“The most important thing for any con artist is never to think like a mark. Marks think they can get something for nothing. Marks think they can get what they don’t deserve and could never deserve. Marks are stupid and pathetic and sad. Marks think they’re going to go home one night and have the girl they’ve loved since they were a kid suddenly love them back. Marks forget that whenever something’s too good to be true, that’s because it’s a con.”

American writer and editor

Holly Black is an American writer and editor known for children’s and young adult fiction. She is especially recognized for the Folk of the Air series, her most recent work, and for her long career in fantasy writing. Black is also known for The Spiderwick Chronicles, which she created with writer and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi, and for her debut trilogy, Modern Faerie Tales. Her work has earned a Nebula Award, a Newbery Honor, and a Mythopoeic Award. The Spiderwick Chronicles was adapted into a 2008 film and a 2023 television series, which brought her a nomination for the Children’s and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Young Teen Series.