The story follows two protagonists Zoe, a 'subbie' (from the suburbs of Silverdale) and Daz a 'chippy' (from the city of Rawhampton) from opposite sides of a segregated society.

Swindells uses phonetic spelling and poor grammar for Daz's chapters to reflect his lack of education, contrasting with Zoe's more formal narration.

In Daz 4 Zoe, the 'Subbies' reside in the suburbs of Silverdale, a large fictional city, while the 'Chippies' inhabit the run-down urban area.

Her grandmother shares a story of her own youthful romance with a man named Gordon Payne, who never reciprocated her feelings.

While at the Blue Moon nightclub, Daz is in the midst of a conversation with Cal, the gang leader, when he notices Zoe in distress.

Despite her initial apprehensions and curiosity about the chippies, whom she wonders might not all be as bad as their reputation suggests, Zoe has been a largely well-behaved individual up until this point.

Unknown to most, Mr. Wentworth is a secret member of FAIR (Fraternal Alliance for Integration through Reunification), an organization dedicated to fostering unity between the subbies and chippies.