Max Kingston's life has always been less than satisfactory. Living in a broken neighborhood with your sick mom, her alcoholic, abusive brother, and your dad who (even though he tries to be a good father,) works 12 hours a day and is addicted to shooting up heroin, isn't the best way to grow up. Max's school life is more comfortable than his home life, so it's no surprise that he is academically inclined, but will he be able to find a way out of this hell-hole of an apartment building, or will something else stand in the way?