In this dystopia, debt is encoded into our very systems. You are either a Patron or a Proxy. If you are a Patron, you live a lux life with the best food and medical benefits, the best schooling. However, if you do mess up, it's not you that gets punished. It is your proxy. In return for taking your punishment for you, a Proxy gets some schooling and other benefits. Knox and Syd are connected by the Patron/Proxy relationship. Knox screws up a lot, Syd just wants to get by. But when Knox makes a huge mistake, it may end up changing both their lives drastically.

I think my favorite part about this story is that one of the main characters is gay, and it's not "the issue." The cover also may perhaps be a bit of white-washing, as Syd is black. I really enjoyed this book a lot, and am interested in reading its sequel (part one of a duet.)