Descended from a long line of ancient creatures, Cassandra Grey looks like a regular teenager except she is not human, she is a tear collector. Just as vampires need human blood to survive, tear collectors need human tears produced by grief, anger, and other intense emotions.

As a student at a large suburban high school, Cassandra feeds off the drama that surrounds her. When a serial killer strikes at her high school the tears increase as her friends are murdered leaving Cassandra grateful for the tears these killings provide her, but afraid for her own life.

A life that is complicated by a troubled student whose tears provoke in Cassandra the most dangerous emotion a tear collector can feel: genuine human compassion.