On Taris, we shave our heads. No. That's wrong. On Taris, we have our heads shaved for us. You'd think life in a peaceful tropical island community would be idyllic. But the people of Taris follow strict rules to keep their isolated society functioning. To start with, it is most unusual for parents to have a child naturally; potential parents carefully select donors to ensure their offspring's qualities suit the needs of the community. Juno is different. Her questions and her reluctance to conform have made her an outsider. When her parents decide to have another child, Juno switches the donors of her new sibling while no-one is looking, with strange consequences. In the meantime, her other rebellions have been noticed: someone is trying to kill her. Is it simply because she is different, or are the elders of Taris keeping secrets?