Twelve-year-old Cassie King's father always told her the universe was on her side. But then her father died, her mom retreated into herself, and her best friend traded her in for the popular crowd. The only thing Cassie still has is the volunteer work she does at the library, a place where she can leave her troubles behind. Unfortunately, classmate and school outcast Joe Robinson is always there doing the same thing.
One day, while Cassie and Joe are leaving the library, a bizarre storm hits, trapping them in a narrow alley. In the storm's aftermath, Cassie discovers a bedraggled little kitten abandoned in a dumpster. She feels an immediate connection to the kitten and takes him home. But the kitten—who she names Albert—is a little odd, with impossible strength and agility for his size. At one point, Cassie swears she sees plumes of smoke rising from his water bowl, and one afternoon, while Albert is alone in her room, a strange symbol appears on the closet door. Cassie figures out the symbol is a map. But a map to what?
They discover that Albert is more than he appears and is in grave danger. He needs Cassie's help in ways she never could have imagined. Keeping him safe is the first thing she has believed in for a long time. But is she strong enough to face down a sinister enemy moving ever closer and protect everything she loves?
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