“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”
—
M
ARGERY
W
ILLIAMS
Acknowledgments
With most heartfelt thanks to my editor Zareen Jaffery, who I could not have written this book without. Thanks also to Justin Chanda, my publisher and dear friend, and Anne Zafian, Mekisha Telfer, Katy Hershberger, Chrissy Noh, Lucy Cummins, Lucille Rettino, Christina Pecorale, Rio Cortez, Michelle Fadlalla Leo, Candace Greene, and Sooji Kim. It’s been ten years now at S&S and I’m more in love with you now than ever. Thank you also to the S&S Canada team for your steadfast support of me and my books.
All my love and admiration to my incredible agent, Emily van Beek, Molly Jaffa, and the whole Folio team—you are so very appreciated. Thank you also to Elena Yip, my part-time gal Friday.
To Siobhan Vivian, my partner in writing, in crime, and all things. I couldn’t do it without you. Adele Griffin, one of my most favorite people in all the world—you always find the pulse of every story. Morgan Matson, here’s to that night in London!
And finally, to my readers—all of my love, always.
Jenny
About the Author
Photograph © Adam Krause
JENNY HAN is the
New York Times
bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series;
Shug
; the Burn for Burn trilogy, cowritten with Siobhan Vivian; and
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
and
P.S. I Still Love You
. She is also the author of the chapter book
Clara Lee and The Apple Pie Dream
. A former children’s bookseller, she earned her MFA in creative writing at the New School. Visit her at
DearJennyHan.com
.
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
authors.simonandschuster.com/Jenny-Han
Also by Jenny Han
Shug
The Summer I Turned Pretty
It’s Not Summer Without You
We’ll Always Have Summer
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Cowritten with Siobhan Vivian
Burn for Burn
Fire with Fire
Ashes to Ashes
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2015 by Jenny Han
Jacket photograph copyright © 2015 by Douglas Lyle Thompson
Jacket hand-lettering copyright © 2015 by Nancy Howell
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.
Book design by Lucy Ruth Cummins
The text for this book is set in Bembo Std.
CIP data for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4424-2673-3
ISBN 978-1-4424-2675-7 (eBook)
Contents