they're called. The mysterious humans with vines woven into their skin. Everyone's heard of them, but no one ever sees them ... except when they turn up dead.

When eighteen-year-old Alena traumatically obtains the vine-like mark of a Pepp, suddenly her simple life disappears. Not only does she have to hide from those who seek the lives of the Pepps, but she also finds her natural happiness strangely smothered by a substance created by the vine within her. Hoping to destroy the vine and get her normal life back, Alena searches for the Pepps.

But when the dark truth of her vine is revealed by a handsome Pepp named Mark, Alena is encouraged to join the Pepps for her own safety. With Mark teaching her how to be happy again, she's just beginning to enjoy the world of strange powers and rustic adventures, when her new friends start getting hurt. Suddenly, Alena is forced to find a way to keep the Pepps safe-not only from those who want to eradicate them-but from herself, a teenage girl who could destroy them all.