Sixteen-year-old Josh fantasizes about becoming a death metal guitarist complete with tattoos, piercings, and hoards of adoring fans (girls, mostly). But it's not easy when his super strict mom won't let him grow out his hair! Luckily, Josh has a way of coping with life's setbacks; it's only a diary, but it contains all Josh's hopes, dreams, and frustrations (not to mention some great ideas for band names and lyrics!). There's a lot he wants to get done before his 17th birthday, but things never turn out quite like he plans. What Josh doesn't know is that his mother also kept a diary around the time he was born, and a secret in there holds the key to Josh's life becoming a whole lot more metal.