Stance Gillis doesn't know what to make of her present. The blue stone looks like something from a cheap jewelry store, but her eccentric aunt insists that ""interesting things"" will happen now that she has it. Soon, Stance realizes her aunt isn't as crazy as the family thinks. While middle school life had once seemed complex and filled with drama, it doesn't compare to near drownings, visions of ancient treachery, and broken limbs. Stance tries to conceal her growing secrets, but the lies can't cover the bruises and hide the bizarre behavior. To make things worse, her nosy sister and mother's boyfriend ask too many questions. Seeking information, Stance unwittingly attracts the attention of people who have been searching for the stone for years. With danger closing in on her and her family, she must choose who to trust and what to do to survive. In New England towns, Caribbean beaches, secret society halls, and ancient European forests, the mystery of the blue stone unravels in A Familiar Fate.