Sixteen-year-old Miles' first year at Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama includes good friends and great pranks, but is defined by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash.

The story is told through the eyes of teenager Miles 'Pudge' Halter, as he enrolls in boarding school to try to gain a deeper perspective on life. He falls in love with Alaska Young and finds a group of loyal friends. But after an unexpected tragedy, Miles and his friends attempt to make sense of what they've been through.