Graham Kirk has just turned 14 and his life is at a crisis point.
A year before he had joined the Navy Cadets full of hope and ambition. But a medical exam scuppered his dreams of ever achieving his long-cherished ambition of being a naval officer.
Compounding matters, everything in his life seems to be going wrong. He is in trouble at school with both the teachers and the bullies. To add to his woes, he is now feeling the full force of puberty and is driven by strong urges he is struggling to control.
It seems his whole life is a miserable burden. But a chance meeting with a regular army soldier, Warrant Officer Howley, offers him the opportunity to get his life back on track-the Army Cadets.
Temptations abound, and friends and false friends lead him into situations that could harm him and destroy his future. Graham is thrust into a series of events that will test his character, his morals, his conscience, his courage, and his faith.