Plot Summary
The Art of Erasure
Emeline, a Minor Defect in a rigid, post-apocalyptic society, spends her days in the underground Archives, deleting remnants of the old world—art, books, and relics—under the watchful eye of the Illum, the city's unseen rulers. Her job is a daily reminder of her disposability and the society's obsession with perfection. She is haunted by her own "defect"—heterochromia, one blue eye and one brown—and the knowledge that her only value lies in her potential fertility. The act of erasing beauty and history becomes a metaphor for her own erasure, as she dreams of being chosen for a Procreation Agreement and escaping her gray, isolated existence. The world above, with its promise of color and belonging, remains a distant, almost mythic hope.
A Chance Encounter Below
One day, Emeline's solitude is broken by Hal, a man in blue—signifying a Major Defect—who appears in her office. Their conversation about art and curiosity is dangerous, as questioning the Illum is forbidden. Hal's presence is both a threat and a spark, challenging Emeline's internalized beliefs about status and worth. Their connection is immediate, marked by mutual recognition of loneliness and longing. Hal's willingness to see Emeline as more than her defect plants the first seeds of rebellion in her heart, even as she remains wary of the consequences. This encounter cracks open her world, hinting at secrets and possibilities beyond the rigid roles assigned by the Illum.
Approval and Ascension
Emeline receives the long-awaited message: she is "approved" for procreation. The news is both a triumph and a terror, as it means she will be matched with an Elite and judged for her worthiness. The process is dehumanizing—her body is prepared, her defect masked with a lens, and she is thrust into the world above, where beauty and compliance are everything. The ascent to the clouds is both literal and symbolic, as Emeline leaves behind her old life, uncertain if she is rising or simply being repackaged for a new kind of servitude. The approval is not acceptance; it is a new form of scrutiny.
Gowns, Lenses, and Lies
In the clouds, Emeline is stripped, scrubbed, and remade by the Starlings, two enigmatic women who prepare her for her first meeting with her Elite Mate. Her heterochromia is hidden by a lens, her body is waxed and painted, and she is dressed in a gown that is both armor and disguise. The process is invasive and humiliating, underscoring the society's obsession with conformity and the erasure of difference. Emeline's longing to be seen wars with her fear of rejection. The Starlings' cryptic warnings about the Illum's true motives and the fate of other "defects" foreshadow the dangers lurking beneath the city's polished surface.
The Elite's Garden
Emeline's first public appearance is a dinner in a secret garden with Collin, her proposed Mate. The setting is breathtaking, but the scrutiny is suffocating. Collin, a member of the Illum, surprises her with his gentleness and refusal to judge her by her status. Yet, the encounter is fraught with tension—Emeline is both objectified and tested, her every move observed by the Elite. The dinner becomes a microcosm of the society's contradictions: beauty masking brutality, kindness laced with power, and the ever-present threat of rejection. Emeline's hope for acceptance is kindled, but she remains uncertain of Collin's true intentions.
The Starlings' Warnings
As Emeline navigates the rituals of grooming and public display, the Starlings confide in her about unrest brewing beneath the city. Rumors of rebellion, the mysterious Reaper, and the Illum's tightening grip on power swirl around her. The Starlings' own forbidden love and their warnings about the dangers of curiosity deepen Emeline's sense of unease. She learns that the Illum manipulate not just bodies, but minds—using technology, surveillance, and fear to maintain control. The cost of nonconformity is high: elimination, exile, or worse. Emeline is forced to confront the reality that survival may require complicity—or resistance.
A Contract Signed
Emeline signs the Procreation Contract, binding her to Collin and the Illum's expectations. The contract is both a lifeline and a leash, offering temporary security at the price of autonomy. Surveillance intensifies—her every move, thought, and bodily function monitored by the MIND chip. The society's obsession with genetic purity and the "Greater Good" is revealed as a mechanism of control, pitting women against each other and erasing individuality. Emeline's friendship with Hal deepens, offering a glimpse of genuine connection, but also exposing her to new dangers. The illusion of choice is shattered as she realizes how little power she truly has.
The Illum's Enforcer
Emeline discovers that Collin is not just her Mate, but the Illum's Enforcer—a man tasked with maintaining order through surveillance, punishment, and, when necessary, elimination. The revelation is chilling, as Collin's kindness is revealed to be part of a larger system of control. Emeline is forced to confront the reality that even those who seem to care for her are complicit in the machinery of oppression. The boundaries between love, power, and violence blur, leaving Emeline uncertain whom to trust. The cost of survival becomes ever more apparent, as does the price of rebellion.
Blue Dress, Golden Cage
A mysterious blue dress arrives for Emeline, signaling a public trial and humiliation. Forced to wear the color of the Major Defects, she is paraded before her birth family and the Elite, subjected to their scorn and cruelty. Collin's absence and the Illum's manipulations leave her exposed and vulnerable. The experience is a crucible, stripping away any remaining illusions about acceptance or belonging. Emeline's rage and despair boil over, leading her to run—barefoot and desperate—back to the surface. The golden glow of her contract is revealed as a shackle, not a blessing.
