Paisley is a 17-year-old true crime vlogger with a popular internet following. As the novel opens, she is eavesdropping on her parents, who are arguing about an invitation she’s received. Billionaire Malcolm Wyatt has invited Paisley and five other teen influencers to preview his new amusement park on a remote island. While Paisley desperately wants to go and sees the opportunity as too good to pass up, her parents are worried about letting her attend. They also fret about the content of her vlogs and wish that she would focus on something less morbid and more traditional, such as beauty or dance. Though Paisley loves her parents, she feels that they don’t really understand her and don’t pay much attention to her online work. In contrast, her brother, Blaine, is the family golden child and studies biochemistry at Princeton. Blaine is on his sister’s side and thinks she should take advantage of Wyatt’s offer. At last, her parents decide to let her attend, and Paisley is elated.

Three weeks later, Paisley and the other influencers take a boat to the island, traveling through rough and choppy water to reach the remote location. While on the boat, Paisley gets her bearings and tries to get to know the other invitees, all of whom are 16 or 17 years old.