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Content Warning: This section discusses murder and death, graphic violence, suicide, trauma and PTSD, a cult, and racism.

The novel opens by briefly recounting the story of Amazement Park, a large and maze-like amusement park that opened in 1953. It was crowded and popular, and every seven years, it offered the public a week of free admission. However, in 1974, a five-year-old girl went missing, and the bad publicity caused the park to close. Today, it is wild and overgrown, though a topiary at the center still holds the little girl’s patent leather shoe, which was never found in the search.

The novel shifts to the narrative present, focusing on Mackenzie “Mack” Black, who lives in a shelter for unhoused people and tries her best to get through each day without being noticed. She is attending a mandatory meeting with one of the staff members, who wants her to enter a hide-and-seek competition sponsored by an extreme sports company that is offering the winning contestant a $50,000 prize. Mack has no intentions of entering; she is deeply traumatized because she is the sole survivor of her father’s murderous rampage, during which he massacred every member of the family but her. Mack’s younger sister was also killed, and Mack only escaped by hiding. Now, as she returns to the shelter’s main area, she realizes that her belongings have been thrown away. Because she literally has nothing, she grudgingly agrees to enter the competition.

Fourteen competitors have been selected to spend a week in the abandoned amusement park. Although the narrative does not yet reveal this fact, the competition is actually run by the founding families of a town called Asterion. One century ago, they made a bargain with a dark deity, promising to sacrifice people from their bloodline every seven years in exchange for wealth and prosperity. The competition is a front to fuel these sacrifices, and all the competitors are poor and desperate distant relations of these families, though they are not aware of this.

While it is frowned upon, the families privately discuss who they think will last the longest. This year’s favored competitors are Ava, “a social media fitness model,” who is referred to as Beautiful Ava; Atrius (whose real name is Kyle), “a graffiti artist”; Sydney, “a YouTube prank-show host”; Logan, an app developer and house sitter; Rosiee, a jewelry designer and dog walker; Jaden, a CrossFit instructor; and Rebecca, “an actress with severe food allergies” (10). The contestants who are assumed to be less successful include Ian, “a writer with severe people allergies”; LeGrand, “a boy equal parts banished and lost”; Brandon, “the kindest gas station attendant in Pocatello, Idaho”; Ava, “a veteran”; Christian, “a solar panel salesman”; Isabella, “an eternal intern”; and “Mack, who is nobody, if she has her way” (11).

Mack takes several buses and a van and winds up on the side of the road in the hot sun. She worries that she has been abandoned and eats the food in her competition-issued duffel bag. Another van drops off a few more people: “Beautiful Ava” the model, LeGrand, and Ava the veteran, whom Mack initially thinks of as “Buzzed Ava” due to her haircut. Mack speaks briefly to the others but remains unfriendly to avoid forming any relationships. Throughout the day, more and more people are dropped off. None of them have cell service, and many complain.

Eventually, their hostess, Linda, arrives, apologizing for the mix-up and seemingly thrilled to see them. She loads everyone onto a bus, and they fall asleep, not realizing that their water has been drugged. While they are unconscious, Linda and the others search their bags and check their names off a list.

Everyone eventually awakens. Mack realizes that Ava has slept on her and is surprised to realize that she enjoyed this closeness. She also realizes, to her dismay, that she is thinking of Ava as just “Ava” and the other woman as “Beautiful Ava,” which means that Ava the veteran has become important to her. Ava quietly tells Mack that she thinks it is suspicious that all of them fell asleep and stayed asleep.

Linda herds them into a restaurant, telling them that food is covered. She explains that Asterion gets no cell reception, but they do have pay phones. She also hints that the competition might become a reality tv show.

At breakfast in Ray Callas’s diner, Brandon sits with Mack and Ava. He is optimistic and excited about being in the competition. Beautiful Ava also joins them and notes the oddness of the lack of cameras. Rebecca tries to get everyone to make introductions, but Mack moves to get back on the bus. She is perturbed when Jaden seems to recognize her name.

Linda takes them to a spa in town, where they get massages and swim. The masseuse, Karen Stratton, cries quietly behind her mask. (She is one of the heirs and feels guilty about the sacrifices that are made.)

The bus finally takes the 14 contestants to Amazement Park. The driver refuses to enter until the sun sets. Linda tells them that they will camp in the park with supplies and cots and must stay hidden all day long. Anyone discovered during the day will be eliminated from the competition. On the bus, Ava and Mack agree to an alliance.

At camp, Mack raids the supply table and packs a mason jar to pee in, along with four days’ worth of granola bars and a lot of water. She plans to chug water all night and dehydrate herself during the day. She also rejects sunscreen and bug repellant because she wants to avoid giving off any scent. Linda tells them that she will stay tonight only, but she says that they can all sleep well knowing that she is keeping watch.