Gabe McCloud dies in a car accident, he was driving drunk and not wearing a seatbelt. Each chapter is told by different people including: his brother; his father; his girlfriend; his ex-teacher; his uncle; there are also extracts from letters he had written for English. The book shows how a death can impact on a community. The beginnings of healing are shown in the end of the novel, with a link made between Gabe's father and his girlfriend.