The only thing worse than the secrets you keep from everyone else are the lies you tell yourself.
For sixteen-year-old Eric Bowen, everyday—at school and home—plays out as just another opportunity for disaster. Lonely, awkward and crippled by anxiety, he copes by staying invisible until a desperate choice brings him all the wrong kinds of attention.
When a reprieve arrives in the guise of unexpected friendship with a new and unusual classmate, the hope of 'normal' suddenly seems possible for Eric. But as the bond between the two outsiders deepens, so do the risks. Add a bold and mysterious girl with a dark past to the mix and life becomes richer and more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
Together, they soon understand that friends are chosen, families aren't. Blood ties bring a painful burden of hidden grief, shame and dysfunction. When the cracks start to show and bad things start finding their way to the light, the friends' fragile new world starts to unravel.
Their only and best chance to save themselves? Find a way to escape the sad legacy they never asked for or lose everything.