In a dystopian future, the United States has implemented a program called "The Thinning" to control overpopulation. Every year, students must take a standardized test, and those who fail are executed by lethal injection. The story follows Laina, a brilliant student who helps her friends cheat, and Blake, the son of the Texas governor, who tries to save his girlfriend from being executed after she fails the test.
As Laina and Blake navigate the system, they discover that the grading system is rigged, and the governor is manipulating the results to eliminate certain students. They team up to expose the truth, and with the help of Laina's friend Kellan, a skilled hacker, they manage to broadcast the evidence to the public.
However, the governor tries to cover up the scandal by executing the students who actually failed the test, including his own son Blake. In a surprising twist, it is revealed that the "executed" students are actually taken underground to work as slaves for a multi-million dollar company, Assuru Global, as part of a government strategy to obtain free labor. The story ends with Laina being reunited with her sister and teacher, while Blake and the other "executed" students are forced to work in the underground factory.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The story is set in the year 2039.
2. The Earth has become overpopulated, and the human race is on the verge of dying.
3. The United Nations declares that all nations must annually cut their populations by 5%.
4. The United States implements a rule called "The Thinning" to achieve the population reduction goal.
5. In "The Thinning", students must attend a standardized test every year, and those who fail are executed by injection.
6. The main characters include Laina Michaels, a tutor, and Blake Redding, the son of the Texas governor.
7. Blake's girlfriend, Ellie, fails the test and is taken away to be executed.
8. Blake discovers that his father, Governor Dean Redding, has rigged the system to ensure his own son passes the test.
9. Laina, who actually passed the test, is declared a failure due to the rigged system.
10. Blake and Laina team up to uncover the truth and escape the school.
11. They discover that the students who fail the test are not actually executed but are instead taken to work as slaves in an underground factory.
12. The factory is owned by the tech company Assuru Global, and the government has been using the students as free labor.
13. Blake's girlfriend, Ellie, is found to be alive and working in the factory.
14. The governor's plan is exposed, and he is forced to stop the executions.
15. The students who were declared failures but actually passed the test are freed, and the lockdown is lifted.