Lone Player

"You can lie all you want, but every lie will come back to bite you someday. They always do." To manage overpopulation, citizens are marked with playing card tattoos—and an annual draw from a deck determines who the Chaser Corps exterminates. Eddie resents her pro-Chaser father for expecting her to join the Corps. Her true desire is to become an illegal healer to save her best friend Margot, who hides her chronic illness to avoid a death sentence. Determined to follow her heart, Eddie defies her father by secretly dodging the Chaser Corps Entrance Exam and aligning herself with the rebels, where one wrong move could have dire consequences. Margot's twin brother Ren longs to become a Chaser, despite his hatred for the inhumane organization. Playing a role in population control as a member of the Corps would secure his immediate family Immunity and protect Margot's life. His secret decision to take the entrance exam challenges his family's anti-Chaser principles, and receiving his acceptance letter plunges him deeper into a moral crisis. Although Eddie and Ren despise each other, their shared love for Margot compels them to strike a deal—Ren will devote his life to the Corps, while Eddie will risk her life with the rebels. Together, they weave an intricate web of falsities to keep their families in the dark. But as they dive deeper into opposing sides, doubt threatens their fragile alliance. Will their bond prove strong enough to shatter the system, or will the weight of their lies turn them against each other? With beautiful prose and witty characters, debut author Julia Rosemary Turk delivers an epic tale of sacrifice, betrayal, and the pursuit of truth in a society built on deception.