When the horrific death of her father leaves Jenna Banks an orphan just before her sixteenth birthday, she is plunged into the world of Hilltop Academy - a world where machine gun-toting Agents protect her from unseen forces and tracking down monsters is the norm. Yet even in this mysterious world, Jenna discovers she has abilities above and beyond those of her fellow Hilltop students. Unfortunately for her, she's not the only one to make this discovery. Another tragedy sees Jenna and her new friends transferred from England to the vast Academy base in Colorado. Watched constantly and unable to trust anyone but her closest friends, Jenna has to think on her feet, calling on all her natural cunning simply to survive. Then the surprise to end all surprises completely blows her world apart.