The book is set in a dystopian near future where incarcerated people can elect to enter competitions where they fight one another to the death for a chance to be set free. A few of the main characters were convicted of rape. One ended up in prison after killing a teacher who sexually assaulted her. Even when the characters are not in battle, many of their most intimate moments are filmed like a reality show feed. Two of the main characters are lesbians, and the cameras tend to focus a lot on their affection toward one another in a fetishistic manner. Female characters regularly receive "fan mail" that is harassing in nature: men who send unsolicited pictures of their genitalia, men who fetishize romantic relationships between women, backhanded compliments, etc.