"If you break the rules, you will be punished. Celestine North lives a perfect life. She's a model daughter and sister and she's well-liked by her classmates and teachers. She's also a girl of logic. To Celestine, every problem has a solution. Every action is either right, or wrong. Celestine has always known about the Flawed, second-class citizens who are branded as punishment for their crimes. And she always thought they must deserve their punishment....

Fourteen-year-old Henry, wishing to honor his brother Franklin's dying wish, sets out to hike Maine's Mount Katahdin with his best friend and dog. But fate adds another companion--the Cambodian refugee accused of fatally injuring Franklin--and reveals troubles that predate the accident.