Can you live without your computer? Can you wear a watch?
In a time not long from now, there are people who can't. Legally recognized as electromagnetics, or "Readers," they are a twist in evolution, an anomaly in a society that has become technologically dependent. Considered second-class citizens because of their heightened electromagnetic fields, Readers can't wear watches, get too close to a TV, or even drive for fear they will shut down the car's electrical system. Computers become worthless doorstops around Readers. Career prospects are limited.
Reader Jeanne Muir can't believe her luck when she's unexpectedly offered a new job. But she hasn't been told that her job description includes being framed for a crime she didn't commit. Knowing she was set up, Jeanne can't let herself be taken in—and risks asking Ran Owata, a fellow Reader who is no longer accepted among their kind, for help.

Can she trust him? Does she have a choice?