I hope this book brings you inspiration as you find your new reality in the post-pandemic world. Listen to your heart. Create your spark.
Acknowledgments
As always, though my name is on the cover, I have a huge team who helped me take a wild idea out of the ether and solidify it into book form.
Thank you first and foremost to the immediate and extended members of the Francis-Fujimura family. I wouldn’t be inspired to write the stories I do without you.
Diana Gill and Rebecca Angus for sparking this new idea and then tag-teaming with Susan Chang (Tor Teen) and Ann Rose (Prospect Agency) to bring it to life despite being in the middle of a pandemic. Here’s to even more creative adventures together!
Sara Van Acker (a real-life Stephanie!) for sharing her immense knowledge of TV production and how Hollywood magic works.
The strong, talented, awesome Kolland women: Kimber, Brooke, and Mikayla for their power-tool knowledge, fact checks, cheerleading, and “Everybody needs a Leo” comment. Also, I concur.
The Constandse-Strait family, especially Carrie and Vanessa, for your longtime friendship, peek into blended Mexican American family life, and the excuse to make tres leches cake in the name of research.
Hilda Serrano for not only making my hair look great, but for the deep-dive into all things quinceañera.
Wonder Twin for helping me find the story I didn’t even know I had in me and alerting me to the dangers of “chicken cutlets.”
Patrick Canfield, Saraciea Fennell, Anneliese Merz, Lesley Worrell, Melanie Sanders, Christa Desir, Heather Saunders, and the whole Tor Teen team for bringing this story to life.
Also by Sara Fujimura
Every Reason We Shouldn’t
About the Author
SARA FUJIMURA is an award-winning young adult author and creative writing teacher. She is the American half of her Japanese American family, and has written about Japanese culture and raising bicultural children for such magazines as AppleSeeds, Learning Through History, EastWest, and Mothering, as well as travel-related articles for To Japan with Love. She is the author of the young adult novel Every Reason We Shouldn’t, a National Public Radio Best Book of the Year, in addition to the self-published young adult novels Tanabata Wish and Breathe. She lives in Phoenix with her husband and children. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
Also by Sara Fujimura
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
FAKING REALITY
Copyright © 2021 by Sara Fujimura
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Lesley Worrell
Cover photos © Shutterstock.com
A Tor Teen Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Fujimura, Sara, author.
Title: Faking reality / Sara Fujimura.
Description: First edition. | New York: Tor Teen, 2021. | “A Tom Doherty Associates book.”
Identifiers: LCCN 2021009140 (print) | LCCN 2021009141 (ebook) | ISBN 9781250204103 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250204127 (ebook)
Subjects: CYAC: Reality television programs—Fiction. | Dating (Social customs)—Fiction. | Best friends—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. |
Japanese Americans—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.F84 Fak 2021 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.F84 (ebook) | DDC [Fic] —dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021009140
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021009141
eISBN 9781250204127
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
First Edition: 2021