Vivian Van Tassel and the Secret of Midnight Lake Vivian Van Tassel is a twelve-year-old girl who is struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of her mother and the move to a small, mysterious town called Midnight Lake. She is angry with her father for uprooting their lives in Chicago and feels responsible for the bad things that have been happening around her. As she begins to research the history of Midnight Lake, she discovers that the town has a peculiar and dark past, linked to a popular role-playing game called "Beasts and Battlements. " The game was invented in Midnight Lake, and there are strange coincidences between the town's history and the game that seem to be connected in a puzzling and disturbing way. As Vivian tries to uncover the truth about her new home, she meets a group of misfit kids who are obsessed with the game and invite her to join them in playing. She is torn between her desire to keep everyone at arm's length and her curiosity about the game and the town's secrets. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she realizes that the only way to understand what is happening in Midnight Lake is to embrace the game and its strange power. The story follows Vivian's journey as she navigates the complex web of relationships and secrets in Midnight Lake, all while trying to make sense of her own grief and anger. Along the way, she discovers that the game is more than just a form of entertainment - it holds the key to unlocking the town's deepest mysteries and the reason why she was brought there in the first place.

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