"Wow! Shades of Fahrenheit 451 and Orwell's 1984. Painfully real and urgent. Read this book." --Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the Gone series

Bestselling author Joelle Charbonneau's eerily timely, high-stakes page-turner is destined to start important conversations at this particular moment in our history.

Meri Beckley lives in a world without lies. When she looks at the peaceful Chicago streets, she feels pride in the era of unprecedented hope and prosperity over which the governor presides.

But when Meri's mother is killed, Meri suddenly has questions that no one else seems to be asking. And when she tries to uncover her mother's state of mind in her last weeks, she finds herself drawn into a secret world with a history she didn't know existed.

Suddenly, Meri is faced with a choice between accepting the "truth" or embracing a world the government doesn't want anyone to see--a world where words have the power to change the course of a country and where the wrong ones can get Meri killed.

MERI BECKLEY LIVES IN A WORLD WITHOUT LIES.

When she turns on the news, she hears only the facts. When she swipes the pages of her online textbooks, she reads only the truth. When she looks at the peaceful Chicago streets, she feels the pride everyone in the country feels about the era of unprecedented hope and prosperity over which the government presides.

But when Meri's mother is killed, Meri suddenly has questions no one else seems to be asking. And when she tries to uncover her mother's state of mind in her last weeks, she finds herself drawn into a secret world full of facts she's never heard and a history she didn't know existed.

Suddenly, Meri is faced with a choice between accepting the "truth" she has been taught or embracing a world the government doesn't want anyone to see--a world where words have the power to change the course of a country and where one wrong word could get Meri killed.

Charbonneau, Joelle

Joelle Charbonneau has performed in opera and musical-theater productions across Chicagoland. She is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Testing trilogy and the bestselling Dividing Eden series, as well as two adult mystery series and several other books for young adult readers. Her YA books have appeared on the Indie Next List, YALSA's Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, and state reading lists across the country. Joelle lives in the Chicago area with her husband and son. www.joellecharbonneau.com