Max and his friends have always enjoyed a six-pack of beer in the woods.

They all had high hopes and dreams of doing what they loved, including Max Pricer, the attractive and talented aspiring actor who didn't exactly know what he wanted out of life, other than hanging out with friends, dating girls and sipping scotch. Told through Max's friend Wallace's eyes, the story bounces around from Pittsburgh, State College, and Los Angeles, following Max's path to the movies with his friends and romantic relationships.

Drawing from older literary influences, Stuck and Drunk in Shadyside tries to relate to past young adult writers, while also continuing to be new and original to the genre. Connecting with movies and music influences, the novel acts in a cinematic nature, with back-and-forth dialogue and visually apparent, musically involving chapters to give sound to the words. This young adult dramedy connects with concepts like confusion, loneliness, love and success, to drive the coming-of-age nature of the story.