This autobiographical-like tale takes the reader on a journey through what a young boy named Marcus experiences growing up in a suburban neighborhood of Orange Country, California in the late seventies and early eighties. Although Marcus enjoys the many benefits of living in a safe and luxurious environment, he finds himself isolated from his family and friends, unable to communicate with his father and older brother. The slow death of his mother dying of a rare nerve disease plays a dramatic part in his predicament, and his new stepmother, Lucille makes it clear early on she's not going to be there for him.