Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best --- the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.

Fans of classic frontier survival stories, as well as readers of dystopian literature, will enjoy this futuristic story in which water is worth more than gold. Teenager Lynn has been taught to defend her pond against every threat: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty or doesn't leave at all.