The themes of this young adult novel are survival, the search for identity, and family ties, specifically the parentchild relationship. Through the action and the various primary and secondary characters, Sebestyen reveals these universal themes in a multilevel story.

Stowe Garrett is the central, most well-developed character. The only son of an independent mother and an absent father, this teen-ager is responsible and resourceful. He makes money for his family by delivering newspapers and mowing lawns. Stowe also has a "dreamer" side—he enters every sweepstakes contest he can find and yearns for the freedom to act on whims. Stowe's mother, Annie Garrett, is the other main character. She is an unconventional single parent who takes pride in her independence. She earns very little money, but has chosen her jobs as baby sitter and crafts maker so that she can stay at home...