New Hope

by Steve Hobbs

DESPERATE EVIL descends on a quirky Maine town in Steve Hobbs’s gripping debut thriller, New Hope.

Seventeen year old Miri Jones has always wanted to be a detective. When she discovers mutilated human remains during her morning run, she’s found her case.

But the bizarre nature of the crime will shake everything she believes in and might just get her killed. The town of New Hope is about to make its last stand in a war Miri never knew existed.

Only the brave will survive.

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2014

About the author

Steve Hobbs is a Maine native still residing in New England. He is a gradu­ate of Southern New Hampshire University and lives a quiet, normal life. Steve writes about seemingly normal people caught up in extraordinary situations. He never guarantees a happy ending but sometimes comes close.

Reviews

[Leigh Podgorski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The debut YA thriller/suspense novel NEW HOPE by Steve Hobbs should be a summer hit for teens and pre-teens. Packed with a wide range of characters from lead Miri Jones whose wit and pluck will remind the older set of our heroine, who else but Nancy Drew—but updated, to her summer charge Chris just as surprisingly stalwart and on through to the older generation of Chief Jones and Brian Marlowe – who hold their own surprises—and to the spine tingling chill of this remote fictional town’s supernatural inhabitants. It is these inhabitants, and the battle that ensues that form the crux of the story – discovered innocently enough during a morning run by Miri—when she finds a body by the side of the trail.
As packed as the characters list is, even more so is the action as the intrepid band of teens contests both psychologically and physically the monster vampires.
Hobbs provides enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes and the pages turning, providing both laughs and pathos along the journey.
The inevitable comparisons to Stephen King will arise; Hobbs even embeds the famed Maine author into the storyline. As another Christopher Marlowe once quoted, “Comparisons are odious…” Read this book for the journey it provides to New Hope and its band of cockeyed brave warriors. I wonder what they will be up to next?

[S.S. Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The story itself is unique and I didn't see the main twist in it coming ahead of time at all. Hobbs created a very unique team of characters to carry the story and the dynamics between them were much different than you'd find in most novels. I enjoyed that it could be truly classified as a YA novel, although there's some violence it's not gratuitous or overly graphic. Also it's a new book, but it's set in the past (the 80s) which was interesting because I found myself noticing a lot of the nuances to that - paying for long distance, no cell phones, and several pop culture references that helped keep you firmly planted in the time period Hobbs wanted you in.

I also wanted to mention, after recently having read several indie novels, that I appreciated how well edited this book was, I don't recall being distracted at all by typos or anything of the sort.

[Nicole Storey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't a bad read. I enjoyed the plot and setting of the story but found the character development a bit lacking, and their responses to certain information and actions unbelievable. It was hard for me to digest that people living in a small town, very set in their ways and thoughts, would so easily accept the revelation of 'monsters' (trying to avoid spoilers here) and an agency that hunts them down. I felt there should have been more emotion shown in certain scenes.
Still, the book was nicely edited and the cover art is unique. I think this story is one that will appeal to young adults and, though I usually enjoy YA books, this particular one was lacking in a few areas for me.

[Jayme Swallow · Rating 1 out of 5]

Guys! You think this book will be good but it won't! First of all: VAMPIRES. Actually, once I got to the vampires I stopped reading. I was already only hanging on by a thread and it was due at the library, so I just didn't finish it. But the characters are one dimensional and indistinguishable. The storyline is kind of all over the place. Maybe it gets better, but I wouldn't know.

[K.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a teenager, Miri Jones, who is out for a run when she finds something horrific in the woods. She ignores her instincts and gets close to investigate. It’s a dead body. Of course, as a mother, my first thought was, “What is she doing out running alone in the woods? You are in so much trouble, young lady!” Of course, relief that she is okay supersedes all. But what about the poor person in the woods that is so very NOT okay? What happened? Her dad, being a cop, is in just the position to help figure things out. When she is chatting with her friends Beryl and Chris, she finds out that Chris’ brother is missing. There is much more to this story than meets the eye, though. Things are not as they first appear. The woods hold many secrets! This book moves fast, though, so you will not have to wait long to get your questions answered.
The author writes dialog that makes you feel like you are sitting right there with everyone, just waiting for your turn to contribute to the conversation.
Another plus: this book is set in Maine! Some of the landmarks might resonate with you, adding a bonus layer of enjoyment to ready this story for you.
I recommend this book. Read it!

