Wyatt Chamberlin, teenage son of the two parents Margaret and Andrew, soon lives a life for which their family is torn apart by anger and alcohol. Years passing, Wyatt deals with this problem with ignorance, and takes care of him and his mother who have been abandoned by Andrew. But then, a certain day, a rumor of disaster simmers over the town of Whittier, Alaska, and soon...that disaster struck.
Now, Wyatt is forced to survive without his mother, and to be taken in by survivors, and must learn to survive with fear, courage, and love.
Abrie Lane was not looking forward to spending the summer in California with her pregnant sister. She had just finished her second year at college and wanted to stay at home, but her parents had forced her to go across the country. Abrie never would have thought how much she would change and how many amazing people she would meet, like Louis, a mysterious pianist. She learns a lot of things in her temporary home and deals with the death of her best friend. A new job, new friends, and a new relationship with her sister all intertwines into a new beginning.