Tristan is about to turn sixteen and like all males ... be destroyed.

In the Haven, the process is known as recycling. The boys are taken away and never seen again. The Sisters tell him it is for the safety of the Haven. They say that Men destroyed the world long ago, and their process is the only way to make sure it never happens again. Tristan has no reason to doubt the word of the Sisters, who have raised him and catered to his needs all his life.

But when an unexpected sickness strikes close to home, Tristan is forced to reevaluate his place in the society. For the first time, doubts arise and rebellion swells in his heart. His newfound resistance will lead to a mission that takes him through the darkness of the Haven's underbelly to the wild world outside the boundaries, where startling revelations will transform his life forever.