Jeremy Marsh, a science journalist and professional skeptic, finds himself in over his head when he arrives at the small town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, and falls head over heels for the granddaughter of the supposed town psychic.
Oskar Schell, the nine-year-old son of a man killed in the World Trade Center attacks, searches the five boroughs of New York City for a lock that fits a black key his father left behind.