In the fall of 2008, Thomas Clarke's life is turned upside down. His old high school closed the previous spring, and his friends all went off to different schools. So for his senior year, Thomas must go alone to a new school with a rigorous curriculum and an intensely competitive administration and student body. Every move he makes is watched closely, and incredible pressure is put on him to perform at the highest level academically. If that were not enough for one young man to deal with, the national economy teeters on the edge of complete collapse, and the future of his family's livelihood...