Book Description

"The Minors" tells the story of introverted sixteen-year-old Samantha Heller and her friendship/unrequited crush on the contractor fixing up her family's house. Sam's world is thrown into turmoil when her beloved father abruptly announces that his job is transferring him to Chicago effective immediately and the whole family will join him when the school year is out. Until then, Sam is stuck at home with her mother, who she clashes with frequently. Heartbroken at having to move, but intrigued with the freedom that comes with knowing she's leaving, Sam explores the upsides of living in a world with no tomorrow. The contractor (and equally important co-protagonist) is Nick Masters; he's twenty-eight, a former minor league ball player, and misanthrope. Rootless and restless, Nick lives with his Aunt, drinks too much, mistreats the (young) women who date him, and generally is not that pleasant to be around. Frankly, he's an ass. But he's cute and a little smarter than you'd think so he's managing to get away with it. Barely. Nick finds himself useful at the Heller residence, playing the role of driving instructor for Sam, but as time goes on and he becomes more enmeshed with Sam and her mom: he becomes friend, therapist, and surrogate father/husband. But his involvement with the family changes when he sleeps with Sam's mom and he finds himself in well over his head with a self-destructing family and a young girl who suddenly hates him, but won't let him just walk away.