They told them that the world behind the wall was plagued. They told them that the people there were savages. They told them that danger was bread in the heart of that city. They told them that if they were good, they would never have to go there. Take your medicines. Wear your uniform. Follow their rules. Do not question them. And do not look at the city that lies beyond the Wall of Teeth. But Finley Pryor never thought like they did. She knew she was different, she didn't know how, but she could feel it coursing inside the marrow of her shaky bones. She was curious. She was imaginitve. She was smart. She was Defected. Eighteen year old Finley, a middle class Elysian Citizen, never questioned her role in society or the rule of the Committee. She did what she was told, when she was told, and asked no questions. The threat of being sent to the Cinder, the dark ruins of an old world city beyond the Wall of Teeth, never allowed her to be anything but obedient. Bu when met with an ill decided fate, oppression can last only so long, secrets can be mumbled only so softly and the iron grip of the Committee could only squeeze so tight. How far will Finley go to find righteousness in a world full of irreverence? What tangled webs of defiance will she stumble upon? Will she ever come to know the secrets of The Stranger? And will it be worth braving the ultimate darkness: The Cinder.