In 1899 Manhattan, the drowning of beautiful Elizabeth Holland, daughter of New York society's ruling family, brings to the surface the scandalous behavior of several teenagers of varying social class.

Shadow-kissed Rose is hunted by the immortal undead that are seeking vengeance on her for her Strigoi kills, which puts her in a terrible position that could result in the death one of the two people she values most, her best friend Lissa, or her tutor Dimitri Belikov, the man she loves.

Diana and Elizabeth Holland, two of Manhattan's favorite socialites, show new signs of maturity as Elizabeth tries to deal with a secret from the past, and Diana is forced to make a decision about her future; meanwhile, Carolina finds that money can buy happiness, and Penelope learns the pleasures of life without Henry.

Charlotte Simmons is a brilliant girl from a very poor, very strict Appalachian mountain family. She finds her way to a top college where she hopes to live the life of intellectual pursuits. But when she arrives at Dupont, an elite University in Pennsylvania, she finds that all anyone cares about is sex, status, and drinking. Desperately lonely and unhappy, she goes further and further trying to fit into this new world, with terrible results.