Thank you to the team at Amulet Books and Abrams Books for Young Readers, including Susan Van Metre, Erica La Sala, Jason Wells, Maria T. Middleton, and Angela Gibson.
Thanks to my family—Mom and Dad Hoover, and Rachel Murphy—for filling my childhood with a love of books, theater, and radio plays, and always supporting my creativity. Thank you to the Skiltons for giving me a second home and always reading and asking about my work.
I started writing this book in 2009. Many friends read early drafts, shared helpful comments, and/or offered me constant encouragement over the years: Amy Spalding (forever grateful to have found a kindred spirit with whom I can spend nine hours talking while wandering through Koreatown), Kristen Kittscher (sharing the pub journey with you has been so wonderful), Heidi Aubrey, Kirsty Wright O’Callaghan, Natalie Bahm, Miranda Kenneally, Sarvenaz Tash (samesies!), Juleen Woods, Stephanie Sagheb and the rest of the S’n’B ladies, and my smart and lovely cousin Anna Jay, who provided the coveted teen perspective. Thanks to Chelsea Valenzo Duggan, Jennifer Aynilian, Becki Jo Mack Miranda, and Kiana Brown Davis for your support and friendship in childhood, high school, and beyond.
Thank you to the Writing Night peeps, Team Megibow, my Amulet Sisters, the Apocalypsies, the Lucky 13s, and the Layas for making me feel like I’m never alone. Thank you to Cecil Castellucci for starting Pardon My Youth at Skylight, and for that pep talk when I needed it most.
Fun fact! There really is a hospital in Germany that constructed a fake bus stop to prevent Alzheimer’s patients from wandering off. Thank you to reporter Harry de Quetteville, who wrote an excellent article about it for the Telegraph.
Thank you to my martial arts instructors in Libertyville and Los Angeles.
Lastly, thank you to my husband, Joe, my best friend and the love of my life. You helped inspire this story. Your sidekick that time in Kenpo when we sparred was really good (the flowers and ice cream after class were nice, too).
Sarah Skilton lives in California with her magician husband and their son. By day she works in the film and TV business. She is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, which came in handy when writing Bruised. This is her first book. Visit her online at sarahskilton.com.
This book was designed by Maria T. Middleton. The text is set in 12-point Spectrum MT, a typeface designed by Jan van Krimpen and completed by the Monotype Corporation in 1955. The display fonts are Democratica and Museo Sans.
This book was printed and bound by R.R. Donnelley in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Its production was overseen by Alison Gervais.
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