Appearances can be deceiving. A war has raged for so long the lines have blurred. Property of the Institute, genetically-altered Noah knows nothing of his inherent abilities. Barren walls, endless drills, and brutal missions are no way of life, and he longs for meaning outside the confines of the Institute. As seventeen-year-old Alyson Gale prepares for college to follow her dream of becoming an animator, her greatest concern is leaving her best friend, Fletcher, behind. On the cusp of something good, her life changes in the worst way possible. Trust is buried beneath layers of deceit and mimicry and Aly is exposed to the secrets of the Faceless, a truth that will change everything she knows. And, perhaps, destroy her too.