Ogden Skully’s family has humble roots-his parents were raised during the Depression-but his father has high hopes for him … Hamden Academy … and everyone there seems nice, but Ogden, a former public school student, doesn’t feel like he fits in. He also confronts his troubled home life … Still, Ogden finds comfort with his first girlfriend, Chloe, who’s from a wealthy oil family and whom he can make laugh. Also at Hamden is Adam, a rebellious boy who thinks Ogden may be a kindred spirit. As the two become friends, a jarring tragedy hits the Hamden community, testing the last threads of Ogden’s innocence … the author memorably lays bare how one can be haunted by moments years in the past even while one looks toward a bright future. A rich, soulful coming-of-age tale full of the wonder of first love. Kirkus Reviews