Alex Abrahms, a self-absorbed thirteen-year-old big city girl, can barely stay afloat in the turbulent waters of adolescence she refers to as the Hormone Hurricane. Ecstatic to have a two-month retreat from all the awkward changes she's going through, Alex flips out when her parents decide to banish her to the retirement zone to spend the summer bonding with the weirdo grandparents she never cared to know. So convinced she will be hopelessly miserable, Alex makes a high-stakes bet with her parents to prove she's right and win their respect once and for all.

What Alex doesn't realize is she is about to be plunged into a summer of mystery, intrigue, and secrecy. While in small-town Hammondsport, Alex reconnects with Ryan, a local boy she crushed on when she was ten. The two of them discover a treasure trove of secrets that could lead to a better understanding of who Alex is, as well as her connection to her grandfather's dark past.