Nothing Out There (The Ellington Project)

Poise. Obedience. Purpose.

Within the walls of a secluded facility that reforms troubled girls into obedient daughters—there are only two options: graduate, or disappear. Erased and rebuilt from the ruins of herself, Maysie knows little about the future she’s training for, let alone the world outside. Daily sedatives, posture drills, and the constant reminder to smile shape the only life she’s ever known.

She tells herself she’s lucky. She has friends who keep her calm, rules that keep her safe, and a future she’s been told to want. If she looks past the armed enforcers and leering mentors, the Advancement Program seems perfect.

But perfection never lasts. The facility's careful facade is starting to crack, and she isn’t the only one to see it. Dreams bleed into memories of a girl they claim no longer exists. Unexplained outbursts tear her friends away one by one. Two mentors’ quiet rivalry pulls her into a game she can’t afford to lose. Every memory she uncovers threatens the version of her they’ve built—but the Program only has one way of handling girls who know too much.

And this time, they won’t stop at her memories.

Mae Harcourt writes young adult dystopian fiction that explores identity, control, and the human experience in futures not unlike our own. Nothing Out There is her debut novel.