Thank you to Michelle Agne, who read it first, and Meredith Ryan, who read it most—you both brought me back from so many spirals as I navigated publishing a debut novel during a pandemic. I dedicated this book to both of you because not only did you help The Charm Offensive become its best self but you also help me become my best self every day by teaching me what it means to be vulnerable, be brave, and love unconditionally.
A special thank-you to Andie Sheridan, for their support, and for all the writing sprints and conversations about radical queer love. I treasure the feedback you gave me and the time you put into helping Charlie and Dev say what I needed them to say. You’re my writing role model, and I can’t wait to hold one of your books in my hands someday soon.
Thank you to everyone who answered my questions and let me bounce around ideas, but a special thank-you to the following people: Bryan Christensen for your amazing writerly wisdom and for sitting outside with me for five hours in the freezing cold to talk through revisions; Peter Lu for responding to my computer science questions so generously （any errors about CS are entirely my fault and unintentional）; thank you Skylar Ojeda for your insider information into the life of a television producer （any errors are entirely my fault and probably intentional, to be honest）; Thamira Skandakumar and Shrisha Menon, for your thoughtful conversations about representation and the emotional labor you put in; thank you to everyone who helped me brainstorm Group Quests and contestant jobs and possible titles, and a special thank-you to Leanna Fabian, who put up with being my roommate the summer I wrote this and tolerated all manner of odd questions. Thank you, Hayley Downing-Fairless, for being my pandemic photographer and capturing author photos I don’t hate.
Thank you to the group of amazing 2021 debuts who let me experience this journey alongside them, and all the writers who let me slide into their DMs to ask questions. Thank you to all the booksellers, librarians, bloggers, Bookstagrammers, and reviewers. Thank you to all the ace and aspec content creators who have helped me find my truest self by sharing theirs with the world.
Thank you to my therapist, Karen, because even though I could have done this without them, I am very glad I didn’t have to. Thank you for reminding me to stop and appreciate all the beautiful moments along the way. Queer-affirming therapists save lives, and the work you do for our community is valued beyond measure.
Finally, thank you to every Mountain View High School student who has sat in my classroom for the past eleven years. I hope you didn’t read this book （seriously, it’s not for children）， but on the off chance you’re reading this, I want you to know it’s never too late, you’re never too old, and your dreams are never too big. And if your dream is to write, please know I believe in you. Your story fucking matters. Only you can tell it.