When Annie returns from an extended stay in Canada, she discovers that her friend John has killed himself. Annie is devastated by his death and is determined to confront those she believes responsible—a group of boys from her school, who bullied John mercilessly in the months before he died. But Annies parents and friends dont share her wish to bring the boys to justice. When Annie returns from an extended stay in Canada, she discovers that her friend John has killed himself. Annie is devastated by his death and is determined to confront those she believes responsible—a group of boys from her school, who bullied John mercilessly in the months before he died. But Annies parents and friends dont share her wish to bring the boys to justice. She finds herself treading a lonely path—and soon discovers that nothing is straightforward. She is helplessly attracted to one of the boys, and when she reads Johns diary, its clear they werent the only ones to cause him so much unhappiness. The novel tells Johns story as a tragic waste of a young life in an unsentimental and compassionate way, but also tells Annies story about moving on and looking towards the future.