"Jasper Jones," written by author Craig Silvey is the story of thirteen year old Charles "Charlie" Bucktin and his struggle to process and live with the fact that he helped Jasper Jones, the town trouble maker, cover up the death of Laura Wishart.

The story takes place in Corrigan, Australia during the Vietnam War. It begins when Jasper Jones comes to Charlie's window at night. Even though Jasper has the reputation of being the town's trouble maker, Charlie feels somewhat honored that Jasper is at his window asking him for help. Charlie decides to leave with Jasper but when they arrive to their destination, Jasper's secret glade in the woods, Charlie sees the body of Laura Wishart, Jasper's secret girlfriend, hanging from "Jasper's tree."

Charlie is even more taken back by the fact that Laura is the older sister of his crush, Eliza Wishart. Jasper wants Charlie's help in moving Laura's body because he wants time to find out who did this before he is blamed, as he is blamed for everything else. Charlie reluctantly agrees to help and he and Jasper sink Laura's body to the bottom of the dam.

In chapters 2-6, Charlie struggles to deal with the fact that helped Jasper sink Laura's body. His struggle is made worse when the town begins its search for Laura because Charlie knows where she is but can't say due to the promise he made Jasper. Charlie runs into more troubles because, as the story progresses, he builds a stronger connection with Eliza and finds himself wanting to tell her what happened.

Jasper's presence is scarce throughout these chapters but, when he does see Charlie, he tells Charlie that he's convinced that "Mad Jack Lionel" is guilty of killing Laura. Also in these chapters, the reader learns about Charlie's dysfunctional family dynamics, particularly his negative relationship with his mother. The reader also gets to know Charlie's best friend, Jeffrey Lu, more intimately as well.

Chapter 7 brings the pieces of the puzzle together and provides the climax of the book. Jasper and Charlie confront Jack Lionel only to find out that Jack did not kill Laura but that he is Jasper's grandfather and that he was driving the car when Jasper's mother was killed in a car accident. However Eliza comes to Charlie's window in chapter 7 and takes him to Jasper's Grove, revealing that she was there the night that she saw Laura take her own life.

Through a note left to Jasper from Laura, the reader learns that Laura's father was visiting her in her room at night, that Laura was pregnant by her father and that Laura's mother did not believe her. Eliza shares this with Jasper as well and Charlie tells Eliza that he and Jasper sunk Laura's body. Jasper decides to follow through on his plan to leave Corrigan and he is not present in the book past chapter 7.

Chapters 8 and 9 bring a close to the book. Eliza never reveals the information she knows to the police but she does tell her mother, promising only to reveal the location of Laura's body if their mother comes forward with the truth, although this never happens. Eliza and Charlie grow closer and the book ends with Charlie telling Eliza how he feels about her as Eliza's house burns, an act that the text suggests had something to do with Eliza.