Couldn't resist this one since the hero discovers he can teleport at will, my superpower of choice. I enjoyed the movie version as well but I've enjoyed some of this author's other novels better than this one. The sequel, Reflex, was also better. ( )

LIKED

Teenage wish fufillment nonsense, but pacey. ( )

This is my favorite book of all time because not only is it about superpowers, but it's a great coming-of-age tale as well.

ZB5

The first in a series of Jumper novels by Steven Gould, "Jumper" is a tremendously entertaining and interesting read. The action starts off almost immediately and I found lost myself in this teleportation story. I am so glad that there are two other books to read. It makes me wish I was able to teleport. ( )

Having recently viewed the movie of the same name, based on this novel, which was released in 2008, and been recommended this book in spite of my poor opinions about the film, I approached this book somewhat warily. Would this be simply a shallow, unsubstantial book, thick dollops of action trying to disguise an empty plot? Or would there be something more substantial to the book than this?

I am quite pleased to report that the latter was the case. For those that skipped the movie when it was released, the movie “Jumper” was just a string of exciting but shallow scenes of some people who teleport, fighting other people that don’t like those people that can teleport, all tied together with a basic and mentally unchallenging plot. In contrast, the book contains far more variety and depth than what the movie ever did, and does not follow the same plot outline at all. If only the producers had actually read the book they were adapting… But instead of wasting time lamenting what could have been, let us forget the movie – the less said the sooner forgotten – and let us concentrate our attentions on the novel instead.

The novel Jumper is a story about teenageer, David Rice, who finds out one day that he has the power to teleport to any place that he has been previously. After David runs away from home, he has to deal with a lot of problems that result from – he can’t get a job, doesn’t have any ID that he can use, and can’t earn any money. There are plenty of other obstacles that David encounters during the story – some of these obstacles are related to his powers, how he uses them, and the consequences of this, some are related to his new circumstances, and some are simply related to David growing up and becoming a more mature person. I won’t go into this in any detail, because this is part of why I enjoyed the book so much. Yes, this is a book intended for young adults, but it’s a young adult book with some quite heavy themes and ideas – David has to deal with abandonment, abuse, and revenge, among other ideas, ponder the morality of his actions, and there are some good intellectual discussions there, too. Suffice to say there are lots of different ideas bustling for attention here.

It is an intelligent and exciting book, but Gould also manages to deal with David’s emotions (and the emotions of other characters, for that matter) in a realistic, but not overly straining manner. David does suffer from angst and guilt from the actions that he takes, we are made aware of these emotions and how they affect him, we even sympathise, to some extent, with his situation, but this is not over-played, either, so that it over-shadows the story itself.

In short, I quite enjoyed this book – great ideas, a fast-paced story, well-drawn characters. I must recommended this novel, whether you read books with the “young-adult” marketing moniker on them, and doubly so if you did not enjoy the movie released last year of the same title. ( )

I like this book, but not as much as I expected to. The writing was a little juvenile for my tastes. The concept of the book, however, was really interesting, and it did entertain me quite a bit. ( )

http://lampbane.livejournal.com/542806.html

"For a book written in 1992, it's oddly relevant today. Oh, and it's nothing like the movie. The beginning of the movie is similar to the novel, but once Davy moves to New York, the two go in entirely different directions. It's very odd, considering that the book is still pretty exciting and has its own fair share of action sequences where Davy is battling terrorists—honest-to-god terrorists that hijack planes and kill innocent people. Considering the current political climate now, you think that would have been a perfect plot for an action film. Instead the movie decided to have a selfish protagonist facing off against a fictional organization targeting him for death just because he exists. An odd choice, but perhaps they wanted to avoid the heavier issues the book addresses, namely domestic abuse. This novel is a perfect example of how science fiction can be used to address social concerns, and it didn't have to resort to allegory to do it." ( )

What a great book! I couldn't put it down, went through the night and read it in one session. ( )

I had heard that this book is better than the movie, but after seeing the movie--which was awful!--I just couldn't bring myself to read this. Especially with its incredibly lame cover. (I've seen at least four different covers for this book and all of them suck.) However, I finally did read this book and it turns out that it's actually quite good! The main character is a seventeen-year-old who discovers he can teleport. He doesn't know why, he doesn't know how, he just knows he can. He uses this talent for the first time accidentally to get away from his abusive alcoholic father. He figures out he can teleport to anywhere he's been (and can remember accurately) or anywhere he can see. Now what? He's certainly not going home to his father and his mother left home years ago never to be heard from again. This is the story of love, loss and revenge, an exploration of right and wrong. It's not a difficult read but it's definitely a page-turner. If you saw the movie, forget it, this is nothing like that. This is a good, fun read with a hint of depth. ( )

(Amy) Why had I never encountered this book before? Apparently it came out in 1992, so one would think I would have come across it in a bookstore sometime, or heard someone mention it, or something. But no, I never heard of it until it was made into a (remarkably unfaithful, unsurprisingly, or so I'm told) movie.

