Maddie Patterson loves strange creatures--the kind that aren't suppose to exist--but doesn't care too much for people, especially the other kids at school. She convinced herself she didn't really need friends, but that all changed once she met Alastair.

Alastair is the friend she never dared to hope for--and so much more. Haunted by the cryptic last words of Alastair's father, Maddie is determined to discover what his warning meant.

Was Alastair in danger? Was she?

From the sleepy little mountain town Maddie calls home to the black waters of a mysterious lake, their journey to the truth draws them into a world of myths and legends Maddie never dreamed existed...a dangerous world that holds the secret to their true destiny.

Along the way they must face their greatest fears, and in the end, confront the legend of the Blackthorn Beast.