When Tori Burns moves to the home her family inherited in Maryland, she could never imagine the strange course of events that would unfold around her there. With the Slaughter family grumbling that Tori's family has stolen land that is rightfully theirs, it's hard to feel welcomed in the community. And when Tori sees a boy named Nathaniel dig his way out of a grave under the tree in her new backyard, things go from uncomfortable to downright weird. As Tori tries to help the bewildered living-dead boy, she also begins to have deep feelings for him. And in the midst of it all, she realizes the Slaughter's could pose a real threat to her family as they try to keep their own dark secrets buried at any cost.