Madeline Dare has traded in the drudgery of living in backwoods Syracuse, New York, to work as a teacher at Santangelo Academy, a boarding school for emotionally disturbed teenagers in the Berkshires. Behind the ornate gates of the academy, she finds a disturbing realm where students and teachers must follow the dean's bizarre therapies.

From her first day, Madeline doubts Dr. Santangelo's credibility - and she's not afraid to voice her concerns. But she quickly discovers that many of her colleagues are devout followers of the dean. When a chilling event confirms Madeline's suspicions, she feels trapped within a school full of lunatics. Shut off from the outside world, Maddie forms an unlikely alliance with a small group of rebellious students, whose constant resistance to authority may be her only salvation....