Sammy’s never been what you might call lucky. But finding a dead cat on her birthday? That ranks up there in her top-10 unluckiest moments. And not just because it was the ugliest dead thing she’d ever seen. No, it was more the chain of events that happened after.Like getting hosed down by a crazy cat lady who blames Sammy for her pet’s violent end. And being chased through an alley by a guy with a cleaver. And being thrown in the ring by a cranky pro-wrestler called El Gato—oh, no wait, that was the good part of her day.

Sammy’s never been what you might call lucky. But finding a dead cat on her birthday? That ranks up there in her top-10 unluckiest moments. And not just because it was the ugliest dead thing she’d ever seen. No, it was more the chain of events that happened after.Like getting hosed down by a crazy cat lady who blames Sammy for her pet’s violent end. And being chased through an alley by a guy with a cleaver. And being thrown in the ring by a cranky pro-wrestler called El Gato—oh, no wait, that was the good part of her day. Wendelin Van Draanen lives in central California.From the Hardcover edition.