her planting vegetables in her backyard garden or sewing costumes for a school musical. Sharon loves hearing from readers, so visit her online at www.sharonroat.com or on Twitter @sharonwrote.

Editorial Reviews

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

The dichotomy between Vicky and her online persona will ring true to many teen readers. Roat explores both the impulse to create an enhanced digital self and the desperation of those seeking connection through online platforms. Recommend to fans of Zoe Sugg’s Girl Online.

Booklist

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

Praise for Between the Notes

;

Teens will find a true champion in Ivy

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Sweet and satisfying debut.

The Horn Book

The dichotomy between Vicky and her online persona will ring true to many teen readers. Roat explores both the impulse to create an enhanced digital self and the desperation of those seeking connection through online platforms. Recommend to fans of Zoe Sugg’s Girl Online.

Booklist

This demonstrates that between the lines resides truth about perception, others, and most importantly oneself.

Stephanie Garber

A witty, hard-to-put-down novel. Those who enjoy Laurie Halse Anderson’s works and Sophie Kinsella’s Finding Audrey will want to snap up this funny, important, touching, and, at times, profound title.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“In this engagingly plot-driven crusade of kindness, Roat turns the voyeuristic isolation of social media on its ear to launch a community-building campaign that accommodates her message of kindness and acceptance. Just like the protagonist’s virtual foil, this should have wide appeal to the Gen-Z crowd.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The dichotomy between Vicky and her online persona will ring true to many teen readers. Roat explores both the impulse to create an enhanced digital self and the desperation of those seeking connection through online platforms. Recommend to fans of Zoe Sugg’s Girl Online.” — Booklist

“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 Winnter The Serpent King and Goodbye Days

“Through Vicky’s moving journey, Roat brilliantly captured everything beautiful and terrible about social media, and all the ways it can’t possibly compete with real life. If you’re a fan of Dear Evan Hansen or if you’re a human being living in the 21st century, you need to read this.” — Lance Rubin, author of Denton Little’s Deathdate and Denton Little’s Still Not Dead

“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

Praise for Between the Notes — ;

“When it comes to heart and finding home, this novel hits the right notes.” — Booklist

“This demonstrates that between the lines resides truth about perception, others, and most importantly oneself.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Teens will find a true champion in Ivy” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“Sweet and satisfying debut.” — The Horn Book

“A top-notch book. Vicky is a well-developed, believable character supported by a cast that readers could easily meet in any high school. This book will attract a wide range of readers, especially teens who enjoy realistic fiction.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

From the Publisher

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

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

Hopeful, relatable, and deeply empathetic How to Disappear is a bighearted story for the Instagram generation.

Kerry Kletter

Through Vicky’s moving journey, Roat brilliantly captured everything beautiful and terrible about social media, and all the ways it can’t possibly compete with real life. If you’re a fan of Dear Evan Hansen or if you’re a human being living in the 21st century, you need to read this.

Lance Rubin

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

★ 06/01/2017
Gr 7 Up—Vicky Decker relies upon her best friend, Jenna, to shield her from stressful social situations. That is, until Jenna and her family move away and Vicky's social anxiety is cast into sharp relief against Jenna's seeming ease at making new friends. To cope with her jealousy and loneliness, Vicky Photoshops herself into one exciting social setting after another and uploads the images onto Instagram, all from the safety of her bedroom. Calling herself #vicurious, a nod to her attempts to live vicariously, she is inundated with followers and publicity. But is she so busy being Vicurious that she'll miss the opportunity to live life for real? Vicky's viral Instagram habit is not merely self-serving, which distinguishes the narrative from similar books. Using hashtags such as #ignored and #seeme, Vicky discovers that she is far from #alone in her sense of invisibility, and she decides to help others like her. Her influence leads to a chain of kindness. This is a witty, hard-to-put-down novel that's appropriate for younger teens. However, the lack of grittiness won't deter older teens, who will be carried along by familiar lingo and references to social networks and celebrities. VERDICT Those who enjoy Laurie Halse Anderson's works and Sophie Kinsella's Finding Audrey will want to snap up this funny, important, touching, and, at times, profound title. It offers an engaging tie-in with antibullying or kindness campaigns.—Melissa Williams, Berwick Academy, ME

School Library Journal

2017-06-05
A lonely high school student finds solace through social media.At the school year's start, introverted white sophomore Vicky Decker finds herself struggling to manage what her mother calls her "absurd shyness" and "self-consciousness" because her sole confidante has moved away. Beyond shy and convinced she's socially inept, Vicky is nearly agoraphobic, so afraid of calling attention to herself and being laughed at that she routinely retreats to the privacy of a bathroom stall to eat her lunch. When an unfortunate butt-dial sparks radio silence between besties, leaving Vicky utterly friendless, Vicky employs her savvy with digital media to craft the persona of the confident, socially adventurous person she'd like to be. Dressing her virtual alter ego in a wild wig and zany outfits that mask her identity, Vicky Photoshops pictures of herself into various public settings and posts these images on her new Instagram page—"Vicurious"—with the all-important "#alone." Vicky soon learns she is anything but, and, as her page starts to draw legions of followers, Vicurious begins to reach out to comfort those who feel similarly "invisible and ignored." In this engagingly plot-driven crusade of kindness, Roat turns the voyeuristic isolation of social media on its ear to launch a community-building campaign that accommodates her message of kindness and acceptance without being corny. Just like the protagonist's virtual foil, this should have wide appeal to the Gen-Z crowd. (Fiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews