From master of suspense author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes another page-turning stand-alone kids' sci-fi adventure perfect for fans of Cog and Bad Magic.

No matter what anyone tells you, I’m real.

That’s what the note says that Max finds under his keyboard.

He knows that his best friend, Josie, wrote it. He’d know her handwriting anywhere. But why she wrote it—and what it means—remains a puzzling 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 “whatnot rules.”

But why would Max ever think that Josie wasn’t real? And what are whatnots?

As Max sets to uncover what happened to Josie—and what she is or isn’t—little does he know that she’s fighting to find him again, too. But there are forces trying to keep Max and Josie from ever seeing each other again. Because Josie wasn’t 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 friend—or real at all?

• A Heartfelt Story of Friendship: Max and Josie have been inseparable since kindergarten. When she vanishes leaving only a cryptic note—I’m real—he'll do anything to find her.
• A High-Tech Mystery: What are "whatnots," and why do the "whatnot rules" mean Max and Josie can never see each other again?
• Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi: In a world where friends can be robots, this page-turner explores big questions about humanity, identity, and what it truly means to be real.
• Secrets and Lies: Max discovers that powerful forces will do anything to keep the truth about Josie hidden, because she was never supposed to exist at all.