by Caela Carter
The laugh that comes out of me is so different this time. Big and round and happy.
It’s a real laugh.
And it’s mine.
acknowledgments
Thank you will never be enough, but it’s a start. So here we go.
Thank you to my incredible agent, Kate McKean, for believing in my books, for believing in Zylynn, and for not calling me crazy when I said I was writing a children’s book about cults.
Karen Chaplin, my brilliant editor, thank you for “getting” Zylynn and her story from the start, for embracing the dark parts of my brain, for making every page of this book better. And for making me a better writer, too!
Thank you to everyone else at Harper. I have felt your support through every step of this process. Special thanks to Olivia Russo, to everyone in sales and marketing, and of course to Erin Fitzsimmons for the absolutely perfect cover!
My early readers, your encouragement was priceless when Zylynn and I were just getting to know each other. Thank you, Alison Cherry, Alyson Gerber, Dhonielle Clayton, Amy Ewing, Corey Ann Haydu, and Allary Montague. Thank you to The New School, the Lucky 13s, The Class of 2k13, and all my fabulous writer friends and teachers.
To cult survivors: thank you. If you shared your story, believe me, I found it. I am awed by your bravery and resilience. Thank you for sharing your words or videos or interviews. I hope Zylynn’s story honors yours.
Thank you to my family: Beth Carter for your deep life insights, your enthusiastic reading, and for being a wonderful mom; Bill Carter for your unwavering support, for the intellectual conversations that I think started the moment I was born, and for being a funny dad and a great dad, too; Dan Carter for being the best brother a writer could ask for. Thank you to my in-laws, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I have so much family support I can practically swim in it.
To my students, past and present: thank you for your unique view of the world, for your trust, and your brilliance. I love you all.
A special thank you to these wonderful people in my life whose support I can always count on in so many ways: Dahlia Adler, Katherine Aragon and Seth Berkowitz, Paul Bausch, Kate Beck, Megan Burke and Joe Mrak, Alexandra Carter and Greg Lembrich, John Carter, Rich and Brittany Carter, Molly and Mike Colonna, Malick Fall, Gia Jimenez, Melissa Heinold, Linda Hu and Nestor Alvarado, Andy Kabala, Chemagne and Greg Kania, Sarah and Bill Kirk, Ronnie and Eric Larsson, Eileen Larsson, Eric and Lauren Larsson, Tom Larsson, Erin Larsson, Kristin and Zach LeFeber, Caron Levis, David Levithan, Mary Lou and Diego Merida, Jenn and Jason Meyers, Catherine and Dan O’Neill, Bridget O’Neill, Danny O’Neill, Riddhi Parekh, Caitlin and Jeff Platzman, Mindy Raf, Lindsay Ribar, Anna and Tim Rosenwong, Frank Scallon, Betsy Schroeder and Erin Yanovich, Mary G. Thompson, and Aaron and Stacy Wall.
It’s a special thing when your writer-friends become your regular-life-friends too. Amy Ewing, Corey Haydu, Alyson Gerber, and Jess Verdi: thank you for your insights in writing and in life. I’m lucky to have you.
And of course, biggest thanks to my strongest supporter, my closest confidant, my partner and my love: Greg Larsson, you’re simply the best.
about the author
Courtesy of Caela Carter
CAELA CARTER is a writer and an educator. She is a graduate of The New School’s MFA program in writing for children. She has been teaching children and teenagers for ten years. Her books for teens include Me, Him, Them, and It and My Best Friend, Maybe. This is her first book for middle grade readers. Caela lives in Brooklyn with her husband. You can visit her online at www.caelacarter.com.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
credits
Cover art © 2016 by Kenard Pak
Cover design by Erin Fitzsimmons
copyright
MY LIFE WITH THE LIARS. Copyright © 2016 by Caela Carter. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
* * *
Library of Congress catalog card number: 2015938994
ISBN 978-0-06-238571-0 (trade bdg.)
EPub Edition © February 2016 ISBN 9780062385734
* * *
16 17 18 19 20 PC/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
about the publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada
www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com