"When strange things start happening in Jess Flynn's hometown of Swickley, the high-school junior suspects reality isn't as it seems and seeks to uncover the truth about her family, her friends, and her town"--

1998. Jess Flynn is just trying to get through her junior year without drama. Between a new crush on her childhood best friend, overprotective parents cramping her social life, and her younger sister's worsening health, the only constant is change. Her hometown, Swickley, feels smaller by the day. Swickley is getting weirder by the day, too. Half the population has been struck down by a mysterious flu. Conversations end awkwardly when Jess enters the room. And then one day, a tiny, sleek black device-- with an apple logo on it-- falls out of her best friend's backpack and lands at Jess's feet. But the iPhone won't exist for another nine years.... -- adapted from jacket