When Elzbeth's home is destroyed and her grandfather murdered, she is hurled into a world she has never known to find a father she has never met. 

The city is a place El has longed for ever since she can remember. But when her world is destroyed by her grandfather's death, her dreams of adventure are realized in death-defying vividness. El's grandfather's efforts to shield her from the post-apocalyptic chaos that reigns below have left her naive and ill-prepared for the reality of what awaits her. 

Now with only the help of a boy who would rather be anywhere else, El must find a father who is much more than he seems and risks it all to save the community and friends she has always longed for.