Jayrin never knew his father. Kamree’s father is in prison. And Aceson’s father is as good as gone, for all the attention and affection he spares his son. For each of these St. Louis teenagers, the hurdles of adolescence grow higher and harder to conquer by their fathers’ absences. When Jayrin gets mixed up with a local drug dealer, his schoolwork suffers, his life is threatened, and his longstanding friendship with his schoolmate Kamree is fractured. Kamree’s desire for a perfect world forces her to look in the mirror to discover her own imperfections. At another school in a better neighborhood, Aceson’s explosive temper and social awkwardness lead to isolation and alienation. Through the unflinching and authentic voices of these compelling and ultimately likable characters, we experience the stark truth of the socio-economic issues facing many of today’s youth. And as they navigate the dangers of loneliness, poverty, drugs, and violence, and begin to realize racial awareness, their separate stories intertwine in touching and surprising ways that lead to tragedy, awakening, and ultimately, the possibility of redemption.