In the Kingdom of Bastille, identity is everything. Established as a utopia for those seeking fulfillment and freedom, the Kingdom of Bastille is a land that legally ascribes three defining characteristics to each citizen, and those legal defining characteristics guide every single decision a citizen makes. Teenagers are encouraged to never attempt to change their defining characteristics. Instead, they are told to love themselves by embracing their characteristics. The goal is to give citizens the freedom to love themselves.
But for Victoria Dyson, the system hasn't seemed to work. She doesn't love herself, and she wishes that she could change her third defining characteristic—her fear. Each day, she feels tortured by her fear, even though her teachers try to assure her that the sooner she embraces it, the sooner she will love herself and move forward in life.
Through a series of events, Victoria finds herself on an unlikely journey with the most unlikely people. She begins to wonder if the key to personal happiness isn't what she has always been taught. To find out, she must choose to be courageous, ignoring the conventional wisdom of her culture.
