Upon graduating from high school, eighteen-year-old Virtus Koehl sets sail across the Atlantic. When a giant storm causes his boat to sink, he swims to the shore of a deserted island where he must learn to survive, and where the real reason for his trip is slowly uncovered. His survival is paralleled with flashbacks to his relationship with Amos, his best friend, and the secrets that they keep. Back home, Franklin, his younger brother, must keep the family together, as he struggles with his Virtus's disappearance. When he begins dating Daisy, a sleepwalking cinephile, the two start to uncover secrets in the small town, drawing them closer to the events leading up to Virtus's trip. It would appeal to readers of both The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner and Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, as it deals with the concepts of loss and death at a young age, the beauty of one's first love, the excitement of uncovering a mystery, and the deep connection shared between two young boys.