Daniel Shriver grows up in Northern California where he attends a prestigious private high school. He boasts good grades, athletic prowess and other accolades, but when it comes time to apply to college, Daniel is confronted with the unremarkable nature of his own life. He finds himself unable to join his peers who are busy applying to top-tier colleges. In search of the exceptional, Daniel is drawn to military service. Parents, friends, relatives and teachers are shocked when Daniel enlists in the United States Marine Corps and ships off to boot camp. His mind is temporarily comforted by the novelty of his decision, and he adapts well to life in the military. But as his experiences begin to differ significantly from those of his high school classmates, Daniel struggles to straddle his two worlds and carve out a place for himself among his own generation.