▁his ▁ob ese ▁family . ▁The ▁boys ' ▁female ▁friend ▁Male e ▁( Z oe ▁We izen baum ) ▁tries ▁to ▁be friend ▁an ▁adult ▁named ▁G us ▁( J er emy ▁Ren ner ), ▁a ▁gr ief - str icken ▁patient ▁of ▁her ▁ther ap ist ▁mother , ▁Car la ▁( An n abel la ▁Sci or ra ). ▁Jacob ' s ▁family ▁falls ▁apart ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁brother , ▁but ▁soon ▁after ▁they ▁adopt ▁a ▁boy ▁named ▁Keith ▁Gard ner . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Male e ▁begins ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁cr ush ▁on ▁G us ▁and ▁changes ▁the ▁song ▁for ▁her ▁rec ital ▁to ▁one ▁G us ▁liked . ▁As ▁time ▁goes ▁by , ▁she ▁sees ▁G us ▁as ▁her ▁" s oul ▁mate ". ▁She ▁s ne aks ▁into ▁his ▁house ▁one ▁night ▁to ▁find ▁him ▁gr ieving . ▁Af raid ▁to ▁confront ▁him , ▁Male e ▁ste als ▁his ▁gun ▁and ▁leaves . ▁She ▁gives ▁the ▁gun ▁to ▁Jacob ▁the ▁following ▁day . ▁ ▁Jacob ' s ▁mother ▁gets ▁fur ious ▁when ▁she ▁finds ▁out ▁Jeff ▁and ▁Ken ny ▁are ▁being ▁put ▁in ▁ju ven ile ▁hall ▁for ▁only ▁one ▁year , ▁while ▁Jacob ' s ▁father ▁views ▁Rud y ' s ▁death ▁as ▁an ▁accident . ▁Jacob ▁sp ends ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁months ▁visit ing ▁Jeff ▁and ▁Ken ny , ▁and ▁threat ens ▁them , ▁until ▁eventually ▁Jeff ▁commits ▁suic ide . ▁Jacob ▁be fri ends ▁Ken ny , ▁soon ▁learning ▁he ▁has ▁an ▁early ▁release ▁and