The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart

by Lauren DeStefano

  Something caught Marybeth’s eye. Behind Reginald, by the open grave, there was a bit of blue light in the sun’s ray. It touched the sobbing old woman’s shoulder.

  The old woman didn’t see it, but as the blue light morphed into a translucent blue girl, she raised her head.

  But even if the old woman didn’t see it, Lionel had. He stepped to Marybeth’s side, as though to protect her if the blue creature had any ideas about coming back.

  “I always felt that she was still around somewhere,” Reginald said. “But it’s been nearly forty years. It’s time for her to sleep now.”

  “I think she will,” Marybeth said.

  A cloud drifted apart from the others, creating a tear in the grayness and allowing the sun to poke through. In the light, the blue creature’s glow was faint—almost invisible. And then it was gone.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Writing acknowledgments is always more difficult than writing the story itself; as they say, the truth is stranger than fiction, and I will always find it very strange that there are so many wonderful people who continue to support me and my stories on the good days, the not-so-good days, and the stick-the-laptop-in-the-toaster days.

  To my family, the living and the no longer living: thank you for a lifetime of support and love. Especially to Riley and Mary, who let me read pieces of this story to them at Thanksgiving and kept asking what happens next.

  Thank you to the greatest support system I could ever have, for telling me that writing is a good idea, even on days when I did not feel it was so: Beth Revis, who comes first even though these names are listed in no particular order, and who makes me laugh the best. Harry Lam, who knows everything. Aprilynne Pike, who is practical. Randi Oomens, who encourages me. To Laura Bickle, Renée Ahdieh, Samantha Shannon, Leigh Bardugo, Aimée Carter, and Jodi Meadows, who are too talented. To Laini Taylor, who seems to think soy bacon is a good idea. To Sabaa Tahir, who is the brightest lighthouse beam.

  Thanks, as always, to my agent, Barbara Poelle, whose level of enthusiasm and support is frightening every time. And to my wonderful editor, Cat Onder, for continuing to believe in these little worlds I write. Another huge thank you to Donna Mark and Colleen Andrews for creating a cover that just defies all I could dare to dream. Thank you to the entire team at Bloomsbury for being with me on this journey.

  Text copyright © 2016 by Lauren DeStefano

  Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Kevin Keele

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  First published in the United States of America in September 2016

  by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

  E-book edition published in September 2016

  www.bloomsbury.com

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: DeStefano, Lauren, author.

  Title: The peculiar night of the blue heart / by Lauren DeStefano.

  Description: New York : Bloomsbury, 2016

  Summary: Lionel, a wild boy, and Marybeth, a good girl, are best friends at the orphanage, and when a mysterious spirit possesses Marybeth they will do anything to stop it.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2015046636 (print) | LCCN 2016021090 (e-book)

  ISBN 978-1-61963-643-9 (hardcover) • ISBN 978-1-61963-644-6 (e-book)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Best friends—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Spirit possession—Fiction. | Orphans—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic. | JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Death & Dying. | JUVENILE FICTION / Family / Parents.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.D47 Pdm 2016 (print) | LCC PZ7.D47 (e-book) | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2015046636

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