Ali B.

I found this a really cool story with an interesting premise, and the writing itself is very easy to follow - not in a childish way, but clear and concise, and I found the character of Iris to be realistic. The dialogue and events flow along well, and I was ready to give this book 4 or 4.5 stars for most of the book. However, the ending was far too abrupt, it was as if the book had been lopped in half or such.

Look, I understand this is the beginning of a series. Things can be left unanswered show more to be explored in later books. However, each book needs a denouement, and there wasn't really one in this book, so it feels like I only got half a story. I do want to read the next book, just so I can know what happens with Iris and Micah, and why Soul Jumpers don't age the bodies that they jump into (I really hope this is explained in the next book!) show less

The Sixteen by Ali B. is the second book in The Soul Jumper Series. It is for ages 8-12 but I think that it can be read by older children and adults. I don't usually read middle grade books so I was not sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised though as the story moved right along at a good pace and kept me interested. At times though I felt that Iris Brave seemed older than what she really was or rather she was very mature for her age.
Iris is trying to find her father Micah, who is a show more soul jumper. While she is taken prisoner by The Sixteen, a group of soul jumpers, she does find her father where she is held. Now she needs to figure out how to rescue him and get them both out of their prison. Can she succeed?

The story was told in the first person, Iris Brave, and a very imaginative speculation of people jumping into other people's bodys to prolong their life. I don't know as I would care to do that though, especially for instance if you were to jump into the body of a very young person or I suppose the very old. Still all in all an interesting concept. Iris is a very brave girl and she undertakes a journey that could be the end of all she holds dear. show less

I picked this book up as I was given a copy of The Sixteen, (Book 2 of the Soul Jumpers Series), for review. I felt, to be able to give it a fair review, I needed to read Book 1 first. I am so happy I did! The Soul Jumpers is a children's series geared toward middle grades. Iris is the character telling the story and the language of the book fits the characters age. Some adults may find it too simplistic but I thought it was perfect for the audience it was written to.

The story contains an show more interesting mystery. Iris lives with her mother and visits her grandfather for the summer. We are told early on that her father died in a car accident. This is where the mystery begins. Iris finds out that it is believed her dad caused the accident by driving under the influence. She sets out to find out the truth and comes across a mysterious guy. I do not want to say too much about it so you can discover the exact mystery for yourself.

I enjoyed the love that Iris has for her family. I was especially happy to learn that the grandpa is her father's father. Too often in children's books, when there has been a divorce or death, missing parent = missing grandparents. It was so gratifying to read about a grandparent staying in the child's life after the death of the child's parent.

I also was impressed with Iris saying she knows she is different. All children go through a time when they are growing up where they feel different. Not only does the author have the character express this but she goes on to tell us how Iris is different. I have a feeling as the series goes on we will learn more of why Iris is different.Iris also speaks of feeling the opposite of her name, Brave. We all have fears, some rational, some not. Having Iris work through hers, often with humor, is a powerful message. I think this book is filled with many positive messages. I did wonder a couple of times at the amount of freedom Iris has. However, when you think about times now, with so many parents working, a lot of middle grade children have a lot of freedom.

Soul jumping is something new for me. I read a lot of books in the paranormal/fantasy genre. It was refreshing to me to come across something still pretty unique in this genre. The mystery is not solved in this book. So be aware that you will need to buy the next book in the series to see where it goes. If your middle grader is looking for a fantasy mystery series this may be one you want to pick up. Personally I think it would be a fun series to read together.There are plenty of things that happen to Iris and decisions she makes that would be excellent conversation starters for parents and their children.

I took off one star just because I felt in a couple of places things did not transition smoothly or they felt rushed. While this interrupted the flow of my reading it did not impact my enjoyment of the book. My actual rating would be 4 and a half stars. show less

Twelve-year-old Iris Brave has left home and family behind as the Sixteen begins. The novel tells the second part of Ali B.’s Soul Jumpers story, continuing on from a first book where the middle-grader discovered her father’s not dead; his soul has just moved to the body of teenager Kyle. Readers might want to start with book one, but with Iris’s dad a prisoner of the Council, and Iris hiding out among sixteen rebels, the story’s easy to pick up and ready to start at breakneck speed show more as the Sixteen begins.

A plot is hatched to rescue Iris’s father, the Iris finds herself, like many middle-graders, kept in the dark, never told the whole of any plan. Her tale is given in first person, and Iris’s frustrations and rebellions feel very real; she makes a very convincing 12-year-old, and she asks all the right questions to help readers both follow and catch up, even if they missed book one. School memories include references to classics – Emily Dickinson, Stephen Covey, and more – giving a feel of depth and intelligence to character and tale, and there’s a convincingly thoughtful contemporary feel to it all.

The action’s fast and furious. The character is convincingly middle-grade. The mysteries of soul jumping are nicely portrayed (and nothing nearly so simple as reincarnation). But Lewis, with his “big silly grin,” steals the show for me. He is truly delightful, adding humor and food for thought; I’m eager to see how his tale will progress.

The story ends with one wave of action over and another yet to start. Readers who like series will love it. Readers who record all their episodes off the TV to watch in one go might prefer to wait. But Soul Jumpers has plenty going for it and I’d certainly like to read more, even if some of the details do stretch my all-too-grown-up credulity.

Disclosure: I was given a free copy when I hosted the author on my blog, and I offer my honest review. show less