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Where do I start! I came up with the idea for this book during my sophomore year of college while reading Hamlet for the third time. When I realized Ophelia was only in five scenes and still became such an iconic character in literature, I asked myself what it would look like if she had more agency and the ability to depend on herself and not the men in her life. This book was the result.
I couldn’t have made this book what it is without the help of my incredible editor Raneé Clark. Your notes made me rethink my story in a new way and brought it to a whole new level that I couldn’t have reached on my own. Thank you also to my beta reader, Jess, for your feedback and encouragement on an early draft.
Of course, I need to thank my friends and family who made me into the writer I am today. Mom, thank you for reading every draft and telling me it was better than the last — I hope you think this is the best one yet. Dad, thank you for actually reading my book and breaking your years long reading slump. Abby, thank you for listening to me rant about writing as if this isn’t something I am fully doing of my own volition, and for always believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Cabby 13ever. Brianne, thank you for being the best travel buddy and for always cheering me up with endless memes, TikToks, and words of encouragement. I can’t wait to see all the places we’ll go together. Baylee, I am so glad the universe (via New Paltz housing) brought us together. I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t meet you. Also, you were right, Reputation did change my life.
Thank you to Shakespeare, both the playwright and my dog. Neither of you can read this acknowledgement, but I couldn’t have written this without both of you.
A special thanks also to the musicians who got me through writing this book. Orla Gartland, I couldn’t have written the last two chapters without replaying “Over My Head” approximately 100 times. Taylor Swift, thanks for being an endless source of inspiration and joy — analyzing your lyrics has made me a better writer. Djo, thank you for creating Decide, an incredible album that always gets me into a creative headspace.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten people, so thank you to anyone else who encouraged me to write and not give up on my dreams of publishing this book even after rounds and rounds of rejections and setbacks.
And thank you, reader, for picking up this book. I hope you loved Daisy and Hana as much as I do.