17歲的梅維里克認為一個男人必須照顧自己的家庭，而他從曾是幫派傳奇的父親身上學到唯一的方法就是販毒。有了這筆錢他就能減輕母親的負擔。儘管生活並非處處完美，但身邊有女友和無論如何都會支持自己的兄弟，讓他覺得一切都在掌握之中。直到他發現自己成為了一名父親。
突然間，他得對一個生命負起責任。在販毒的同時得兼顧學業，還有一個小孩需要扶養，生活的重擔讓他心力交瘁。所以當回歸正途的機會出現在眼前時，他毫不猶豫地抓住。這個決定或許能證明他已經改變。
但過去卻如同枷鎖仍禁錮著他。在失去所愛之人後，忠誠、復仇、責任帶來的折磨彷彿要將他撕裂。他必須為自己找出身為一個男人的真正意義。
International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood. A Printz Honor Book!
If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.
Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.
Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.
Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.
When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you canˊt just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.
