The book centers around a generation spaceship with a large enslaved population. The genderqueer female main character and her enslaved kin experience systematic physical and sexual abuse from their captors, both heavily implied and simply stated. However, many before-and-after details drive home the horror and intergenerational trauma of this abuse. Child sexual abuse is shown to be widespread through pregnant teenagers, children's play that acts out rape, and brief flashbacks during PTSD episodes.