When Ryan Atwood, a tough, guarded teenager from the wrong side of the tracks in Chino, California, is arrested, idealistic public defender Sandy Cohen takes him in. Ryan is suddenly thrust into the ultra-wealthy, pristine world of Newport Beach, Orange County. Alongside Sandy's quirky, comic-book-loving son Seth, Ryan must navigate a high-society minefield of secrets, betrayal, and high-stakes romance. Together with the beautiful but troubled girl-next-door Marissa Cooper and her sharp-witted best friend Summer Roberts, these outsiders and insiders forge deep bonds as they confront the turbulent realities beneath their picture-perfect paradise.