But for an 18-plus-year-old book, it manages to be remarkably relevant in many ways, despite having a rather irritating and somewhat unconvincing protagonist. Mostly, I really liked the jumping itself - I thought it was very well executed and nicely thought out. The interpersonal stuff seemed wooden and a little shallow, but not bothersome enough to put me off reading the thing.

Recommended, though I can't as yet speak to the quality of the movie adaptation.
(http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/ze...) ( )

Jumper, was an interesting book, it had some brilliant ideas, some great locations…but in plot terms it was lacking.

That’s not to say it wasn’t a good story, but it was more a character driven story than anything defined by plot.
The plot, such as it was seemed to kick in about 3/4 of the way through the novel.
Several of the plot/action sequences seemed to be write once, then repeat with some differences.

I bought this novel, because I saw the movie, and the movie was terrible.
But reading what they started with, I can now see why they chose the decisions they did. I’m not sure, if you were to produce a movie based on the book it would have been any good, as a straight adaptation.

Oddly, considering when this was published it’s quite relevant, the last quarter of the novel (when things start happening) is all about terrorism and even goes into some of the political and social ideas around it, rather relevant today, interesting for a novel published in 1992. This could have been set now, if not for a few mentions of the World Trade Centre and one or two other tells. Perhaps it terrorism was a good thing to chuck into a novel, coming out after the first Gulf War, but nevertheless it’s a good element to the book. (Though the explanations sometimes go on at length)

As I said there’s a lot of character building stuff, more over it’s there’s a lot of moments of getting inside David’s head, the story is told completely from his point of view, which I initially thought would get irritating, but was actually really allowed exploration of the character.

This novel is more about exploration of the ‘teleport’ idea and building of character than it is about actual plot events, which is quite a different tact to take in a novel like this. It’s oddly left me wanting more, as this really felt like a big introduction, leading up to something big where the characters take that next step up and do something with everything they’ve learnt so far. ( )

Okay Book, But Won’t Be Going Out Of My Way To Find The Sequel

Jumper (Movie Tie-In) by Steven Gould
Publication Date: February 2008 Reprint
3 out of 5 stars
R - Sexual Content, Violence, Alcohol Abuse, Profanity
Not Recommended

When David “Davy” Rice was 12, his mother left him in the care of his abusive alcoholic father. Five years later at the age of 17, he is now on his own. Hurting from the mental and physical wounds inflicted upon him by his father, Davy is set on settling in New York City and beginning his own life. Unable to get a job because of his lack of identification documents, he decides to get money through more questionable means. With government agents hot on his heels and a great girlfriend by his side, Davy’s mental and physical battles escalate. Only one thing is keeping him and his girlfriend out of the government’s hands… his ability to teleport.

Jumper was an interesting book with a heavy atmosphere and a character who’s morals and judgments were slightly askew.

I wanted to pity Davy and yet I detested some of his actions. Half the time I wanted to give him a much needed hug and the other half I wanted to talk some sense into him. Davy was strong in the face of danger, but his venerability around Millie, his girlfriend, made me like him all the more.

I admired Davy’s humor and sense of hope. Life is full of many dark, depressing events, so why not look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel and hold on to the hope for a happy, enjoyable life? I liked Millie because she was able to keep the light of hope burning in Davy when all he wanted to do was give up.

This novel began to lag around the middle, but with the help of some cruel, sad events the author got the story rolling again. The ending seemed to sneak up on me. The last 30 pages covered a huge amount of information, of which I was just barely able to absorb.

The reason I can’t comfortably recommend this novel, is because of the sexual content, attempted rape, and strong profanity (f-word used very often).

If you think that this book sounds interesting and/or the main character sounds interesting, I suggest You don’t know me by David Klass. You don’t know me doesn’t have anything paranormal, but Davy (from Jumper) and John (from You don’t know me) are quite a lot alike in the fact that they both have abusive father figures and they both have to deal with the mental and physical wounds inflicted upon them because of it. I’m going to overuse this word but, its “interesting” to see these characters survive and their emotions and behavior change, mature, grow, and become self-relying but yet able to show weakness at the appropriate times.

