Kevin Brooks' main character in "Candy" is only a little above your average Joe. He goes to high school in England, he's in a band, he's kind of cute, but terribly shy. The reader is introduced to Joe and his insecurity on page one while riding the train into London: "You're wearing a brand-new hat, which you're not quite sure about, so you're already feeling a bit self-conscious..." Joe's inner voice allows the reader to relate, and beckons to follow him as he's about to lose his way in London.

And that's when Candy shows up. Like a guardian angel in a unfamiliar city, she leaves him speechless before disappearing. He can't stop thinking about: "[Her] smile that rips a hole in your heart- lips, teeth, sparkling eyes". Fate lets them meet again shortly after and they share a lunch together. Strange things start to happen that would scare off the old Joe, but he is so taken with Candy and ignores the scary signs.

After their first date, Candy disappears and Joe is finally confronted with her unsettling secrets. Behind her beauty and bubbly personality, there is a past that caused her to run away from home only to involve herself in a dangerous street life with no way out. Joe thinks he's in love and resolves to save Candy from herself. He goes back to London, blowing off his band, cutting school, lying to his family, and risking his life for a girl he barely knows.