Less than a year ago, Neely Ambrose's biggest worry was having the freedom to follow a path that wasn't chosen for her. Less than a year ago, she believed she could trust the Elders who said they had everyone's best interest at heart and who said they were keeping them safe from the outside. Sixty days ago she discovered what they had planned for everyone she loved--and that all of it centered around her.

Now she's on the run through a dangerous wasteland full of killing machines, secret organizations, and people who want to sell her back to the Elders for their own safety. The whole world outside the Compound is living proof that everything in Neely's life was a lie manufactured by the Elders, which may even include the boy she loves.

All Neely wants is the truth, but each new piece of it drives her further from what she thought she knew. With only forty days until everyone she loves falls under the Elders' mind control, Neely must decipher who to trust, what questions to ask, and how to get one step ahead of the Elders, who will do anything to keep their secrets buried.