Lily Coltrane's to-do list for starting university life is pretty simple: 1.Make friends 2.Meet a cute guy 3.Survive her first year in Modern History In the little English town of Piketon this seems more than achievable, so much so that Lily even joins The Illustrious Minds Literary Society, an extra-curricular club that promises a truly unique social experience. What Lily doesn't bank on are the society's monthly visits to the mysterious Theatre Imaginique at the edge of town, a dark venue that houses the most obscure cavalcade of carnival performers she has ever laid eyes on.