Ontario, 1987. With her brother Seamus dead and her beloved family farm seized, 14- year-old Nicole’s world is bleak. When her wilful best friend Veronica decides to turn Nicole’s abandoned farmhouse into their headquarters for the summer, they are joined by friends Amber and Sara. Together, they create a secret escape from their troubled home lives, the isolation of the rural landscape, and stifling patriarchal constraints. The girls’ relationships deepen and their emotional connection becomes physical when their menstrual cycles synchronize. In a ceremony that solidifies their new bond, they vow to protect each other and the house at all costs.
When their world is threatened by a development corporation, the girls’ solidarity and relationships are tested to an extreme, and painful secrets erupt. THE YOUNG ARSONISTS explores adolescent ferocity and emotional trauma in the face of abuse, poverty, and death, as these young girls struggle to find a safe place in the world.