Life is in a rapid nosedive for seventeen-year-old Jareth Gardner. His mother drinks too much and pushes him around; his half-brother is so sick that he probably won't live to be an adult; and Jareth's mother doesn't even remember his father's name. When his English teacher catches him threatening another kid with a switchblade, Jareth is ordered to see a psychiatrist. Still, Jareth can handle it: he's tough, he's smart, and most important, he's in charge. It takes a horrific act of violence to make Jareth realize how little control he really has. Now he must rely on other people -- and he must become worthy of their trust.