Nicky Roth has always been a lonely kid. His parents' constant job changes ensure that he's never in one place long enough to make any friends. But that all changes when his family settles in Raven Brooks and meet their eccentric neighbors, the Petersons. Nicky befirends the Petersons' son, Aaron, bonding over their talents for tinkering and engineering. Soon the boys are inseparable and using their skills to explore local abandoned places and pull pranks on the townspeople. But something about Aaron bothers Nicky: People seem almost afraid of him and his family. Through snippets from Aaron and a lot of sleuthing at the library and local newspaper, Nicky discovers a dark past haunting his neighbors, a streak of bad luck they can't seem to shake. And after Nicky witnesses Aaron's dad having some sort of bizarre fit, his fears only grow. Can Nicky do something to help end his neighbors' bad luck, or are the Petersons fated for another tragedy?
