After an alien saves his life, a rebellious teenager tries to become a part of the strange society that killed his mother.

Raised in isolation, the children of Sunderland face an all-consuming choice. They can attend school to learn the teachings of the Angel and "evolve" like their parents, or they can fall; living their lives in the wasteland at the edge of the community where their small rebellions are tolerated as long as they remain within the confines of Sunderland. Like some of the other children David has already decided to fall when the time comes, but he has his own reasons.