The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Emezi, Akwaeke. Bitter. Alfred A. Knopf, 2022.

Akwaeke Emezi's novel Bitter is written from the third person point of view and in the past tense. The author nuances their linear plot line with frequent flashbacks and expositional asides. The following summary adheres to a linear mode of explanation.

After Bitter's parents died, she was put into the foster care system. For years, she moved from house to house and family to family. She never felt safe or loved. To ease her sorrows and fears, she began relying on her artwork. When she was young, she realized that she could make her drawings come to life with a few drops of her blood. Over the years, the worlds and creatures she created became more real to her than her real life.

After an altercation with one of her foster families, Bitter decided to start attending Eucalyptus, a boarding school for arts students. The school's headmistress, Miss Virtue, mysteriously found Bitter and invited her to the school.

Bitter was initially nervous at the new school. With time, however, the place became her home. She learned to rely upon the school for a sense of peace and grounding. The only thing she did not like about it was its location in the center of Lucille. From her dorm window, Bitter could see all of the protests happening in the streets below. She knew what the young rebels, primarily associated with the group Assata, were fighting for, but had no interest in getting involved.

When Bitter met the new student, Aloe, her life began to change. On their first date, Aloe urged Bitter to be honest and open. She found herself crying when she started admitting the truth of her past, her broken relationships, and her hopelessness regarding the social justice movement. Aloe encouraged her to embrace hope in order to find courage.

During one of the protests, Bitter's friend Eddie was shot in the face with a rubber bullet. When Bitter heard the news, she was furious. She channeled her anger into her artwork, frantically calling her giant creature off the page and into reality. The creature insisted that its name was Vengeance because Bitter had created it hoping to get vengeance on her enemies. Bitter realized that something ugly and violent had come out of her, and became afraid it would cause more death.

Bitter and her friends soon realized that all of their artwork was coming to life. They sought out the help of the Assata members to combat the self-proclaimed angels. The angels, led by Vengeance, told the children that they would kill the monsters in Lucille and create a new world for them. Some of the children thought this was a good idea. Others, like Bitter, Ube, Aloe, and Blessing, were unsure. They did not want to contribute to the chaos.

When Miss Virtue learned what was happening, she tried to help. She told the students she would defend them against the angels. They soon learned that Miss Virtue was a fallen angel herself. She had designed Eucalyptus so she could recruit the students and use them in her battle against the monsters. She told them that her allegiance had since changed, and that she would do nothing to harm them.

Realizing that Miss Virtue and Vengeance would kill each other and the humans along with them, Bitter intervened. She now understood that Vengeance was a manifestation of her emotions and that only she could control it. She confronted Vengeance and told it to leave.

After the fighting in Lucille died down, the community pursued peace and renewal. Bitter and Aloe began planning a future together, and Bitter saw the world with new hopefulness.