Twelve-year-old Tom lives alone on an island. Nobody dares approach him because the boy is cursed--he brings bad luck to anyone around him. Ignoring the boy's warnings to keep his distance, a hot-tempered, shifty gnome makes an astounding offer: He'll rid the boy of his hex if the boy will embark on a mission for him. With no answers and nothing to lose but bad luck, Tom sets off. But as the chips stack against him in a land riddled with obstacles, Tom wonders if he could be trading his curse for something far worse.