Seventh-grader Ben has never been one for making friends. As a former foster kid, he knows people can up and leave without so much as a good-bye. Ben prefers to spend his time with the characters in his favorite sci-fi books...until he rescues an abandoned mutt named Flip. Flip leads Ben to befriend fellow book-lover Halley, who convinces Ben to write a novel with her. But as their story unfolds, Ben's life begins to unravel.