Hi, reader! My book is in your hands. I’ve been anticipating this moment like Molly anticipated her first kiss. There were moments when I was certain this story would never come together.
Somehow it did. Because I have some really awesome wingmen, wingwomen, and wingpeople who made this book happen.
Warmest thanks to:
Brooks Sherman, best of dudes and best of agents. You are wise and weird and wonderful, and I am so lucky to have you in my corner.
Donna Bray, who made this book come alive. You believed in Molly when I didn’t, and you helped me find this story’s heart. All my bee ladies are for you.
My extraordinary teams at Harper, the Bent Agency, and New Leaf. I’m so grateful for Alessandra Balzer, Viana Siniscalchi, Caroline Sun, Nellie Kurtzman, Patty Rosati, Molly Motch, Bess Braswell, Eric Svenson, Margot Wood, Kate Morgan Jackson, Suman Seewat, Veronica Ambrose, Bethany Reis, Chris Bilheimer, Sarah Creech, Alison Donalty, Barbara Fitzsimmons, Suzanne Murphy, Molly Ker Hawn, Victoria Lowes, Charlee Hoffman, Jenny Bent, Pouya Shahbazian, Chris McEwan, and so many others kicking ass behind the scenes.
My amazing publishing teams abroad, including Penguin/Puffin in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, Blossom Books in the Netherlands, Hachette Romans in France, and Intrinseca in Brazil. Extra Mini Eggs for Anthea Townsend, Ben Horslen, Clare Kelly, Vicky Photiou, Myrthe Spiteri, Lotte Dijkstra, and Mathilde Tamae Bouhon.
Kimberly Ito, my CP and agent sister, who has kept me sane for years. Molly and Cassie couldn’t pick a better person to share their birthday with.
Beckminavidera, which is basically a marriage at this point. Adam Silvera, I’m pretty sure you own half my brain. David Arnold, you inspire me to write honestly and spell Middle-earth as Tolkien intended. Jasmine Warga, you are the Balzer to my Bray. (Plus my main hetsie and honorary Beckminavidera member, Luis Rivera.)
Team Double Stuf: Nic Stone, Angela Thomas, and Stefani Sloma. Your texts are magic, and you’re even awesomer in person. I’m so grateful to know you.
Team Erratica: Emily Carpenter, Manda Pullen, Chris Negron, and George Weinstein. I’ll see you at Rojo!
The BTeam—my beautiful agent siblings—with extra hugs for Heidi Schulz (insert underutilized emoji here), Kimberly Ito, Angela Thomas, Adam Silvera, Lianne Oelke, Sarah Cannon, Mercy Brown, Jessica Cluess, and Rita Meade.
My extraordinary sensitivity readers, who brought Molly’s community to life: Angela Thomas, Nic Stone, Wesaun Palmer, Alex Davison, Dahlia Adler, Tehlor Kinney, Tristina Wright, Nita Tyndall, Ashley Herring Blake, Brian Gould, and Ellen Oh. Your support, feedback, and generosity have meant everything to me.
The countless friends in this community who have held my hand and kept me going. I’ll never be able to name you all, but here’s a start: Jen Gaska, Aisha Saeed, I. W. Gregorio, Katherine Locke, Marieke Nijkamp, James Sie, Jeff Zentner, Kayla Whaley, Corinne Duyvis, Alex London, Tim Federle, Nicola Yoon, Marcy Beller Paul, Diane Capriola, Lance Rubin, Jennifer Niven, Greg Changnon, Denisa Patron, Julie Murphy, Rachel Simon, Michael Waters, Camryn Garrett, Emma Trevayne, Rockstar Kevin Savoie, Gaby Salpeter, Cody Roecker, J. C. Lillis, Summer Heacock, Eline Berkhout, Johanna Mehner, Tom-Erik Fure, Shelumiel Delos Santos, Laura Silverman, Bieke Paesen, Rachel Strolle, Maddie Wolf, Wulfie, Jasmine Pearl Raymundo, the Not So YA Book Club, Little Shop of Stories, Foxtale Book Shoppe, and so many others. I love you all.
The friends who saved me, made me laugh, and made me a little less careful: Diane Blumenfeld, Jaime Hensel, Jaime Semensohn, Lauren Starks, Amy Rothman, Emily Townsend, Mike Goodman, Rachael Zilboorg, Jenny Mariaschin, Josh Siegel, Betsy Ballard, David Binswanger, Molly Mercer, Evan Diamond (so much cooler than Evan Schulmeister!), Sarah Beth Brown, Raquel Dominguez, and lots and lots of others. Also, Takoma Mamas—can you tell how much I miss you?
The librarians, booksellers, bloggers, and publishing pros who have made miracles happen for my books.
The fat kids. You’re beautiful.
Caroline Goldstein: this book is obviously a love song to you; Sam Goldstein, my personal Xavor Xav; Jim Goldstein, king of all dads; Eileen Thomas, who knows my brain.
My family: Adele, Gini, Curt, Jim, Cyris, Lulu, Steve, Gael, Dan, Allison, Peter, Jeff, Janet, Larry, Jenny, Joe, Josh, Sarah, Jay, Eliza, Zachary, Milton, Pat, Leigh, Adam, Gayatri, Candy, William, Cameron, Gail, Kevin, Linda, Bill, and the whole Overholts gang. You guys are so wonderful.
Owen and Henry, the lights of my life.
Brian, my Reid (but with cooler shoes). I love you.
And to Grandma Molly. I never knew just how much I could miss a person. I lost you while drafting this. I thought of you every time I typed your name. What would I give to hear you call me mamaleh one more time?