How to Disappear

How to Disappear is a contemporary young adult novel by Sharon Huss Roat, published by HarperTeen in 2017. It centers on Vicky Decker, a high-school sophomore whose severe social anxiety keeps her on the margins, until her one friend moves away and leaves her with no one.

To cope, Vicky builds an online persona called 'Vicurious', digitally inserting a disguised version of herself into vibrant photos she never actually lived. The account goes viral, becoming a beacon for isolated and anxious teens who flood her with messages about their own loneliness. What began as escape becomes a responsibility Vicky isn't sure she can carry.

Roat turns the isolating side of social media into a story about empathy and community, exploring mental health, the gap between curated online lives and real ones, and the bravery it takes to be genuinely seen.