When Steve Best was 12, his mom vanished from her armchair in the sitting room. A terror-stricken scream, a blinding flash of light, and she was gone. Only a puddle of coffee and a stained notebook remained. Now, on the second Christmas since her disappearance, Steve's life is a disaster. He's failing everything at school. His home life sucks. Even his attempt to save a duck from the school bullies led to a nickname he's dying to forget. To make matters worse, Steve must stay with his dotty great aunt and her bookish, absent-minded husband over Christmas. With his great aunt's help, Steve masters a transformation that shows him the power of alchemy to transport people between dimensions. He might be able to use this power to save his mom–-but only if thugs or the police don't stop him first.