Garbage Boy-a.k.a. Scarface, a.k.a. William-has had it rough his entire life. Facing off against a deadbeat dad and his mom's abusive boyfriend, he's had to fight every step of the way just to survive. Not only that, his family's low social status makes him an object of ridicule and abuse among his peers and the community at large. That all begins to change when Garbage Boy meets up with Mister and Stone Pony, two mysterious men who enlist his aid in their growing sanitation enterprise. Who would have thought picking up garbage would be the road to redemption, never mind riches? But not even that comes easily for Garbage Boy. Although Garbage Boy's situation improves remarkably at first, the deeper his involvement with Mister and Stone Pony, the more complicated his life becomes, to the point he risks losing everything he's fought so hard to gain.

The book implies an ethical question "Does a wrong become right if you have been wronged all along?"