In a town near Austin, Bliss Cavendar's strong-willed mom believes that 17-year-old Bliss can win pageants, which she considers the key to a happy life. Bliss isn't the beauty pageant type: she's shy and quiet and has just one friend:Pash, her fellow waitress at a diner. Things change for Bliss when she discovers a women's roller-derby league in Austin, tries out, proves to be whip-fast, and makes the team. Now she needs to become someone tough on the rink, keep her parents from finding out where she goes twice a week, and do something about her first crush, on a musician she meets at the derby. Meanwhile, Mom still sees Bliss as Miss Bluebonnet. Things are on a collision course; will everyone get banged up?