Stardust Among the Shadows

Nora Gregory isn't crazy, a fact she has to remind herself of often because she hears the voice of the forest speaking in her mind and struggles with crippling social anxiety. Hanging out in the woods all day seems like an ideal solution until a flash flood traps her and her best friend, Ben, overnight. 

The stranded pair takes shelter under an ancient pine tree and discovers a hidden cavern filled with magic. Nora releases some of the enchanted glittering dust from a bottle, which awakens her own dormant powers. In response, the forest sends her an ominous message. To save your home, you must save the woods.

Being rescued does nothing to diminish Nora's urge to go back to the woods. When she returns, she meets Soluna, an ancient protector of the forest. Soluna teaches her about the dangers that lurk in the woods. The forest calls Nora to serve as a protector as well.

A Penumbra, a monstrous creature that seeks power, destroys Soluna's cavern. So Nora and Ben embark on a mission to find her a new home where she can recover. It must be a place where magic and the woods are fused together. The Penumbra attempts to thwart their plans, so they must battle the creature which is weakened, but not destroyed. 

Hungry for power, the Penumbra stalks Nora planning on stealing her magic, which threatens her life and will destroy her town. Motivated by the Penumbra's attacks, Nora and a little ragtag gang of middle-schoolers join to battle the creature together.

Defeating the Penumbra is the greatest challenge Nora has faced. In doing so, she learns to be more accepting of herself and finds new friends along the way. 

When the winter snow melts, Nora returns to visit Soluna but gets more than she bargained for when Soluna introduces her to the community of protectors and their enchanted underground world of magic.