ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Any book is a collaboration. I should probably simply thank everyone I’ve ever met who has inspired me in one way or another, be it consciously with a word of encouragement or accidentally by sitting next to me in my high school English class, uttering something intriguing while I was in earshot, or bumping into me on the London Underground.
But a few people deserve special thanks:
My family. They endured my prose and poetry (not to mention my attempts at singing, visual art, and drama) since I was a little kid and encouraged me every step of the way. In elementary school, I was asked to write an essay about who I most admire. I picked my parents—and if asked the same question today, I’d give the same answer. They demonstrate how to live a life with honor, compassion, and a great sense of humor.
Sara O’Connor and Megan Thie. There would be no Dark Parties without Sara and Megan. They were the first people to read the short story that served as the spark for this novel and demanded to know what happened next. Sara offered endless editorial feedback and words of encouragement. She’s not the “other” Sara, she’s the original.
Jenny Savill. My heartfelt gratitude to Jenny for plucking me from the slush pile and being a true partner in this process. Her editorial guidance, patience, and friendship are invaluable. Also thanks to the team at Andrew Nurnberg Associates for supporting Jenny and me on the roller-coaster ride of publishing.
Alvina Ling and Connie Hsu and the Little, Brown team for believing in Dark Parties and challenging me to make it a better book. I would like to thank them for sharing their editorial expertise. I learned so much from them. But more important, I thank them for taking such great care of this first-time author.
My tutors at Goldsmiths College Creative Writing MA—Maura Dooley, Pamela Johnson, Blake Morrison, and Susan Elderkin—for their insights and inspiration.
My SCBWI friends on both sides of the Atlantic and all the wonderful writers in my life who continue to inspire, encourage, and instruct me: Karen Ball, Trish Batey, Ashley Dartnell, Emily Jeremiah, Vinita Joseph, Carol Katterjohn, Bronia Kita, Elizabeth Mercereau, Jasmine Richards, Kate Scott, Pete Welling, and Sandra White—with an extra special thanks to Margaret Carey for critiquing the novel at multiple stages and still asking to read it again.
My grandma. Eternal thanks for her bedtime stories and for always making me feel special.
And, finally, to my husband, Paul. Thanks doesn’t begin to describe the gratitude and love I feel for him. He’s my muse, cheerleader, and safety net as well as my editor, psychologist, hero, and best friend.
Table of Contents
FRONT COVER IMAGE
WELCOME
DEDICATION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
COPYRIGHT
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 by Sara Grant
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group
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Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.
www.lb-teens.com.
Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
First eBook Edition: August 2011
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
ISBN: 978-0-316-08594-6
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