Freshman year can be a bit challenging, but new roommates Kim and Jaimie have no idea what they're in for.

Jaimie is nervous -- after all, she's lived her entire life in Chapel Hollow with no phones, no electricity, no outsiders, and no one who doesn't remember what a horribly cruel person she was until recently. But being Outside is a big step. Not only are there a lot of rules covering what she isn't allowed to share, there are a LOT of strangers... including the one she's going to be sharing her room with.

Kim is nervous, too -- she wants her life back. Her art, wildly abstract and brilliant, has always been her center. Detail oriented, and hyper-organized, she sees things in flowing colors and shapes, and experiences emotions the same way. Unfortunately, these days her art isn't enough to keep her depression at bay. She's suffering continual crying jags that haven't been helped by therapy or drugs. Memorizing the college's history and the entire first-year orientation schedule has helped her cope, but it won't be enough to save her.

Will Jaimie, with help from her cousins and the Presence, Rugee, be enough to keep Kim safe from the vampiric viri preying on her emotions?

I really enjoyed this latest addition to Hoffman's Chapel Hollow series. Jaimie was one of the nasty children in the Thread that Binds the Bones, so it was nice to find out that she'd turned out better than anticipated. There's enough suspense here to make things interesting, and although the "villain" isn't really a shock, there's enough action to distract and make the conclusion not quite foregone. ( )

A fun, quick read in the Young Adult Fantasy genre that provides such pleasant escapism. While much of the writing is simple, and the characters pretty one-dimensional, the plot is fairly interesting and the magic of the world is more sophisticated than most.

Recommended - a surprise and page-turner - will look for mor by the author ( )