On the distant planet Mirron, where eye color determines social standing—Topaz are at the top, Emerald and Sapphire are in the middle, and Pearl are at the bottom. Twelve-year-old Izzy Ashford is the only Pearl in an all-Topaz town. Adopted as a baby by loving Topaz parents, she has always felt accepted by her peers and community. But just before her sixth-grade graduation, a classmate, Billy Winthrop, begins to bully her.