Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High and trying to forget about the tragic events surrounding her brother's graduation. She wants to have a normal high school experience. But that's easier said than done in Nightshade. When a new boy shows up at school, the girls are infected with a case of seriously creepy crushes. But when their obsession turns to violence, Jessica and her friends start to wonder if there's more going on than just a little friendly rivalry. Are the smitten girls turning into love zombies? And Jessica has other worries - like her crush on Dominic Gray, the cute but moody new singer for Side Effects May Vary, and the mysterious tattoo that appeared on her arm one day and lets her know whenever there is trouble brewing. Jessica learns she's a Virago, a woman warrior chosen to fight evil whenever it threatens her hometown. But does a lowly freshman really have what it takes to keep Nightshade safe?