This book could not have found its way to you without the talent and efforts of the following people:
My eternal thanks to my extraordinary agent, Kathleen Rushall. Thank you for always making me feel so seen and supported, and for being there throughout this entire journey. I may have trust issues, but I would trust you with my life. Thank you to the incredible team at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for your support.
A huge thank-you to Maya Marlette, for understanding the heart of this story and for helping me shape it into what it is today. It is such a tremendous joy and honor to get to work with you on another book. Thank you to Maeve Norton, Elizabeth Parisi, and Robin Har for all your work on the beautiful cover. Thank you to everyone at Scholastic for your enthusiasm and expertise, including: Elizabeth Whiting, Caroline Noll, Melanie Wann, Dan Moser, Jarad Waxman, Jody Stigliano, Jackie Rubin, Nikki Mutch, Savannah D’Amico, Lori Benton, John Pels, Rachel Feld, Erin Berger, Lia Ferrone, Avery Silverberg, Daisy Glasgow, and Seale Ballenger. All my thanks to Janell Harris, Priscilla Eakeley, Sarah Mondello, Jody Corbett, and Jessica White for playing such an integral part in preparing this book for publication. Thank you to the fantastic Emily Heddleson, Lizette Serrano, and Sabrina Montenigro. My heartfelt thanks to David Levithan, Ellie Berger, and Leslie Garych.
I am deeply grateful for Taryn Fagerness at Taryn Fagerness Agency. Thank you for helping bring this book to more readers around the world, and for all that you do.
Thank you to everyone in the US and abroad who has championed this book throughout the publication process and beyond.
Thank you, forever and always, to my readers, for being so kind and generous and wonderful. Getting to share these stories and characters with you is truly one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.
Endless thanks to my friends both in and outside the publishing industry, for your warmth and wisdom, and for making everything better.
Thank you, of course, to my sister, Alyssa. Thank you for always being my earliest reader and biggest cheerleader, and for not getting too annoyed when I ask for your opinion on very small, specific things, or when I ask you questions like “What should I write about for your part in the acknowledgments?” I’m extremely grateful for your company and reassurance and humor—so grateful that I almost don’t even mind you being the taller sibling.
To my parents: Thank you for supporting me in more ways than I can count. Thank you for encouraging me to read and write when I was a child, and for not freaking out when I decided I wanted to read and write for a living.