Jumper was an okay book, but I won’t be going out of my way to find and read its sequel.

Date Reviewed: December 14th, 2008 ( )

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, where the protagonist discovers his powers and starts working out whay kind of life he's going to build for himself. Then the story takes an abrupt left-turn as he decides to become an anti-terrorist superhero. Particularly after the events of 9/11 this makes the book seem rather trite. ( )

I read the book because I saw the movie. I found the book rooted in reality in a way that the movie wasn't. Although David has this fantastic power, everything else in his life is totally normal. I thought Mr. Gould addresses issues such as abuse with a realistic but light hand - suitable for a younger audience. The conversation David has with his mother is particularly insightful. ( )

The novel Jumper is an excellent foray into the world of teleportation. The concept of teleportation is fascinating, and the way in which Gould's character teleports is less fantastical than the movie trailers portray (I have been waiting to see the movie until I complete the sequel novel, Reflex). This makes Davy's teleportation more "believable", which now that I say that sounds ridiculous!

This novel can be very heavy, and I would not recommend it to anyone younger than High School level. The main reason for it's showing on the Top 100 Banned Books is in the very first chapter, so if you can get past that, then you are on your way to enjoying the vast character development Gould provides. This novel takes a little while to pick up action-wise, but it deals deeply with the inner struggle Davy maintains. The pain of abuse from his Father, the struggle to come to terms with his ability, it weaves a tangled web inside Davy's character who can seem almost at the brink of schizophrenia.

I enjoyed Jumper the novel, and have yet to see the movie. From what I have seen, and the non-spoiler plot points I have heard from friends, is that the concept of teleporting and the main character in name, though not entirely in his history, are the only uniting features of the novel and movie. I think the novel is more about dealing with your inner demons, dealing with past abuses, and figuring out how to get past that to lead a productive life, and break the generational cycle. Many sci-fi works have dealt with teleportation, but Gould's take on it is definately worth the read. ( )

I had a lot of fun reading this book about Davy, a seventeen year old teleport. Even though, towards the end, some descriptions of the hijackings are a bit too long.
Considering that this book was wrote many years before 9/11, I found the scene where Davy throws a terrorist from the World Trade Center a little creepy.
All in all a very good book and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel Reflex. ( )

I'm not quite sure how to rate this book. I bought this book after seeing the movie. I enjoyed the movie a lot and decided to see where it all started. When it arrived, I dove right in. I read half the book in a day, and then put it down for over a week before I finally finished it in an airport waiting for my plane. It was a good story, don't get me wrong, but it bore little resemblance to the film. In the film, a 17 year old boy discovers he can "jump" after falling into a freezing river. Then he robs a bank and lives the high life for 8 years until a secret organization starts to hunt him down. Good action flick, so I expected a good action story. But in the novel, our hero is 15 and a victim of serious child abuse. This is why I walked away from the book for so long. The first half was depressing. Really depressing. Another reviewer pointed out that the main character is almost raped. True, but that is only the tip of the iceberg in his sad life. Warning: some may consider the next paragraph a slight spoiler.

Davy makes his first jump trying to avoid a beating. Then we follow him as a 15 year old runaway. Who is almost raped while hitch-hiking. Who can't hold a job because he has no social security card, or high school diploma. Who can't get a GED without his parents' approval. Who robs a bank so he won't starve. Who learns his mother left him after being nearly beaten to death herself. Who worries his father can jump and will find him. It goes on and on like that for far too long. This book does a good job of shining light on the ugly, harsh reality of life as a runaway. Only real runaways can't "jump" out of danger. The story finally picked up once he started traveling and attracted the attention of the NSA. Davy has a serious (and once again sad) motive for all his traveling besides wanting to see the world. After finally reuniting with his mother, she is killed by an airline hijacker. And he wants revenge. The NSA catches on to his visits to hot zone countries and subsequently learns his secret. There is no secret organization of Paladins and he never meets another jumper. But, the second half is very exciting as he cleverly eludes NSA agents, creates an illegal identity for himself, romances a college girl and jumps all over the world. There is also a good bit of humor in the second half too.

