High school is a theme in this book. The main part of the story takes place in Coldwater, Maine. Coldwater is a small town outside Portland, which is a major city in Maine. The region is somewhat rural.
Nora Grey, Vee Sky and others attend Coldwater High School. Patch Cipriano and Elliot Saunders become transfer students at the high school, both because of the fact that Nora goes to the school there. The same can be said for Dabria Greene, who feels the need to be close to Patch and to destroy Nora.