White Oleander is a coming of age story about a girl named Astrid. Astrid lives with her mother Ingrid in California. One day Ingrid meets a man named Barry, and falls in love with him. Barry dumps Ingrid, causing her to be thrown into misery. In White Oleander, Astrid and Ingrid are both beautiful and deadly. In Ingrid's despair, she murders Barry. After she is arrested, Astrid is left to be raised through a series of foster homes. At each house, Astrid learns a new lesson about life that will forever shape her into who she is now.

The journey of Astrid is what changes occur in her life, and her slow separation from her mother. When Astrid starts out her journey, she is not looking for anything. She is trying to be herself, although her goals change after living in the first foster home. She starts looking...