The story begins on New Year's Eve, 1987, in Lintonburg, Vermont. Sixteen-year-old and his best friend Teddy spend their time getting high to escape their dull suburban lives. Their world shatters when Teddy dies of a drug overdose and hypothermia that same night.

The narrative captures a specific moment in New York history, weaving in cultural touchstones like the and the closure of the legendary punk venue CBGB . Book Review - Ten Thousand Saints - By Eleanor Henderson

: Jude's best friend whose sudden death serves as the novel's catalyst.

: Teddy's half-brother, a tattoo artist and straight edge Hare Krishna devotee.

: A 17-year-old girl pregnant with Teddy's child who becomes the center of the group's new community.

: An adopted teenager struggling with identity and abandonment.