​It's September 1975, and fifteen-year-old Matt Jerue is in for the fight of his life: surviving high school. He has two desires: to play in a band with his three best friends and to date Taryn McIntyre, a girl he's had a crush on since eighth grade. But abandonment, anger, and feelings of inadequacy control him during his sophomore year, making it impossible for him to let down his walls. But when Taryn approaches him for help, he knows it's his chance to prove he's not the person she thinks he is. Headstrong is a bittersweet, coming-of-age novel told through Matt's point of view as he navigates the world around him. He feels unloved and alone at home, and he struggles with troubles at school, but through it all, he never loses sight of the two things he wants most.