At the beginning of the novel, Mav feels like he has inherited a set future. As the son of a prominent former gang leader, Mav had to join the King Lords at age 12, far too young to decide for himself. He feels that “[k]inging is in [his] blood” (15) and lives by the rules of the streets, an unwritten but intuitively known code of conduct that guides the actions of all the King Lords. Within the gang, he is known as “Li’l Don,” his father’s shadow. Mav worries that the other King Lords see him as weak in comparison to his father and has a strong desire to prove himself worthy.

After discovering that he has a son, Mav’s priorities begin to shift. He wants to be the father his son needs, and, with a push from Dre, begins to make choices that pull him away from the streets. He starts to consider what the best decisions are for himself and his son, although he still feels locked in to a future of dealing and gang affiliation because of his dire financial circumstances.

Mav’s attempts to control his future are dealt several blows by the realities of life in the Garden and the consequences of his own actions.