Taylor

It is a time of profound change for Ellie Linton. Enemies are everywhere. Some come crawling over the hills others drive in and knock on the front door. Sometimes her friends are there and sometimes they are not. Ellie fights every inch of the way. But when courage and imagination are not enough, when she is trapped and helpless, Ellie must face the end of life as she knows it...standing alone, sustained only by her own strength.

In a world where every word and gesture is copyrighted, patented, or trademarked, one girl elects to remain silent rather than pay to speak, and her defiant and unexpected silence threatens to unravel the very fabric of society. Speth Jime is anxious to deliver her Last Day speech and celebrate her transition into adulthood. The moment she turns 15, Speth must pay for every word she speaks ("sorry" is a flat $10 and a legal admission of guilt), for every nod ($0.99/sec), for every scream ($0.99/sec), and even every gesture of affection.