"A furious dystopian shoulder-shake ... Mathias's YA debut is a hundred-decibel alarm call" - The Guardian "A thrilling story with terrifying real-world resonance" - Irish Times How do you speak out if you have no rights? After withdrawing from the EU, Britain is governed by a far-right nationalist party.

Its flagship policy is the British Born edict, which allows only those born in Britain to live here.

Everyone else is an "illegal", subject to immediate arrest and deportation. But an election is coming soon, and all the polls point to a big loss for the ruling party. 18-year-old Londoner Ash is wrestling with grief after the loss of his sister Sophie, who died in a tragic drug-related accident at a party.

He meets Zara on a stalled tube train and immediately falls for her. But Zara has secrets: not only is she an "illegal", but she's the only person who knows the truth about Sophie's death.

Associating with Zara could jeopardize Ash's future, and if Zara comes forward with what she knows about the night Sophie died, she'll have no future in Britain at all. The election could save them. Or will it only bring disaster?