Stepmothers aren't always evil...Sometimes they are just odd and secretive. Only eight months after her mother's death, Nikki's father announces he's getting remarried. Her name is Crystal, and she's barely older than Nikki and Nikki's older sister, Bonnie. Though Bonnie and Nikki's younger brother, Sam, agree with Nikki that Crystal isn't your typical stepmother, they don't see anythingthatparticular in her behavior. She's just shy.But Nikki doesn't believe it. Crystal is hidding something. Why else would she cry out in the night or refuse to be seen in public without glasses and a scarf around her head? Most importantly, why would she forbid Nikki to work for the old man who lives in the next house over? As Nikki explores these questions and more, she quickly discovers that beneath the surface things aren't always what they seem.