When a forbidden soulshadow marks her as an imperfect child, a girl goes on the run to find answers about her forgotten past in this fast-paced and atmospheric first book in an illustrated middle grade fantasy series perfect for fans of Impossible Creatures and The Golden Compass.

Twelve-year-old Myrtle Rainwater is perfect. At least, that’s what her merit book tells her. And on Greycloak Island, perfection is everything, because being perfect prevents the creation of soulshadows—dangerous, magical creatures born from the broken souls of deviant children.

Most importantly for Myrtle, perfection will allow her to transfer away from Stalebourne Boarding School and return to her childhood home to find answers about her aunt’s death. But when a panther soulshadow with the name tag “Six” breaks into Myrtle’s school on their all-important Inspection Day, claiming to belong to her, Myrtle’s perfection is thrown into question.

Giving up everything she thinks she knows, she goes on the run with the panther and her sister, Natty, pursued by the island’s ruthless Invigilators. The appearance of the soulshadow sets into motion a chain of events that not only leads Myrtle to new friends and enemies, but draws her closer to the truth about her past and what her future holds—as long as she is ready to face it.

With illustrations that bring the story to life, Kelly Smith’s enthralling story whisks readers away on an adventure they won’t soon forget!