Alice Quinn's young life has never been marked by stability, and it's about to turn upside down again. When her mother decides to move from their small Canadian town to an area that is even more remote, Alice is left to navigate the strange and hostile community on her own. She is befriended by a classmate named Remy, who hails from his own bleak circumstances, and the two forge a bond that helps buffer the forces prevailing against them. The story follows Alice and Remy through the everyday beauties and terrors of childhood, revealing their breathtaking resilience while at the mercy of whims and cruelties beyond their control. Despite the vile treatment Alice endures at the hands of her teacher, the persecutions of a local bully, and the disturbing presence of her mother's new boyfriend, she retains an outlook on the world marked by optimism and wonder, enhanced at times by her own imagination. Remy, who is enduring physical abuse at home, harbors a more cynical approach to life. Between them and with the assistance of a mysterious neighbor, the children find a haven for their bright and curious minds, as well as the essence of meaning they are both seeking in this grim and exquisite, unpredictable world.