In Wool Omnibus Edition (Silo Saga 1) by Hugh Howey, new sheriff Juliette Nelson stumbles into a tangle of deceit, manipulation, and murder when she agrees to accept the top law enforcement spot in her apocalyptic underground world. Her mechanical mindset allows her to survive her own intended death, and she discovers another silo identical to her own. With the help of Solo, whom she believes is the silo’s only resident, Juliette puts into action a plan to save the man she loves and rescue her people from an evil leader.

Juliette’s story begins with the description of a cleaning. Her research had led her to believe that outside was not as bad as the silo leaders had told those inside it was. A cleaning was a punishment for those who committed grave crimes against the silo. Those sent out knew they would die because of the toxins in the outside air. As part of their punishment, those sent out for cleaning were expected to clean the lenses of the cameras, then send images of the outside world to the upper levels of the silo. These scenes are the only connection that those inside have with the outside world. It is not until later in the novel that it is learned that when the cleaners go outside, they are getting a fake scene of what is outside. They clean because they believe the outside has become livable and feel pity for those inside.

Bernard, the head of IT hopes to be able to take charge of the entire silo. When Mayor Jahns gets in Bernard’s way by asking Juliette to become sheriff instead of Bernard’s choice, Peter Billings, he arranges to have the mayor killed. Bernard then goes about getting rid of Juliette by first banishing her back to mechanical, then sending her out to cleaning. Juliette is lucky because a friend in mechanical arranges for her cleaning suit to be made out of good materials instead of the inferior materials intended to break down quickly, like the other suits were made. Juliette also knows that the images she’s seeing in her helmet visor are faked, so she isn’t swayed by them.

Juliette explores her surroundings and learns that there are other silos in the area. She makes her way into one of them and sets up housekeeping with the one man who survived the fighting in the silo. He teaches her how to communicate with the other silos and she begins talking with Lukas, a man whom she’d known before she was sent out for cleaning. Lukas is being trained as Bernard’s backup. Juliette hopes to find a way to return to the silo so she can take revenge against Bernard.

Meanwhile, the people of supply and mechanical have launched an uprising against Bernard and IT. Lukas is locked in the secret compartments of IT in an attempt to keep him safe. As Bernard becomes more and more unhappy with Lukas, he arranges a way for Lukas to be sent out to cleaning. As Billings is taking Lukas upstairs to be sent out, Juliette has made contact with Bernard on the silo system’s radio. Billings listens as the two argue. Believing that Lukas is about to be killed, Juliette makes herself a suit and a heat blanket to try to save him. The man in the argon chamber, however, is not Lukas but Bernard. After listening to Juliette and Bernard argue, Billings has decided that it was Bernard who had committed crimes against the silo. Juliette is invited to be mayor of the silo. She suggests a fresh start for the people, with a community where the people are told the truth and empowered instead of being manipulated.