When mysterious handwriting suddenly appears in Drew Montgomery’s English notebook, he wonders what kind of town Coldriver really is. Apparently it’s the sort of place where nobody blinks twice at a little magic. Built over an intersection of ley lines, Coldriver is unconventional, to say the least: a place where statues come to life, ballet is bigger than basketball, and a mere poem can kill.
Dumped in Coldriver to live with his Gran while his parents tour Europe, Drew meets the enigmatic Cadence Trueheart. She’s been prepped since birth to become the town’s next Matushka, and whether she likes it or not, the day of the Turning is fast approaching. As their friendship morphs into something stronger, Drew is drawn into a labyrinth of danger. Someone’s trying to kill Cady, and now it looks like they’re after him, too.
Who is sending Drew cursed messages? Why is he having weird dreams about a long-dead Russian girl and a glowing green stone? What dark magic is at work in the town? And how can Drew reverse it before sundown on Cady’s seventeenth birthday?