Homecoming

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am immeasurably grateful to the tremendously talented team at Alloy. Josh, your creative instincts are even more on target than your golf swing, and it’s a pleasure to watch your brain in action. Sara, your intelligence and kindness create an environment where stories can flourish, and make me feel so very much at home. Les, thank you for believing in this project and using your special brand of magic to help it take flight.

Huge space hugs to Heather David, whose creativity and tenacity resulted in one of the best days of my life. And thank you to Romy Golan and Liz Dresner for turning my jumble of words into a gorgeous book.

I remain in awe of Joelle Hobeika, who dazzles me with her talent, storytelling prowess, and ability to make everything more fun. The same goes for Annie Stone, the smartest, most confidence-inspiring editor a writer could ask for.

A million thanks to the incredible team at Little, Brown for their hard work, creativity, and publishing acumen. And a special thank-you to my lovely editor Pam Gruber, whose sharp vision for the series kept us on course, and to my fabulous publicist, Hallie Patterson.

I also feel incredibly lucky to be working with Hodder & Stoughton, who’ve blown me away with their dedication and enthusiasm for The 100. In particular, thank you to Kate Howard, Emily Kitchin, and Becca Mundy for making a home for me (and a hundred teen space delinquents) across the pond.

As always, thank you to my wonderful, hilarious, supportive friends. I owe every single one of you a drink at Puck Fair/the Red Bar/Jack the Horse/Henry Public/Café Luxxe/Father’s Office/Freud and all the other places I showed up to half asleep during various phases of writing lockdown. A special medal of meritorious service goes to Gavin Brown, who went above and beyond to keep this story “afloat.”

I am also hugely indebted to Jennifer Shotz, whose talent and imagination shaped this story in countless ways.

Thank you to my family, especially my amazing, inspirational, endlessly supportive parents, Sam and Marcia, who turned me into a writer. You are forgiven.

And last but not least, a very special thank-you to my readers whose enthusiasm makes me feel like the luckiest girl on Earth. #Bellarke forever.