 It is set in the same fictional setting of Anderson's previous novel "Speak".The book tells the story of Kate Malone, a preacher's daughter and high school student who is excellent in chemistry and aspires to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but faces multiple tragic situations, ranging from rejection by MIT, to her neighbor Teri Litch's house burning down at the end of her senior year.Throughout the novel Anderson makes extensive references to the periodic table of elements.