From master of suspense author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes another page-turning stand-alone adventure perfect for fans of Cog and Bad Magic.
No matter what anyone tells you, Iâm real.
Thatâs what the note says that Max finds under his keyboard.
He knows that his best friend, Josie, wrote it. Heâd know her handwriting anywhere. But why she wrote itâand what it meansâremains a mystery.
Ever since they met in kindergarten, Max and Josie have been inseparable. Until the summer after fifth grade, when Josie disappears, leaving only a note, and whispering something about âwhatnot rules.â
But why would Max ever think that Josie wasnât real? And what are whatnots?
As Max sets to uncover what happened to Josieâand what she is or isnâtâlittle does he know that sheâs fighting to find him again, too. But there are forces trying to keep Max and Josie from ever seeing each other again. Because Josie wasnât supposed to be real.
This middle grade thriller from Margaret Peterson Haddix delves into the power of privilege, the importance of true friendship, and the question of humanity and identity. Because when anyone could be a whatnot, what makes a person a real friendâor real at all?