A fourteen-year-old boy from a troubled family sees the girl of his dreams at a high school assembly and immediately falls in love. She is beautiful and devout. She has a perfect family. Dale, on the other hand, has parents with, well, problems. As Dale matures, he begins to pursue the pious beauty but his contrary nature and knack for mischief leads him into controversy. As the novel nears its end, Dale has to make a decision: will he conform to the expectations of his conservative hometown and church to win his love or will he stay true to his own ideals.