[1] Set in a gay-friendly small town in America,[2] it describes a few weeks in the lives of a group of high school students.

[3][4] Openly gay high school sophomore Paul lives in an LGBT-friendly small town in New Jersey.

He is best friends with Joni, whom he has known since early childhood and to whom he came out in second grade, and Tony, who is also gay and who lives in the (much less accepting) next town over with his strict, religious parents.

On a night out with Joni and Tony, while listening to a friend play music in a bookstore, Paul meets Noah and is instantly attracted to him.

This relationship causes a great deal of tension within Joni and Paul's friendship, and it also upsets Ted and Infinite Darlene.

He apologizes to Paul and starts coming to him for comfort and support, as he is uncertain about his sexuality and his aunt has recently died.

Chuck spreads this information all around the school and before long, people are placing bets on what they think the outcome will be.

Noah hears the rumor about Paul and Tony, and in the process of denying that anything happened between the two of them, he inadvertently confesses the fact that he kissed Kyle that day.

Paul looks around him, wanting to fix this image in his mind forever, and the book finishes with him thinking to himself, "What a wonderful world".

[5] Lambda Literary included it amongst 10 Outstanding LGBT Teen Reads (from the last 10 years) calling it "A sweet valentine of a love story".