The story is told in the first person, and has a lot of internal monologue. Sometimes, I got a little annoyed as Davy described everything he was seeing or thinking. However, this book is intended for young adults and the descriptive detail makes sense in that light. There isn't a lot of dialog compared to many other books, but there is a lot of action in the second half. The author doesn't reveal much about the "why" of jumping (as in the movie), but Davy does consider the issue throughout the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the second half of the book enough that I'd like to read the sequel. It's too bad the sequel is currently out of print. I hope the movie attracts enough buzz that it re-released. Recommended. ( )

I've slogged about half-way through this book and I still can't figure out why it is on the American Library Association list of Top 100 Banned Books.

This book is hard to rate and review because it's all over the map. (No pun intended, honest.)

Point: The Young Adult fiction aspect puts forth a large amount of teen angst.
But ... It's not unrealistic teen angst. Teens are angsty people.

Point: There's also a large amount of introspection and exposition.
But ... It's the first book in the series, and the narrator is figuring things out as he goes along.

Point: Abuse and terrorism and sex? Why not throw in Paris Hilton and anthrax and call it "Fox News Channel Presents: Jumper"?
But ... they are actually tied together pretty well. Sins of the father, the circle of violence, and all that. Subtext.

Point: It's too mature for early-teen readers. (If the film actually showed everything in the book it would easily be an "R" rating.)
But ... is it really? Is your early-teen reader really that sheltered? Are the Amish allowed to buy books about teleportation?

Point: It's too goofy and sci-fi for late-teen readers.
But ... I enjoyed it and I haven't seen my teens or in quite some time.

Point: The main character is kindof a nerd.
But ... so?

Point: It's not as action-packed/sexy as the film!
But ... that's true. If you want that, go read "Griffin's Story". Oh, and the book is funnier than the film.

So ... take what you will. It's not a bad read if you don't try to pigeonhole it or pre-judge it. ( )

Davy lives with his alcoholic, stingy, abusive father. On one occasion, Davy accidentally "jumps" (teleports) away just as his father is about to beat him with a belt buckle. Seizing the opportunity, Davy runs away from home but finds himself accosted by a quartet of truck drivers. Luckily, he teleports away again. Realizing he has a strange and unbelievable talent, Davy decides to make his way in the world alone. Once in New York City, Davy finds that his age (seventeen years old) doesn't allow him to register for school or work without a parent or papers. In desperation, Davy plans a bank heist that can only be accomplished with his unique ability.

After walking away with a sizable sum of money, Davy lives the high life: living out of hotels, buying expensive clothes and eating at expensive restaurants. Despite having nearly everything he needs only a "jump" away, he discovers that he can only teleport to places he has been to before and can clearly picture in his mind. Backed by his bank heist money, he travels extensively in order to accumulate a large number of teleportation sites. Eventually, Davy puts his ability to use in stopping airline hijackers, but this catches the attention of the NSA, which seeks to understand Davy's ability and use him for their own purposes.

Despite the intriguing concept behind Steven Gould's Jumper, the novel doesn't offer much of a conflict for its protagonist until more than halfway through. While it is intriguing to follow Davy and see how he utilizes his ability, the plot is mostly just watching him figure things out. Much of the novel feels like a thought exercise in the best way to utilize such an ability to benefit oneself or others (within the confines of the mechanics of teleportation that Gould has established). It appears the drastic changes made to the movie adaptaion was to create a conflict and a plot, which the book is lacking. Jumper is clearly aimed at a young adult audience, as Davy's angst may come across as childish or simply corny to older readers. Gould's description of New York City, and specifically Times Square, comes across as dated (the area hasn't been that way in over a decade and a half!).

Despite the plain writing style and the sometimes annoying angst of Davy, the book was still interesting enough to keep me reading almost non-stop until I was finished. I guess it was after finishing the book that I realized that I wish more had happened. Make sure to check out Reflex, the sequel to Jumper, for a more action-packed (and better-plotted) story with Davy and teleportation. If anything, a movie should have been made from Reflex, with Jumper only serving as an introduction to the better story. ( )

Very fine writing highlight a well told tale of a teleport and his escape from an abusive father and a mother that (it appears) abandoned him. ( )

Abused kid becomes anti-terrorist superhero after his battered mother is blown to bits.

Davy is a seventeen year old boy with a bastard wifebeating alcoholic father. One day, when this specimen is about to take a metal belt to him again, he discovers himself in his favorite spot in the local library. After which, making some of the mistakes of callow youth and hampered by his non-adult status, he uses his talents to get cash and start to work things out, as well as eventual crimefighting.

http://superprose.blogspot.com/2007/0... ( )

Great fun! ( )