Ferdia is a sixteen-year-old with problems. His mother and father live at opposite ends of Abbey Road, estranged; each of them flirting with relationships with younger partners. But being young, talented and beautiful in London has its compensations, and Ferdia finds an outlet for his frustrations in a fledgling punk band on the local estate. However, when Ferdia's relationship with a woman twice his age (who also happens to be his teacher) threatens to scupper his schooling, his home life, and his place in the band, the novel takes an unexpected turn and all those involved are forced to reconsider their circumstances.