The main character, Paul Fisher, is dealing with the consequences of a childhood injury to his eyes. Mystery shrouds the injury. Older brother Erick is a high school football star, and we see an over-zealous Dad charting college career offers and a future of stardom. However, the reader sees Erik as a punk kid who laughs at a tragic accident to a fellow team member, being a distant bully to younger brother Paul, and an invincible athletic star.
Sense of place is a strong cornerstone of the story.
The Fisher family has recently moved to Tangerine, Florida, where lightning strikes daily, citrus fields have been plowed under to make way for housing developments, but Paul befriends some kids who are still connected to the land and can play a sock'em successful game of soccer, which happens to be Paul's sport, impaired vision or not.