Two young girls navigate the unsettling boundaries of childhood morality and adult cruelty during a summer in a decaying seaside town. The narrative follows the manipulative Harriet and her impressionable friend as they observe and eventually interfere in the lives of the adults around them. Their objective is to exert power over their environment, but they soon find themselves caught in a web of escalating tension and moral ambiguity. The story is presented through a stark, observational lens that highlights the disconnect between the innocence of youth and the harsh realities of the world they inhabit.

This work is widely regarded as a chilling examination of the darker impulses inherent in childhood. Critics often point to the author's ability to maintain a sense of dread without relying on overt melodrama. The narrative style is frequently praised for its precision and its refusal to sentimentalize the experiences of its young protagonists. Readers often find the book's starkness to be its most effective quality, leaving a lasting impression of unease long after the final page is turned.