Kaia Claffey arrives at Arden Academy, a strict boarding school hidden among the misty hills of Shillong, a town shaped by its colonial past. There, students are kept firmly in line by a formidable warden, a wooden ruler, and a dreaded offenders' list. Fail a test, talk during study hour, or break even the smallest rule, and your name ends up on it.At first, Kaia keeps her head down, and loses herself in books, and does her best to stay out of trouble. But everything changes when she finds herself on the receiving end of the ruler.Before long, the resentment she feels toward the school hardens into anger and rebellion. She starts questioning the school's harsh rules and the punishments dressed up as discipline. She stands up for her friends, challenges authority, and discovers she has little talent for staying silent when something feels unfair.As the years pass, the fiery ten-year-old grows into a sharp, fearless teenager, and her rebellious streak grows even stronger. She also finds herself entangled in the messy thrill of first love when she meets a cute basketball player who makes her blush every time he smiles at her. Then just as she begins to think she has her feelings figured out, another boy enters her life. Older, strikingly handsome, yet thoughtful and intelligent, he challenges the way she thinks and makes her believe in herself in a way no one else has.While her love life grows more complicated, the warden becomes harsher than ever. When an act of cruelty finally pushes things too far, Kaia is faced with a choice: stay silent or risk everything by taking a stand against the abusive and archaic system that has thrived on obedience for years.If you're drawn to boarding-school adventures, complicated romance, and bold heroines who won't back down, this story is for you.
