Survival and connection, the two foremost basic instincts for a child's development have already been dashed against the rocks of despair of eight year old Eli Dawsons' life from the cruel and abusive acts of his father and grandmother. Complicating his emotional and physical gauntlet is the need to protect his younger sister who suffers from his same plight while enduring constant bullying from school to his fathers' business, adding to his feelings of shame, fear and worthless self esteem. Eventually he is rescued by a loving couple but have they acted in time? In a tale progressing from toxicity and abuse to friendships, love and direction, he still hears the haunting diatribes and actions from his past forcing him to choose between trust or skepticism, repeating the cycle or breaking it, friendships or solitarity, love or loneliness, hate or benevolence, to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves or ignoring their injustice, and ultimately whether he will sacrifice his life for another.