Everyone knows that it's a citizen's duty to smile; negative emotion is a social contagion, an aggressive act against society. For Alaire Larkin, staying positive has never been a problem. Born into a prominent family, Alaire is a star student and a member of her school's Joyful Court. Her future promises only happiness and a lifetime of service to the State, until the day she uncovers a secret world of emotions she never knew existed. Alaire knows she must forget what she has learned or run the risk of internal exile. It should be easy. All she has to do is smile.