When Karen Ann McNeil falls into a mysterious, decades-long coma on the eve of the 1980s, her boyfriend Richard and their circle of friends are left to navigate a rapidly shifting world without her. As the years pass, the group struggles with the mundane realities of adulthood and the creeping sense of societal decay, all while Karen remains a frozen anchor to their youth. The narrative shifts between the intimate, personal history of these friends and a surreal, apocalyptic trajectory that threatens the fabric of their reality. Coupland utilizes a blend of character-driven drama and speculative elements to examine how the passage of time alters human connection and collective purpose.

This work is often analyzed for its transition from the author's signature observational style into more ambitious, metaphysical territory. Readers and critics frequently note the stark contrast between the grounded, nostalgic opening and the increasingly surreal, apocalyptic conclusion. The narrative is often interpreted as a meditation on the anxieties of the late twentieth century and the perceived loss of a coherent future. The book remains a significant entry in the author's bibliography for its willingness to abandon traditional realism in favor of a more allegorical exploration of human existence.