Born and raised on an isolated Appalachian mountain, sixteen-year-old Marli Meade yearns to break free from her father's tyranny and her oppressive home life. She's tired of the rigid rules, tired of being under her father's constant surveillance, and most of all, she's tired of not having a life. Despite this, she's terrified she'll never be able to escape.

When she meets local boy Nate Porter, though, all that changes. Suddenly, life is sweeter. She relishes the way he makes her feel. Cherishes his smile. And for the first time feels a sense of hope that the life she wants seems possible.

As her two worlds collide, exposing buried secrets more sinister than she ever imagined and unknown facts about her mother's death, Marli must make a choice: find the courage to fight for her life and the future she wants, or give in and let her family control her life forever.