Quiet high school student, Meg, takes care of her troubled little sister, Lily. Her emotionally unavailable mom is busy at work or school. The family has been under strain and Lily suffers from starvation, delusions, and self mutilation. Meg unleashes her frustrations and pain through her poems, which she shares with her supportive English teacher, Mr. Auster. She wins a regional poetry competition and makes it to the finals in Florida. Meg goes to Florida by herself, where she meets Mr. Auster's wife, Delia, and she finds her relationship with him becoming more complicated.