A coming of age novel, this is the world according to 14-year-old Gary, an endearing geek, a self-described "tree-toad", and a writer in the making whose best friend is his Underwood typewriter. Gary's imagination is fuelled by both his hopeless devotion to the magazine, "High School Orgies" and more importantly, his rebellious, glamorous cousin Kate, who writes dark poetry, smokes like a movie star and sometimes doesn't wear a bra. When she falls for the local baseball star and becomes pregnant, she also becomes the first girl to break his heart.