The Rebellion's Whispers
Hal reveals the existence of the Underworld, a hidden community of Majors living in tunnels beneath the city. Emeline is drawn into their world, discovering a vibrant, defiant culture that values art, music, and freedom. The Reaper, the rebellion's enigmatic leader, is both feared and revered. Emeline's relationship with Hal deepens, blurring the lines between ally, lover, and betrayer. The rebellion's goals are revealed to be as complex and fraught as the Illum's, forcing Emeline to question the nature of power, loyalty, and sacrifice. The lure of the Underworld is both a promise and a threat.
Love, Betrayal, and Power
Emeline's entanglement with Hal and Collin reaches a breaking point. Both men are revealed to have used her—Hal as part of the rebellion's plan, Collin as the Illum's tool. The discovery of a dossier on herself, compiled by Hal and the rebels, shatters her trust and sense of self. Love is revealed as both a weapon and a vulnerability, exploited by those in power. Emeline is forced to confront the reality that she is a pawn in a larger game, her agency circumscribed by the needs of others. The collapse of trust is both personal and political, leaving her adrift and alone.
Collapse of the Pyramid
The rebellion escalates, culminating in a coordinated attack on the city's infrastructure. The Illum retaliate with brutal efficiency, using Emeline's actions as justification for a crackdown on the Majors and the capture of the Reaper. The society's pyramid of power—built on fear, hope, and compliance—begins to collapse. Emeline is caught in the crossfire, her every choice weaponized by those above and below. The cost of hope is revealed to be staggering, as friends and lovers are betrayed, eliminated, or forced into impossible choices. The illusion of progress is shattered, exposing the violence at the heart of the system.
The Trial of Conformity
Emeline is brought before Tabitha, the head of the Illum, and subjected to a psychological trial. Her actions are reframed as both heroic and treacherous, her value determined by her usefulness to the regime. The true nature of power is revealed: a balancing act of fear and hope, maintained by the manipulation of love, loyalty, and loss. Emeline is forced to choose between her own survival and the lives of those she cares for, as the Illum and the rebellion each demand her allegiance. The story ends on a note of uncertainty—Emeline's fate, and the fate of the city, hanging in the balance as the machinery of conformity grinds on.
Characters
Emeline
Emeline is a Minor Defect, marked by heterochromia, whose life is defined by erasure—of art, of history, of self. Conditioned to believe her only value lies in her fertility, she is both desperate for acceptance and fiercely resistant to conformity. Her journey is one of awakening: from compliant archivist to reluctant rebel, from object to agent. Emeline's relationships—with Hal, Collin, the Starlings, and Lo—reveal her longing for connection and her fear of betrayal. Psychologically, she is torn between the desire to be seen and the terror of exposure, her self-worth battered by a society that prizes sameness. Her development is marked by increasing agency, but also by the painful recognition of her own complicity and the limits of her power.
Hal (The Reaper)
Hal is a Major Defect and the enigmatic leader of the rebellion, known as the Reaper. His charm and vulnerability mask a deep well of pain—his parents were killed by the Elite Force, and he was raised to believe in the possibility of a better world. Hal's relationship with Emeline is both genuine and strategic; he is tasked with recruiting her, but falls in love with her in the process. Psychologically, Hal is driven by a need for justice and a fear of loss, his capacity for violence tempered by moments of tenderness. His development is marked by the tension between his revolutionary ideals and the personal cost of leadership, as well as his own capacity for manipulation and betrayal.
Collin
Collin is Emeline's Elite Mate and a high-ranking member of the Illum, tasked with enforcing order and eliminating threats. Outwardly polished and controlled, Collin is both a product and an architect of the system's brutality. His relationship with Emeline is fraught—he is drawn to her defiance and difference, but also complicit in her oppression. Psychologically, Collin is torn between duty and desire, his capacity for kindness undermined by his role as executioner. His development is marked by increasing isolation, as his attempts to protect Emeline ultimately serve the machinery of conformity he claims to resist.
Tabitha
Tabitha is the head of the Illum, a woman whose ageless beauty and calm mask a mind of terrifying calculation. She orchestrates the city's social pyramid, using fear, hope, and surveillance to maintain control. Tabitha's psychological insight is her greatest weapon—she understands the power of love, loyalty, and betrayal, and uses them to manipulate those around her. Her relationship to Emeline is both adversarial and admiring; she sees in Emeline both a threat and a tool. Tabitha's development is marked by her willingness to adapt, to break and remake individuals and systems in pursuit of the "Greater Good."
The Starlings (Violet & Rose)
Violet and Rose are the Starlings, two women who prepare Defect women for their roles in the clouds. Their relationship is a rare oasis of love and solidarity in a world that forbids both. They serve as mentors and warning figures for Emeline, offering glimpses of rebellion and the cost of resistance. Psychologically, they are marked by trauma and resilience, their love both a source of strength and vulnerability. Their development is shaped by the tension between survival and defiance, as they navigate the dangers of being both useful and expendable.
