It's 1997 in Oceanside, California. Jamie Brodie is turning seventeen. His grandfather hasn't spoken to him for nearly two years, ever since Jamie came out to his family. But Jamie's concerns are mostly centered on his grades, because it will take a near-perfect GPA to get into Berkeley. He's busy with Advanced Placement classes; spending time with his "friend with benefits," Robbie Harrison; and his weekend landscaping job with his best friend, Ali Fortner.

Then Jamie and Ali find one of their elderly customers, Eugene Vasilaros, dead in his home.

Everybody adored Mr. Vasilaros. Or so Jamie thought. As he, Ali, and Mel Hayes dig into the history of their beloved hometown, they discover how a long-simmering resentment can explode into violence.