The Similars

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The Similars Page 31

by Rebecca Hanover


  “How do you know that?” I ask.

  “Because Levi is a fighter. He survived sixteen years with that man. He’ll find a way to give our guardian what he wants, and then he will return to you.”

  To me. What does that even mean? The idea of having Oliver back, safe and sound, and Levi here too, makes me giddy with relief, joy. It also terrifies me.

  I look over at Oliver as he chats with the Similars, so foreign and strange to him. He is respectful in his curiosity, not overdoing his questions. Ollie catches my gaze, smiling. In that smile, I think I see him, the real him, breaking through whatever Gravelle did to him. He grabs my hand, squeezing it.

  “Em? You okay?” Oliver asks me quietly, so the others can’t hear.

  “More than okay,” I say. “You’re home. Everything can go back to normal now.”

  For the first time in my life, I lie to him.

  Acknowledgments

  This book would not exist without a handful of core people I would clone this very instant if I had the technology handy to pull it off. Thanks to every single one of you who supported, advised, and encouraged me on the most thrilling ride of my writing life. Do not be shocked if your exact DNA copy tracks you down tomorrow at Whole Foods. You’ve been warned.

  Endless thanks to my agent, Sasha Raskin, who is the definition of fierce. I am forever grateful for your guidance, your all-hours responses to my frantic emails, your editorial instincts, and your steadfast belief in this story from day one. You are an excellent human, and you helped me realize a lifelong dream, which is a roundabout way of saying I heart you.

  Thank you to my brilliant editor, Annette Pollert-Morgan. Your insights are simply astonishing. I am beyond thankful that I get to work with an editor as experienced and thoughtful as you. Thank you for loving my characters and pushing me, and them, to be better.

  Many thanks to the Sourcebooks family—from sales, marketing, and publicity to Sourcebooks Fire’s talented copyeditors and design team—I am so grateful for all that you have done to make this story come alive. Special thanks to Kathryn Lynch, Heidi Weiland, Valerie Pierce, Stephanie Graham, Stefani Sloma, Cassie Gutman, Sarah Kasman, and David Curtis for your eternal support and patience.

  There aren’t enough words in the dictionary (I checked) to adequately thank my best friends and critique partners, Bill Hanson and Winnie Yuan Kemp. This book would not be what it is without your eternal patience, expertise, and willingness to read 849 (or was it 850?—it felt like it!) drafts. Stanford housing assignment gods, whoever you are, when you paired me with these two back in FloMo, you forever altered my life’s course. You are two of my favorite people on the planet, which is why I have already stolen samples of your hair and plan to recreate you in a lab. Stay tuned.

  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Victoria Frank, for holding me accountable, and for always being willing to geek out with me over YA. Emma and Levi only made it to Castor Island because of you, which is why you are now permanently on the hook to read everything I send you within an hour of receipt. SORRY!

  To Alexa Gerrity Johnson, my productivity partner in writing and in life, thank you for spending an entire weekend curled up with my book, which was only a sliver of a dream when we were neighbors on Ninth Street and I wore that hideous suit to Stanford Networking Night. Thank you for sticking by me ever since that first bubble tea.

  To my manager, Matt Sadeghian, THANK YOU for believing this book could be so much, and more.

  To Jill Hurst, David Kreizman, Donna Swajeski, Chris Dunn, Kimberly Hamilton, Danielle Paige, Brett Staneart, and Ellen Wheeler, thank you for taking a chance on a newbie writer, and for teaching me everything I know about storytelling. To Nidhi Mehta, you are the butterbeer to my hippogriff. Tammy Camp, Celeste Oberfest, Caitlin Crawford and Andy Lurie, Stephany Gabriner, and Allison Manzari, thank you for being my San Francisco family.

  Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your undying support, from The Sound of Music to Suburban Revenge to now. Mom—that phone conversation you and I had where one of us wondered out loud, “What about clones?” changed everything. I love you both so much. To Jessica Hanover, categorically the best sister in the world (a statement backed up by heaps of data), you assured me that clones were plausible—and even possible. Thanks to you and Nicholas Priebe for putting the actual science into my science fiction. And for being the only people I would call for help if anyone ever tried to mind control me.

  Thank you to my father-in-law, Ray Kurzweil, for being a sounding board and confidante. Sonya Kurzweil, you have always been so enthusiastic about my endeavors. Thank you for all the years of love, laughter, and biking the Ashuwillticook. Amy Kurzweil, sharing our love of writing is such a gift. To many more years of “writer talk” (plus or minus wine). Jacob Sparks, thank you for the dinner table discussions that never fail to grip and challenge me. I think we (i.e., humans) are gonna make it.

  Leo and Quincy, you inspire me on the daily to write as many stories as I can fit into one extremely busy lifetime. Thanks for understanding, and even looking a little proud when Mommy disappears into her black hole to write. Leo, reading Harry Potter and countless other books with you has been one of my greatest joys. Quincy, there are books beyond Maisy’s Tractor (although that’s a great one). We have so much reading fun yet to come!

  Colossal thanks to Laura King for all the hours you spend nurturing and caring for my kiddos so I can write, write, write. This book would still be a work in progress without you.

  And, finally, to my husband and partner-in-crime, Ethan. You provide the rock from which I can leap to the most far-flung places in my mind (with my life jacket strapped securely on, of course). Thank you for everything.

  About the Author

  Rebecca Hanover is a television writer, sandwich lover, and young adult author. She earned a bachelor of arts from Stanford University in English and drama and was awarded an Emmy for Best Writing in 2008 as a staff writer on the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light. Rebecca lives in San Francisco with her husband, Ethan, and their two sons. The Similars is her debut novel. Follow her online at rebeccahanover.com.

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