THIS BOOK’S JOURNEY HAS SPANNED four years and a half dozen drafts, and this final version owes its existence to so many brilliant, generous people. I must begin with a tremendous thank-you to my agent, Laura Bradford, the first person to believe in this book. I’ll never forget what you said about Adina during our first call: “She’s not nice, but she’s interesting. You root for her.” Here’s to many more characters who are more interesting than they are nice. I feel so lucky to have you in my corner.
Massive thanks to my editor, Jennifer Ung, for loving Adina and Tovah as much as I do, for inspiring me to dig deeper, and for just generally being amazing to work with. I’m so proud of what we made together!
Thank you, Sarah Creech, for designing such a stunning cover that conveys the tone of the book so perfectly. I wrote this book partially because the only Jewish stories I read growing up were Holocaust narratives. We cannot stop telling those stories, but they are not the only stories we as Jewish people have to tell. Thank you to Mara Anastas and the rest of the Simon Pulse team for believing a book with practicing Jewish characters could appeal to a wide audience.
Thank you to Rachel Simon, one of my very first critique partners, my online BFF turned real-life friend. Your generosity and enthusiasm are unparalleled in the book world, and you have the kindest heart. I know I can always count on you for an honest opinion.
I am grateful to have had such insightful feedback from this book’s early readers: J. C. Davis, Nikki Roberti, Natalie Williamson, Natalie Blitt, Richelle Morgan, Maya Prasad, Jamee Kuehler, and Paula Garner, who first encouraged me to venture into a darker place. A special thank-you to Jennifer Hawkins. Without you, I may have put this book away forever.
Thanks too to my more recent readers: Heather Ezell, Tracy C. Gold, Rachel Griffin, Carlyn Greenwald, Kelsey Rodkey, Allison Augustyn, Brianna Shrum, Gloria Chao, Jeanmarie Anaya, Jenny Howe, Sarah White, and Al Rosenberg.
I feel so fortunate to have found the Pitch Wars community, and through it, some very meaningful relationships. Thank you, especially, to Joy McCullough, Helene Dunbar, Kit Frick, and Brenda Drake, for making it all possible.
To my fellow Electric Eighteens, I cannot imagine a more supportive, talented group of writers. I can’t wait to fill my shelves with your words and see where your careers take you.
I doubt I’d have written this book, much less shown it to anyone, if I hadn’t summoned the courage to share my first finished manuscript in the Seattle critique group formerly known as Ladies of the Write. Thank you for being so nice when I showed up with three info-dumpy chapters of character backstory in a thinly veiled autobiography that will never see the light of day again. Thank you in particular to Janine Southard and Lara Doss, my first post-college, “real-world” friends.
Thank you to the helpful folks at the University of Washington Genetic Medicine Clinic, especially Robin Bennett, who took me seriously during this book’s early stages, when I wasn’t yet sure what it would be. Thank you to the Huntington’s Disease Youth Organization, a group providing young people with so many valuable resources. Thank you to the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies, also at the University of Washington, and especially Hadar Khazzam-Horovitz, for the Hebrew transliteration help and for letting me borrow the “die, die” story.
My life would not be as rich without the community of dancers and teachers at eXit SPACE. Rachael Enderle, thank you for listening to me talk about publishing in between tap classes.
To Ivan Vukovic, thank you for listening to my author neuroses and assuming weekend mornings are for writing. Thank you, too, for agreeing to go to El Chupacabra many more times than you would like. You bring out the good parts of me.
Thank you to my sister, Michelle, for the enthusiasm and inside jokes. Please don’t read too much into the sister relationship in this book. I swear, it’s nothing like ours.
Last, thank you to my parents, Jenny and Brad. I don’t know if I was an exceptionally good kid or you are exceptionally good parents, so let’s just go with both. Thank you for always assuming when, not if. I love you.