Some masks hide who you are. These masks erase who you were.
When thirteen-year-old Natalie Reyes discovers a hidden room full of vintage Halloween masks backstage at Crestwood Middle School, she thinks she's found forgotten props from an old costume contest. But these aren't ordinary masks—they're alive, hungry, and they've been collecting students for decades.
After trying one on as a dare, Natalie experiences a terrifying transformation. The mask doesn't just change how she looks; it begins replacing her thoughts, her voice, even her memories. She manages to break free, but her classmates aren't so lucky. One by one, they disappear—not just from school, but from everyone's memory, as if they never existed at all.
Her best friend Kiko becomes "Kara," a glossy stranger who doesn't remember their friendship. Former classmates vanish from yearbooks and attendance records. And the masks keep spreading, turning students into polished versions of themselves before erasing them completely.
As Natalie digs into the school's buried history, she uncovers the truth: every few decades, the masks emerge to feed on teenage insecurities and desires, consuming anyone who wants to be someone else. The forgotten costume contest wasn't canceled—it was hidden, along with the names of every student who ever won.
Now Natalie must destroy the masks before she loses herself to the one that bears her name. But how do you fight something that promises to make you everything you've always wanted to be?
A chilling middle-grade horror perfect for fans of Small Spaces and Doll Bones.
