Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.
Exposition
Ding Dong, Charlie's Dead
When the story opens up, we learn that Charlie Kahn, Vera's best friend is dead. This especially stinks because Charlie is only in high school when he dies, so no one really expected it. His death hangs over the whole novel (a total bummer) and is never forgotten; it's the backdrop for the rest of the story. We don't yet know exactly how or why he died, but we're officially on a journey to find out.
Rising Action
Trouble in Paradise
Things are not going well for Vera following Charlie's death, to say the least. She's drinking a lot and brooding about how she doesn't want to clear his name because he was such an awful friend to her toward the end. For the record, Vera spends a lot of her time brooding about things that have gone wrong, like, even more so than the average angst-ridden teenager.
Things just get harder for her as she tries to ignore Charlie—especially since she's stalked by his many ghosts, a.k.a. the Charlies. In defense of the Charlies, though, they're kind of hoping Vera will step up and clear their name.
Climax
The Breaking Point
The breaking point comes when Vera's drinking gets the best of her and she falls over and hurts her head. Her dad takes her to therapy and that's where she finally starts to heal from both Charlie's death and the fact that her mother left their family when she was twelve. As her relationship with her dad starts to improve and she lets go of her addictions and demons, Vera starts to consider that she might be ready to do what's right.
Falling Action
Saying Goodbye to Charlie
Finally, Vera goes on a quest to turn her life around and to clear Charlie's name. She goes to his old tree house and finds the notes that he left her about the events leading up to his death and explaining how he felt threatened by Jenny Flick. She takes the notes and the proof to the police with her dad, finally putting to rest her duty to Charlie.
Resolution
On the Road Again
At the end, Vera's back on the right track. She's at peace with Charlie's death, and she and her father are a team again. They're even going on a road trip together. It's like they're not just family; they're also friends and each other's support systems.