'You know how it works. Everyone cooperates. Everyone wants a victim, Sally...and now it's your turn. Now you're Shadow's victim, Shadow's dud for the year. We'll assign you duties and you'll perform them. When we pull your leash, you'll come.'15-year-old Sally Hanson's school is secretly ruled by a group of students known as the 'Shadow Council'. At the beginning of every school year, the Shadow Council hold The Lottery, an infamous ritual in which a student is chosen to be the year's 'victim' - a person who is shunned by the entire school and forced to obey the Shadow Council's every wish. This year Sally is the Shadow Council's victim - and she is about to face the worst year of her life. Resistance is futile and loyal friends are ignoring her. However, Sally has been hiding a horrifying secret - a secret that threatens to overwhelm her as the betrayal and psychological torture grows.