Eric Schrier is turning twenty-three in a week, and he's not sure whether or not he can last that long. He tells the story of his sorrow and loss over the past few years of his life from the comfort of his own home, and his most recent loss has driven him to his inevitable death. His suicide will be most tragic to him because no one will remember him since everyone he has loved ended up leaving him either physically or mentally.

The young antihero narrows in on the highlights as well as curses he's endured throughout his life. He recalls his love, disgust, shame, and the hope he has for the world and the people in it. Eric's encounters with characters of similar fates and problems motivate him to keep looking up and to take one day at a time. His constant pondering and daydreaming becomes an agent for depression, as he contemplates his aimless future and what's real and what's not in his world.

Eric's narration of a friendship gone awry, his family torn apart through death, and love for his daughter all account for his ultimate decision to take his own life.