"Ogden Skully''s family has humble roots-his parents were raised during the Depression-but his father has high hopes for him ... Hamden Academy ... and everyone there seems nice, but Ogden, a former public school student, doesn''t feel like he fits in. He also confronts his troubled home life ... Still, Ogden finds comfort with his first girlfriend, Chloe, who''s from a wealthy oil family and whom he can make laugh. Also at Hamden is Adam, a rebellious boy who thinks Ogden may be a kindred spirit. As the two become friends, a jarring tragedy hits the Hamden community, testing the last threads of Ogden''s innocence ... the author memorably lays bare how one can be haunted by moments years in the past even while one looks toward a bright future. A rich, soulful coming-of-age tale full of the wonder of first love." ~Kirkus Reviews
