Patu tells the story of Jahnine Byrne – a 16-year-old West Aucklander who has dropped out of school to support her mother in her fight against cancer, helped only by an aunt (her dad is no longer around, and her elder brother has disappeared). A family legend blames their bad luck on a patu (greenstone club) that her great, great grandfather took during the New Zealand Wars. The patu’s curse needs to be lifted, something that can happen only if the weapon is returned. But returned to where? Jahnine meets a strange Maori boy, Andy, who out of kindness offers to help her, and with his brother and friends leads her away from the city to try and put things right. But then everything starts to go wrong.