Alexander Merchant is flourishing in the social world of Needham Broughton High, when he meets Natalie Agadani and falls in love. Alexander and Natalie are swept into a whirlwind teenage romance, but when Alexander unwittingly commits a crime, Natalie, who could be the love of his life, is sent away, leaving him to face the fallout of their indiscretions alone. In prison, Alexander must learn to navigate the social constructs of the inmate world, a cesspool of desperation, violence, and despair, where one wrong decision could determine life and death. Can Alexander make it out unscathed? Or will the system change him forever?