This book went through more drafts than I care to admit, but I’d like to thank Heather Zundel, Erin Anderson, and Christy Farley for reading the earliest version. And telling me to throw it away. Thank you Tricia Hoover, Christine Marciniak, Jodi Meadows, and Jillian Boehme for reading the next version . . . that I also threw away. Corinne Duyvis and Casey McCormick, thank you for reading first chapters until I’m sure you were sick of them. Elana Johnson, Lisa Roecker, Laura Roecker, Shannon Messenger, Lauren DeStefano, Michelle Hodkin, Stephanie Perkins, Saundra Mitchell, Victoria Schwab, Myra McEntire, and all the Bookanistas, all the members of the League: thank you for listening to me prattle on about books and writing.

Kiersten White, Melissa Marr, and Carrie Ryan believed in me before Across the Universe was even a book, and I’m very grateful to them for that. Carrie, thanks also for always reading my long, rambling emails and giving me the best advice for every situation!

Thank you, Jennifer Randolph, for being one of my first supporters. Thank you, Laura Parker, for being so selfless and sharing in my joy. Thank you, Melissa Spence, for driving across the state just to celebrate with me. All of your friendships mean the world to me.

I’d like to thank the students at Burns High School who leant me their names for this story, particularly those of you who wanted to have the goriest, bloodiest ends. I hope you enjoyed being killed off!

Thanks to Village Coffee for keeping me caffeinated and Fireside Books & Gifts for keeping me well read.

And, of course, my deepest love and gratitude to my parents, Ted and JoAnne Graham, who are just as excited as I am about this whole endeavor, and to my husband, Corwin Revis, who read every draft, even the worst ones, and still loved me after all that.

Thank you all.

YOUR UNIVERSE CHANGED WITH BOOK ONE.

YOUR HEART STOPPED WITH BOOK TWO.

AND NOW IN BOOK THREE?

IT’S TIME TO GO HOME.

COMING JANUARY 2013

SHADES OF EARTH

BOOK III IN THE ACROSS THE UNIVERSE TRILOGY

FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR BETH REVIS

THE JOURNEY IS JUST BEGINNING . . .