The XY

by Virginia Bergin

  Yes, I chose the two escapees to be who they are. Yes, their portrayal of “male” is negative.

  Is it overly negative? Mason, to me, is a character full of hope.

  Acknowledgments

  This has been a long journey. I am so grateful I had company. I would very much like to thank:

  My family. Most especially my sisters and my brother: Sue, Karen, and John.

  My agent, Louise Lamont at LBA Books, without whom this book would never have happened.

  Steve Geck; my editor, Elizabeth Boyer; and all the lovely team at Sourcebooks.

  In the UK: Rachel Petty and the team at Macmillan Children’s Books, who believed in this story before I even knew how to write it.

  Jacqui Pridham: you are a shining star.

  Karen Legate, Jen Houghton, Jill Bird, and Ann Cahill: thank you so much for your excellent thoughts.

  My friends and neighbors in Hotwells, Bristol. I have had so much support from the whole of my community, for which I am very grateful. Particular thanks to Tony Howells for giving endless encouragement, and to Hilary Hunt and Peter Ryalls for tea and sympathy.

  Thanks also to my 2015 neighbors in Somerset for making me feel so welcome, particularly Richard and Carol, Tilly & Co., Alison and Keith—and Ben.

  Yvonne: thank you for being there.

  Dan Blore: thank you for reading and for seeing and for kindly listening to me go on a bit. A lot.

  Dr. Matthew Avison (University of Bristol): thank you for your generous support and advice. I do apologize for having completely made up the science in this story.

  Dear Lemn Sissay: thank you so much for Every child is our child (Global Agreement No. 2), a thought spoken in “A Child of the State,” a TED talk. A thought I heard and felt.

  Hilary Beard: you are forever fabulous—and forever in my heart.

  Tessa G: I admire you so much.

  Hearts and thumbs-up to my online friends and email buddies, to the readers, bloggers, librarians, teachers, writers, and booksellers who have been so supportive over the past few years.

  And finally,

  Thanks to Team Granmumma:

  Martha Evans, Alison Jenkins, Heather Meyer, and Allison Sylvester.

  Special thanks to Ruby Sylvester-Jeyes and Aidan Beard for making me think; to Stan Sylvester-Jeyes and Luke Pridham for gaming inspiration; and to all the young people: the students I have met in schools and the kids and teens in my life.

  About the Author

  Virginia Bergin learned to roller skate with the children of eminent physicists. She grew up in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, and went on to study psychology but ruined her own career when, dabbling in fine art at Central Saint Martins, she rediscovered creative writing. Since then, she has written poetry, short stories, film, and TV scripts. Virginia has written two novels for teens, H2O and The Storm. She lives in Bristol, England. Visit her online at virginiabergin.com.

  DON’T MISS VIRGINIA BERGIN’S THRILLING DUOLOGY

  IT’S IN THE RAIN...AND JUST ONE DROP WILL KILL YOU.

  …

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