The story takes place in a small coastal town in England, where the cliffs drop sharply into the grey sea and the streets are narrow and lined with worn brick houses. The town feels tight-knit to the point of claustrophobia—everyone knows everyone’s business, and gossip spreads faster than truth. Local shops, the old harbour, and the school at the edge of town are the focal points of teenage life, where the social world feels as large as the ocean just beyond the cliffs. Summers bring the occasional tourist, but otherwise, the town moves at a slow, predictable pace, leaving teenagers to navigate the social hierarchies and long-standing rivalries that dominate the secondary school.