The Fractured States of America

In a not too distant future, political polarization, religious intolerance, and social differences have splintered America into eight different countries.

Fleetwood Castor is a sixteen year old from New England who’s mostly concerned about passing the eleventh grade without any drama. After sucking down his morning energy drink, Fleet accidentally punches out a new kid, Gideon. Since Gideon is gay, their principal assumes Fleet is a homophobe, instead of just klutzy, so he proves otherwise by inviting Gideon over for dinner. Just as the family meal begins, armored men storm Fleet’s house and kidnap the two teens. They awake to find themselves unwilling participants in a maze with seven strangers from around the former United States. The maze is not only deep underground and built with walls made of salt, but it’s rigged with deadly traps. The mysterious terrorist organization behind the madness films their every move, broadcasting live to the world.

Rumer Golden is a seventeen-year-old girl from Western America who has been in love with heartthrob actor Cassian Booth for years. She’s so in love that she’s been filming him for weeks without his knowledge to create a documentary about his life. She even sneaks into his home for more footage when terrorists kidnap Cassian and throw him in the salt gauntlet with Fleet and the other teens. Rumer is the only person in the world with any footage of the kidnappers, and soon finds her life on the line as she must figure out who to trust and how to save Cassian (and the others, assuming there’s any time left).