Strange things happen around eighteen year-old Gwen Cooper when she's not paying close attention to her emotions - levitations, explosions, and other bizarre occurrences. She hides her peculiarities from everyone, even her best friend Ellie. But when Ellie is kidnapped by a mysterious stranger on a trip to England, Gwen gathers her courage and follows her friend into an extraordinary Otherworld, a realm of legend and magic accessible only through ancient hidden ways. As Gwen navigates the wilds of the primeval forest and the enchanting fires of faerie people, she finds clues to her past and the mother who abandoned her - discoveries which challenge her to embrace and wield her own powers to save her friend.