It's the late '90s—the final days before smartphones and the internet changed the teenage landscape forever. Zack and his mother have moved from Tempe, Arizona, to Berkeley, California, for a fresh start, leaving behind Zack's father after a painful divorce. A natural athlete, Zack makes the water polo team which equals social acceptance at his new school. Yet he's more drawn to Matthias, a rebellious skater on the fringes, who introduces him to punk rock, record stores, and the legendary Telegraph Avenue.

As their friendship intensifies, Matthias' issues remind Zack of his absent dad and drive a wedge between him and his mother. Complicating matters is Zaylee, a senior who boosts Zack's confidence but makes him question his new buddy, Matthias. Faced with all these changes, Zack learns that when life gets messy, he might have to become his own best friend.

Dr. Z and Matty Take Telegraph is a coming-of-age story about how a friendship can challenge who we are, how we fit in, and where we're going.