Each Beaumont child possesses a supernatural talent, or savvy, that they can use for good or ill. They acquire these powers on their 13th birthday, the same day they become teens and enter fully into adolescence. This double whammy of responsibility forces them to confront self-doubt and accept who they are as unique individuals. Guiding them are the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before, plus the idea that they aren't freaks of nature but simply human beings with unusual abilities.

Like most kids who possess unusual strengths, the Beaumont children must deal with their talents’ effects on others. For the Beaumonts, though, the discovery of their talents happens all at once when they turn 13. The shock of this sudden revelation and the sheer power of their new abilities causes reverberations in their lives that are much stronger than, if similar to, the ones that most kids must face.

Fish Beaumont, for example, has strong emotions that, combined with his ability to control the weather, can cause a hurricane. His savvy forces his family to move far inland, away from large bodies of water. Fish struggles between his intense feelings and his guilt over the damage he can cause.