The Nearing family seems to be dealing with the death of their mother by making every bad choice possible. Henry busies himself with the lapses in judgment available to an intelligent high school boy: falling hard for the school vixen, failing to notice the attractions of the girl next door, and all

The Nearing family seems to be dealing with the death of their mother by making every bad choice possible. Henry busies himself with the lapses in judgment available to an intelligent high school boy: falling hard for the school vixen, failing to notice the attractions of the girl next door, and allowing his existential ruminations to distract him from any actual schoolwork.