To my Ride or Dies—Tomi Tsunoda, Jes Oliveri, Beren Weil, and Cindy Lutz-Spidle—it is an absolute joy to know you wonderful women all these years later. Drama Club friendships never quit. You know that I love you all and from the bottom of my heart thank you for your friendship and your constant support. Here’s to another forty years.
And my other Ride or Dies—Natiba Guy-Clement and Julia Pelaez—thank you for giving me a reason to come to that library every day. You guys are the best. Your support through this—and everything else—is unmatched. And remember, we ride at dawn.
I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the music of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds—a band I pretended to be into for years (I know . . .) but whose music found me at the exact right moment. When the thunder crashed on a track called “Tupelo,” I found a ghost story and Zee found a home. So, thanks, Nick.
Thank you to the Vernola family—you all filled my childhood with so much love. But none more than you, Dan. I couldn’t have asked for a more magical person to grow up with. From the woods, to the BirdMan to the Eye Trees, to the courts, to the rock, to listening to all my stories, to Fanteris—we made magic out of sticks and stones. You are my best friend and you have my heart. You will always be my Peter Pan.
Thank you to the Grochalskis, who have supported and cheered me on from day one. I love you all.
And thank you to my amazing sisters, Stephanie and Jennifer, and their families, especially my nieces and nephews—Nick, Neve, Annie, and Wesley—who continue to teach me how beautiful life is.
Thank you to Big Ron and Trish the Dish, my mom and dad. Thank you for, well, everything. Thank you for my amazing childhood and for all the trips to the “big” library in Newburgh. Thanks for reading that first short story I wrote when I was eight and encouraging me to keep going. Thank you for always supporting this dream of mine. You were my first champions and for that I am eternally grateful. I love you more.
And finally, to my amazing husband, Jay. None of this would have been possible without your continued love and support. You helped me laugh through all the tears and you believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. You made this dream come true. There is no one I would rather walk this wild amazing beautiful path with. Till the wheels come off, my love. And remember . . . I’ll wait for you and should I fall behind, wait for me.
About the Author
PHOTO BY BILL WADMAN
ALLY MALINENKO is a poet, novelist, and librarian living in Brooklyn, New York, where she pens her tales in a secret writing closet before dawn each day. Like Zee, she loves a good ghost story the most. When she’s not telling stories, she’s traveling as much of this world as possible.
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Copyright
Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
GHOST GIRL. Copyright © 2021 by Ally Malinenko. 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.
Cover art © 2021 by Maike Plenzke
Cover design by David DeWitt
Digital Edition AUGUST 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-304462-3
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-304460-9
2122232425PC/LSCH10987654321
FIRST EDITION
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