What if you had the ability to read your entire life like a book? What if you didn't like the outcome? Would you change it? Could you? Derek Hopkins is about to find out. Society is thrown into utter chaos due to the Contagion, a deadly disease that wipes out billions. In the midst of the devastation, a safe haven arises. The Colony. Behind its walls, Derek is raised and trained to navigate the shattered world he was born into. But not everyone is as fortunate. With resources running thin, many are turned away, left to fend for themselves against the cannibalistic Roamers, or more terrifying, the mysterious, forest-dwelling Outsiders. One fateful night, Derek's father does the unthinkable: flees the safety of the Colony and takes his son into the unknown. With his final breath, he shoves a book into Derek's chest with a warning not to let anyone else see it. On his own and being chased by Roamers, Derek takes shelter in an abandoned house where he learns the book's secret. It tells the story of his life. Intrigue leads to terror as the book leads him into the forest and face-to-face with his worst fear: the Outsiders. But more disturbing is how the book ends. Must Derek submit to destiny? Or, can he choose his own path?