In Andrew Smith's novels, friends are brothers, and brothers are friends. That bond runs deepest in Stick.

Fourteen-year-old Stark McClellan (nicknamed Stick because he's tall and thin) is bullied for being deformed—he was born with only one ear. His older brother Bosten is always there to defend Stick. But the boys can't defend one another from their abusive parents.

When Stick realizes Bosten is gay, he knows that to survive his father's anger, Bosten must leave home. Stick has to find his brother, or he will never feel whole again. In his search, he will encounter good people, bad people, and people who are simply indifferent to kids from the wrong side of the tracks. But he never loses hope of finding love—and his brother.