Jaya Thompson is chill, laid back (but not really). She's learned to be stoic in the midst of her nearly unbearable circumstances, i.e. her mother's lack of mothering, her inability to save her money, and a head full of ideas and desires inhibited by her stuck-in-the-50s town. Jaya wants to feel free. She wants to have a full college experience, travel to at least 3 foreign countries, meet a cute boy, and read every Maya Angelou book. But, Jaya also knows that she can't achieve much until she leaves. So instead, she bides her time and plays it safe, devouring any book she can get her hands on, and move on to the next. She's got it all figured out. Until he came along and wrecked everything.