A week later, I once again step in front of City Hall with the cameras rolling and say, “I’m Meri Beckley, reporting for Gloss News.”
Because as much as I want this to be the end, it is simply the beginning.
Acknowledgments
Some stories are harder to tell than others. This book was incredibly difficult for me to write. The words didn’t always come easily. Sometimes I wasn’t sure if they would come at all. If it weren’t for the unfailing support of my family, my agent, Stacia Decker, and my editor, Kristen Pettit, I’m not sure this series would exist.
I owe a debt of gratitude to Edel Rodriguez for his iconic cover art and to the incredible Harper team for taking this journey with me. Also, I cannot thank the teachers, librarians, and booksellers who have embraced this story enough. And to the journalists working here in the United States and around the globe, thank you for your work. The late Judge Damon Keith is quoted as saying, “Democracy dies behind closed doors.” To every journalist working tirelessly today—thank you for shining your light.
Words matter. Facts matter. Truth matters.
I’ve always known those things to be true. However, in recent years I have realized how much I have taken those ideas for granted. This series was written because I wanted to learn what could happen if those tenets of our society continue to erode and how they could be restored. I wish I could say in my historical research that I found a magic wand that can be waved. Trust me, I tried.
What I have learned is that we are all, children and adults alike, stewards of our history, our government, and our world. It is up to us to stand up for the power of words, facts, and the truth they convey, especially when it is easier to remain silent or it feels as if speaking out will do no good.
Your voice matters. Your words wherever you use them are important. Your willingness to question what you wish to believe is courageous and sets an example for others.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for sharing this story with others. But most of all, I want to thank you in advance for each time you stop and fact-check something before believing it to be true. The truth can only matter if it starts with you.
About the Author
Photo by Tom Frey
JOELLE CHARBONNEAU has performed in opera and musical-theater productions across Chicagoland. She is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Testing trilogy and the bestselling Dividing Eden series, as well as two adult mystery series and several other books for young adult readers. Her YA books have appeared on the Indie Next List, YALSA’s Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, and state reading lists across the country. Joelle lives in the Chicago area with her husband and son.
www.joellecharbonneau.com
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Books by Joelle Charbonneau
Dividing Eden
Eden Conquered
Into the Garden
Forbidden Fruit
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Copyright
DISCLOSE. Copyright © 2020 by Joelle Charbonneau. 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.
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Cover art © 2020 by Edel Rodriguez
Cover design by Chris Kwon
* * *
Digital Edition SEPTEMBER 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-280368-9
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-280365-8
2021222324PC/LSCH10987654321
FIRST EDITION
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