When her mother breaks up with yet another boyfriend, Calliope meets Jinsong at her latest middle school, who becomes her friend despite her Tourette Syndrome and the embarrassment it can cause.
"The sea is salty and stretches for miles. The waves keep waving. The sand is hot. The gulls are diving. The dolphins are jumping. And the sisters-little sister, big sister, true sisters, secret sisters-are ready for summer."--Page [4] of cover.
Warned away from magic all of his life, Callum endeavors to fail the trials that would admit him to the Magisterium only to be drawn into its ranks against his will and forced to confront dark elements from his past.