First published 2016
Rowan has spent sixteen years locked inside her family's compound. As a Second Child in Eden, population control laws mark her for execution. Her kaleidoscope eyes would expose her instantly to the Center government, so she cannot attend school, form friendships, or receive the eye implants that identify legal citizens. Beyond Eden's borders, Earth lies poisoned and lifeless. A man-made disaster destroyed nearly all animals and plants centuries ago. The scientist Aaron al Baz rescued this pocket of civilization by creating the EcoPanopticon, a vast computer system that controls all technology to preserve humanity's remnants. The EcoPan will heal the planet over thousands of years while humans wait in Eden. At sixteen, Rowan's restlessness overwhelms her caution. She escapes for what she promises herself will be one night of exploration. She discovers an exotic world and makes a friend, but her adventure ends in tragedy. Now Rowan runs as a fugitive, setting off events that threaten to transform Eden forever.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, young-adult
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, fugitive
Setting: Eden, Earth
Period: Future
288 pages · Hardcover · Atria/Keywords Press
Content warnings: violence