Butterflies: A Love Story With a Gun in its Mouth is a young adult contemporary that follows the story of Thomas Doheny as he learns how to become a man. Thomas' first love leaves him heartbroken, and his inability to deal with unrequited love sends him on a crash course of self-destruction. We follow Thomas from the age of fifteen to thirty as he deals with love, sex, drugs, violence, and everything in between, including his blossoming career.