[J.L. Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bam


"Seventeen year old Miri Jones has always wanted to be a detective. When she discovers mutilated human remains during her morning run, she’s found her case.
But the bizarre nature of the crime will shake everything she believes in and might just get her killed. The town of New Hope is about to make its last stand in a war Miri never knew existed.
Only the brave will survive."

I don't know what took me so long to read New Hope. I mean m: Bam! This was a freaking awesome book. Quick, fun and gripping debut thriller. I loved Miri and anything vampire has always made me happy. Author Hobbs did an amazing job. I loved every moment inside this story, he is a wonderful writer and I can't wait to read what he has planned for next.

[Grace Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really incredible! Like truly truly incredible! I have to be honest I don't normally enjoy vampire stories but this book is a wonderful exception! The characters were real and had wonderful values and showed honest bravery even when faced with immense fear. Even the vampires seemed real they didn't seem like fictional creatures they seemed real! And that is a incredibly hard thing to do! I had the honor of meeting the author of New Hope today actually and when I returned home with the book I flew through it. There are a million things I loved about this story and would love to say honestly this book still has me gasping for air! It blew me away!

[Heidi Angell · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the feels! This book takes me back to my childhood. Quite literally, as it's set in the 80s. With all the charming nostalgia of Stranger Things, the Nancy Drew heroine, and the campy group of kids fighting vampires that's reminiscent of Lost Boys, there really wasn't much not to love about this book.

If you are looking for a fun read with all those feels, then you will love New Hope. There weren't any deep questions, and I figured out a lot of things pretty quickly, but it still was a nice break and a fun read.

[Jennifer Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book from cover to cover smiling at the 1980s references and the typical Maineisms. The story starts off with an intriguing murder mystery and the pace throughout the novel is good. I liked the unlikely group of teenagers that come together to save the town. The involvement of a special government agency brings in some more interesting characters. Both the characters and the plot are well developed, and the mystery is cleverly solved. I enjoyed reading this YA horror and supernatural story of monsters in Maine.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!

I was invested in Miri and her love of investigation. Seeing her through the story was exciting. Great characters and I was surprised on several occasions which kept me reading. A fast paced read with a great ending.

[Brian Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding read from an outstanding author. I enjoyed this book very much.

[Ceara Comeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful story! Really enjoyed the different points of view and I loved the origin stories of the monsters of the night!

[Gretchen Grossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't supposed to like this book because it had sinister creatures. Not a fan. But I wanted to challenge myself to try a new genre so I took it on. I started it, put it down, started it again, and I'm so glad that I did. At first the personalities (helpful that I thought to jot down names from the outset) seemed flat because of the type of reading I'd grown accustomed to. I couldn't relate to them. The writing puzzled me. Again I was confronting an unfamiliar writing style. Descriptions that at first seemed non-essential soon became fascinating to me. Steve Hobbs was drawing me into his story. I began paying closer attention. Reference of real life musicians at first felt intrusive, then I realized how their mention kept me connected to real time in a plot that wove in and out of supernatural fiction. Why wasn't I repulsed at the blood and relishing of eaten corpses? It was, I think, because of the exquisite writing skills of the author. I can envision young people loving the discussion of this book, and they will. What surprised me was that I loved it, too. I've been enlightened. Interesting that I kept thinking about how much the author got a kick out of writing his story. So funny that I know what kind of music he likes.

[Kevin Hatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for anyone who even remotely likes sci-fi or mystical stories; in fact, this is a book for anyone who reads parse.

The two main characters - Miri and Chris - are just that: "characters", and excellent ones at that. I felt that there were shades of the X-Files, yet the author went far beyond with the use of great characters (other than the main two). With the NHDs and NHS, I saw a brilliant mind at work in creating something new out of the accepted norm.

New Hope is truly outstanding and something I would recommend to anyone, or indeed, everyone.

[Fee Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I really loved this story. The story was well written, and I connected with the characters. There were twists and turns that kept me guessing. I highly recommend this book.

[Killarney Traynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much fun - smart dialog, good twists, a fantastic cast and, finally, vampires that just evil! I'm looking forward to the sequel!

[Thomas Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner! Highly recommended.

I read this in three sittings, which is a rarity for me these days. Time just doesn't allow it. I had to find out what happened next. Steve Hobbs does an amazing job weaving the tale together and keeping the flow tight and fast. There were some surprising twist that I didn't see coming. Highly recommend this to anyone who likes a well done, interesting tale