Lo (Lola)
Lo is Emeline's closest friend among the Minors, driven by a desperate desire to ascend to the clouds and escape the drudgery of gray. Her trust in the system and her willingness to betray Emeline for a chance at approval reveal the corrosive effects of competition and surveillance. Psychologically, Lo is both sympathetic and tragic—a mirror for Emeline's own fears and ambitions. Her development is marked by the slow erosion of innocence, as the cost of conformity becomes clear.
Gregory
Gregory is Emeline's birth brother, an Elite whose love for Nora, Collin's sister, is forbidden by the system. His cynicism and self-destructive tendencies mask a deep capacity for love and sacrifice. Gregory's relationship with Emeline is complex—he is both a source of support and a cautionary tale. Psychologically, he is marked by grief, rage, and a longing for connection. His development is shaped by the impossibility of happiness in a world that punishes difference and desire.
Nora
Nora is Collin's twin sister, a woman whose beauty and grace conceal a life of suffering and loss. Forced into multiple procreation contracts, separated from her offspring, and denied the love of Gregory, Nora is both a victim and a quiet resistor. Her friendship with Emeline is a lifeline, offering solidarity and hope. Psychologically, Nora is marked by resilience and a fierce protectiveness for those she loves. Her development is shaped by the tension between duty and desire, and the quiet ways women resist in a world that denies them agency.
Barrett, Bri, Gerald, Kane
These four are Hal's closest allies in the Underworld, each representing a facet of resistance: Barrett the joker and loyal friend, Bri the fierce fighter with hidden pain, Gerald the calm strategist, and Kane the brooding protector. Their relationships with Emeline and Hal reveal the complexities of rebellion—loyalty, rivalry, and the ever-present threat of betrayal. Psychologically, they are marked by trauma, camaraderie, and the hope for a world where difference is not a death sentence.
Vincent
Vincent is Emeline's birth father, an Elite whose obsession with genetic purity and status drives him to reject and torment his daughter. He is both a symbol and an agent of the system's brutality, his love conditional and his loyalty absolute. Psychologically, Vincent is marked by fear, pride, and a capacity for rationalized cruelty. His development is a warning of what happens when power is divorced from empathy.
Plot Devices
Surveillance and Erasure
The society's use of the MIND chip, constant scanning, and the ritual destruction of art and history serve as both literal and metaphorical tools of control. Surveillance is omnipresent, shaping behavior and relationships, while erasure—of difference, of memory, of dissent—ensures compliance. The narrative structure mirrors this, with Emeline's journey from eraser to rebel paralleling the city's descent into chaos as the machinery of forgetting breaks down.
The Pyramid of Power
The city is structured as a pyramid, with the Illum at the top, the Elite in the clouds, Minors in gray, and Majors in blue below. This hierarchy is maintained through rituals of approval, public trials, and the manipulation of hope and fear. The plot uses foreshadowing—blue dresses, golden contracts, and the ever-present threat of elimination—to signal the fragility of this balance. The collapse of the pyramid is both a literal and symbolic climax, as rebellion and retaliation expose the violence at its core.
Love as Weapon and Weakness
Love—romantic, familial, and platonic—is both a source of strength and a tool of control. The Illum exploit love to maintain order, while the rebellion uses it to recruit and manipulate. The plot is driven by betrayals—Hal's dossier, Lo's spying, Collin's complicity—each revealing the dangers of vulnerability in a world where trust is currency. The narrative structure uses parallel relationships (Emeline/Hal, Nora/Gregory, Violet & Rose) to explore the ways love can both liberate and destroy.
The Trial and the Game
The society's obsession with trials—public, private, and psychological—serves as a recurring plot device. Emeline is constantly tested: for fertility, for obedience, for loyalty. The final "game" orchestrated by Tabitha reframes the entire narrative as a contest of love and survival, exposing the impossibility of purity in a world built on compromise. The use of unreliable narration, shifting perspectives, and the blurring of good and evil reinforce the story's central question: can anyone truly conform without losing themselves?
Analysis
Ariel Sullivan's Conform is a searing exploration of power, identity, and the cost of survival in a society obsessed with perfection. Through Emeline's journey—from compliant archivist to reluctant rebel—the novel interrogates the machinery of conformity: surveillance, erasure, and the manipulation of hope and fear. The story's emotional arc is one of awakening and betrayal, as Emeline discovers that love, like power, is always conditional in a world built on hierarchy. The novel's greatest strength lies in its refusal to offer easy answers; every act of resistance is fraught with compromise, every relationship tainted by the logic of survival. In a world where difference is a death sentence, Conform asks what it means to be human—and whether true freedom is possible when the price is so high. The lessons are both timely and timeless: beware those who promise safety at the cost of memory, and remember that the most dangerous rebellions begin in the heart.
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