Denise Kozak was always an independent thinker, or so her family thought. A talented musician with a rebellious streak, she cultivated a passionate social conscience, to the irritation of her younger brother Cliff, 17. He was just the opposite -- a bit cynical, priding himself on his calm, rational approach to the universe. Cliff's declared philosophy: "If it doesn't kill me, I don't care." 

But when Denise leaves for college and falls in love with a charismatic church, her family and friends notice a strange shift in her personality and interests. Denise believes The True Disciples has the answer to all that life holds. She neglects her music and abandons her studies to volunteer with the church, all the while talking obsessively about the church and its founder, Reverend Douglas.

Her parents' concerns intensify when Denise refuses to come home for the holidays. When her father tries to force the issue, she declares her family a "toxic" influence to her newfound faith -- and disappears.

Months go by without a word, driving a rift between their parents as Cliff and his younger sister, Jill, struggle to hold it all together. Cliff pretends that he isn't hurt that Denise cut him out of her life; Jill worries that she is somehow to blame for it. One day, Cliff's best friend, Duffy, comes to them with the startling news that he found Denise. A chance siting of her selling flowers at a New Jersey strip mall has convinced him that she's in trouble and needs their help.

Cliff resists at first, but Jill persuades him to start the search, a decision that propels Cliff and Duffy onto a road trip into the heart of a deepening mystery. Why would a smart and talented girl like Densie fall for the hollow promises of a preacher whose private life doesn't line up with his public message? And where do you draw the line between faith and fanaticism? With the help of a savvy nun and a former member of The True Disciples, cynical, agnostic Cliff finds himself embarking on a spiritual search of his own.