A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year!

Fourteen-year-old Ty Rainey’s mother has found heaven on earth at a reclusive commune called “the Kingdom.” But Ty soon discovers that the children, separated from their parents, are treated essentially as slaves, and the punishment for defying the rules is harsh. Ty knows that he must find the courage to rebel, but how can he when the price for doing so may be his freedom, his sanity, or even his life?

Ty becomes a popular storyteller with the children, and although education is strictly forbidden, he secretly teaches one of the younger boys to read. He has one ally in Samarah, who, at great cost to herself, pledges to help him. Their “keepers” are truly terrifying, and the punishments are cruel, but Ty’s mother is too caught up in the culture of the place to believe his claims of abuse. If he’s going to escape, he realizes, he’ll have to do it without her.

This is a gripping, complex, and enthralling novel.