The main character is Thea Holder. She's only 16, but she has to work because her mother has what is called Bound-Sickness. When people used to get married, they often would be bound, a type of magic spell. And what that means is that when one was away, they missed them physically. Thea's father died in the war. The place she works is called the Telephone Club. They have musical shows like a cabaret, and famous or rich people often come in and eat there. Her best friend is named Nan. She meets a handsome boy named Freddy at the beginning of the story when he is dining at the club. He's very intriguing, both personality wise, and also looks, as his hair is white, yet he is about the same age as Thea. At one point, Nan disappears. Then, Thea's mom gets so bad, and it is noticed by those people around them, and so she is taken away to a mental health center to help her get better. But someone in the city is reviving the dead people. Including Nan. We catch up with Nan when she wakes up from being dead. She is now underground, and is working. She can't remember quite who she is, or what happened. And there is some serum she is supposed to take or else supposedly she will die again. And they even see people in cages that are being punished by not getting the serum. And those people turn into basically blood thirsty zombies. All the main characters, Thea, Freddy, and Nan, must figure out their own part of the mystery, and do what they can to survive. Even Freddy has a secret that will be a big shock to Thea, but can also help to solve some of the issues.
An interesting story. I'm going to be ready to read the next one to answer some questions about this world. The magic is there, almost like it is just an every day normal thing. so is this a future of our current world? Or a whole different world altogether? I hope to learn more in the next book, and as I said, look forward to reading it when it comes out.