Gwenore is ignored or bullied because every resident in Moon Danes, a middle-of-nowhere town, remembers what she did. When she was a kid she lied about two terrible things: being blind and the kidnapping of her best friend, Billie, for attention. Even Gwenore hates herself. She's as awful as the monster she could have sworn she saw take Billie-the inhuman being she fantasizes about every night, the one who looked at her like no one ever had. Like she was worth noticing . . . But Billie denies she was ever taken. What really happened to Billie is a mystery that's lasted eight years. Gwenore wants answers, but more than anything, the high school senior just wants to fit in . . . somewhere. It's no wonder she's become obsessed with the strange school in the nearby woods. When a new eccentric teacher comes along, promising to teach her about Hilltop Institute, she gets pulled into a dark world of shadow-beasts, betrayals, and vendettas. Soon she'll have to choose a side. Fight for the innocent or defend the monsters . . . the only problem is she doesn't know who's who.