The heroine of the novel, Ruby James, is an ordinary girl from a small industrial town who dreams of living to the fullest. Although some smart people call Ruby and her friends the most ordinary people in town, white trash, dismissing them as a faceless mass of skinheads, Ruby has her own truth, revealed to her in the pubs and clubs of a thriving youth culture. For Ruby, every person is unique and has a story to tell - whether it's a retired sailor or an evil bouncer. The personification of positive thinking, she tries to see the best in every person, at least until the moment when real evil does not interfere in her life.