When Julia plans to spend the summer with her dad in New York City, the last thing she expects is to be drawn into a mysterious and exciting adventure on an abandoned island off the coast of Massachusetts. Her father's work leads him to serve as the head psychologist at a camp on Penikese Island-the home to twelve troubled boys and a limited staff. Julia begrudgingly goes along in hopes of spending time with her father and finding inspiration for her writing. What Julia expects to be a boring summer ends up being the adventure of a lifetime, as she finds herself caught up in a forgotten mystery, hidden danger, and a forbidden romance.
