Macy's school officially classifies her as "disturbed," but Macy isn't interested in how others define her. She has too many other things to worry about: her dad's in prison, her brother's been kidnapped by Child Protective Services, and now her best friend isn't speaking to her. If she wants to make sure that CPS doesn't come for her next, she has to convince her mom to get a job, instead of entertaining a rotating cast of "guests." And if she's going to patch things up with her friend Alma, she has to figure out why Alma's been drifting away from her. All while avoiding her neighborhood's stray dogs - and stray men. Macy maintains control of her world by documenting everything she observes in a dictionary that follows her rules. Until it doesn't. Soon Macy's dictionary starts betraying her secrets. And everything she thought she understood suddenly needs redefining.