When a strange and wild boy walks into her life, Tess is forced to confront a past she had long ago forgotten

Fourteen-year-old Tess can't remember the first ten years of her life—and if they were anything like her life now, she'd prefer that they stay forgotten. Since her mother's death, she and her disabled stepfather have lived without a phone, electricity, or even much food on the table. At school, her classmates think she's weird, but she's bigger and stronger than all of them. And at least she has music to keep her company.

When a mysterious stranger named Kamo shows up looking for his dad, he is convinced that Tess and her stepfather may have the answers he's been searching for. The more time she spends with Kamo, the more she realizes how much they have in common. Then she hears a song on the radio called "Secret Star"—a song so mesmerizing that every time she hears it, Tess's past comes bubbling up, and she knows she won't be able to keep it hidden for much longer . . .