In a world where every word is copyrighted, one girl would rather remain silent than pay to speak...

Speth has been raised to know the consequences of falling into debt, and can't begin to imagine the pain of having her eyes shocked for speaking words that she's unable to afford.

But when Speth's friend Beecher commits suicide rather than work off his family's crippling debt, she can't express her shock and dismay. Backed into a corner, Speth finds a loophole: she closes her mouth and vows never to speak again in protest at the unjust rules of the land.

Speth's unexpected defiance of tradition sparks a media frenzy, inspiring others to follow in her footsteps, and threatens to destroy her, her family and the entire city around them.