[2][3] The work centers upon a young boy that discovers that although he doesn't identify as racist or discriminatory, he does have deep-seated and unconscious prejudices that prompt him to immediately suspect the worst about a black student at his school.

Clements based the book's premise around a similar situation that occurred in his life, where his brother mistakenly believed that an African-American boy had stolen his jacket and confronted him over the theft.

[4] Schoolboy Phil has never viewed himself as racist, but he's forced to rethink his stance when he accuses Daniel of stealing an imported jacket.

Phil immediately begins to rethink his actions, wondering if he would have treated the situation differently if Daniel had been white instead of black.

[5][6][7] Publishers Weekly praised The Jacket, commenting that while the book lacked subtlety, it "pointedly delivers a timely message and can serve as a springboard for dialogue about tolerance and self-honesty".