Finnigan lives with his parents and brother at Hillcrest House, a creepy mansion deep in the woods that he has never left, not even once.

The world beyond its gates has become unlivable since "the Happenings", when atomic warfare resulted in mass destruction and transformed humans into blood-drinking creatures. That's why Finnigan and his family must stay inside. Still, Finnigan's life at Hillcrest House is busy with chores, tutoring and the strange memory exercises that his strict parents insist on. Then one day he stumbles upon a secret room in the basement filled with evidence that his life is built on a bed of lies. Shocked by what he finds, Finnigan realizes that if he ever wants to find out the truth, he will have to brave the outside world—before it’s too late.