A gift for sorcery descends to the women of the Marsh family, but Tina's mother doesn't want to talk about it, so Tina is on her own and unprepared when random objects inexplicably start to disappear: a doorknob, a shoe, the kitchen linoleum, and even the huge statue of King Jagiello in Central Park. It's just the "kraken"—a vast world-eating monster from an evil dimension—trying to grab something that Tina doesn't even know she has. But unexpected allies show up: a touchy young violinist from the posh East Side and a shabby old street musician who is much more than he seems. It's up to these three, using magic and music, to save New York from the kraken's devouring ferocity.