on the surface, most people would label collin a loser. he had spent his life under the shadow of the same long string of inexplicable personal disasters his father had faced. after each one his father, bill, would utter the same phase under his breath, "anywhere but vernon." after another wave of hardships leaves collin with no obvious direction, he decides to see just how bad vernon could possibly be. every place and every scenario seemed to bring the same results, anyway. at least if he was going to suffer, he could see why this small town haunted his father so much. arriving in vernon shocked everyone, especially colin, who discovered this seemingly cursed town transformed his luck. however, the facade crumbles when the town's dark secret emerges, revealing that vernon is far from the idyllic haven it initially seemed.