In a terrifying new world, four girls must depend on one another if they want to survive. Disaster and destruction are all thirteen-year-old Louisa has ever known. But now she and her best friend Maddie, are among the lucky few being sent to boarding school, far from home. Finally, a taste of freedom! Country Manor School isn't perfect: The girls' roommates are tough to get along with, and the school is hard work. Still, Louisa loves CMS, the survival skills classes, the fresh air. She doesn't even miss not having TV, or the Internet, or any contact with home. It's for their own safety, after all. Or is it?