In a world where the population has become to big, the government controls who can have kids and how many they can have. When two teen friends are chosen to have kids together, they have to overcome family, social publicity, and the president himself. Rae has had a tough life growing up. Her dad left at a young age, and her mom and grandma are scraping to get by. Ryan has had a tough life, too. His mom is a functioning alcoholic. She had left him and his brother to teach themselves. They had never really yelled before, but after they got the note they were forced to become friends. Everything changes on January first when they attend the publicly televised Chosen Party together.