Twelve-year-old Ricardo Martinez has experienced more hardship in the past two weeks than some people have in a lifetime. Not only did he narrowly escape a life-threatening situation, but someone close to him was murdered in cold blood. Ricardo's only source of comfort has been to rely on his faith in God. He's prayed for the grace to forgive those who've wronged him, but that doesn't suddenly make him an angel.

Ricardo is constantly in trouble at school. His strong opinions, deemed rude and disrespectful by his teachers, have earned him a few blows on the behind from the principal and his infamous paddle. To make matters worse, Ricardo finds out that his unstable older brother, Ernie-whose drug use has caused frequent hallucinations of little green men-will be returning home and sharing his room.

Feeling like his life is spiraling out of control, Ricardo seeks council from trusted pastor Bucky. After they pray together, Ricardo gains the strength to face the challenges ahead-or so he thinks. He starts investigating his biological father, who abandoned the family, and discovers some harsh truths. Can Ricardo hold on to his faith, or is he destined to repeat his past mistakes?