After the disappearance of his grandfather "Big" and the arrest of his older brother, JT, "Little" McCardell is looking out for his younger cousin, trying to stay afloat in school, working in the town graveyard for extra cash, and in his spare time pining after Rowan, the girl JT was dating until he got locked up. When the sheriff's deputy catches him hunting deer out of season and threatens to prosecute, Little must cooperate in their investigation...

Rising sophomore Travis and his best friend, Creature, spend a summer in a Eugene, Oregon trailer park dealing with cancer, basketball, first love, addiction, gang violence, and a reptilian infestation.