Juniper lives in a mansion of misery, with her two super-famous parents who barely pay any attention to her any longer.
Late one night, her parents do something really creepy -- they walk to a hollowed out husk of a tree, led by a black crow, and disappear inside.
She's determined, with help from equally isolated and miserable next-door-palace neighbor Giles, to get to the bottom of what's stealing all the joy from their parents' lives.
The crow leads them to the tree, following their parents' trails, and they watch the evil creature Skeksyl give their parents the fame and fortune they crave -- for the seemingly innocuous price of a breath into a red balloon.
But Skeksyl is hiding the true nature of his balloons and bargains. The red balloons hold the breaths of souls, the ones he's stealing, and Giles' and Juniper's parents don't have much more left to give.
Which is fine by Skeksyl. He's eagerly waiting to feast on a much more delectable meal, the soul of a child. He has a proposition to make, one Giles can't refuse, and only Juniper, with help from an unexpected ally, can save.
An excellent creepy read for October!
