Hannah Lee Baker is a bright teen girl trapped in the dark Southern underworld of violence and guns, meth labs and vicious biker gangs, and whose only refuge is chess. She lives with Amber, her older sister; and her uncle Donny, an addict. All live in fear of Uncle Frank Stinson, who runs the illegal family business with an iron fist, aided by his psychotic younger brother Bobby. Things change for the worse when Amber falls in love with Wild Bill, a meth trafficker who finds himself at war with Frank. Hannah realizes the only way to save her family is by cleverly scheming to pit one pawn against another in a cunning chess game.

Michael is not thrilled about his family's move to New Hope, a small, close-knit southern town. After all, it is his senior year. He is even less enthused about joining the town's high school basketball team, especially when he begins to bump heads with the team's star player, Lucas. Lucas is fiercely loyal to the memory of his brother Chase -- the victim of a suicide that shook the entire town to its core. To Lucas, Michael is reaping everything Chase left behind -- an insult he refuses to accept. Jasmine, Chase's longtime girlfriend, still has not found peace a year after his tragic death -- until a chance meeting with Michael. Michael's faith is tested as he endures confrontations with Lucas on and off the basketball court and through his growing fascination with Jasmine. With topics including peer pressure, alcohol, sex, suicide, relationships, and acceptance, New Hope captures the life of the modern teenager.

Thoroughly disgruntled, Santa (Goodman) opts to take a year off from delivering presents, until a young man helps his rediscover the meaning of the holidays.

The first sequel is titled PULSE: AFTERLIFE The world has been reshaped by the invasion of ghosts via the wireless internet...    »