Jumper

Let's just first get this out of the way: YES I LIKED THE MOVIE (mostly because Samuel L. Jackson ;p). Lots. It was fun, exhilarating and all that jazz an action/adventure movie these days must be. But it was also, not to fine a point on it, as shallow as a puddle after a summer shower, also as these kinds of movies tend to be. Despite that, I enjoyed the movie for what it was, but the book is something completely different from the movie. Best you sort that out in your mind right quick (luckily, being a veteran Stephen King reader, this is an exercise that comes easier to me).

While the movie is all about Davy and how he tries to escape the Paladins, who want to get their evil hooks in him and stop him from jumping or whatevs, the show more Paladins don't even exist in the book. I found this worked excellently for the book, turning it to more the story of a boy who's trying to literally escape his abusive past but keeps getting drawn back in while having to make hard choices about morality, privacy, agency and responsibility.

Other stuff I liked:

The author pulls no punches. There are some violent scenes in the movie, but in my view it's nothing a teenager these days hadn't seen a million times on TV or in a game and here it's not just gratuitous. (PROTIP: If you're looking for a book for your child to read, looking at the AGE OF THE PROTAGONIST is the best way to see if it's in your child's age bracket. Seriously, how do people not know this?)
I enjoyed the voice of this book. Davy is a great character and is written in such a way that even when he says something in his own head, we can see what the thought behind it is, even if he doesn't necessarily have that level of knowledge yet.
I really liked how seriously Davy took responsibility and how hard he tries to convince himself that it's okay, he doesn't need to feel guilty, and yet he still can't help but feel guilty about things he can't necessarily control.
I couldn't put the story down. Although the main conflict isn't introduced until much later in the book, the narrative creates enough conflict with Davy and his coming to terms with his powers to keep you enjoying page after page even before the real "story" starts. Personally I wouldn't plot it like that, but it worked in this instance and some of the events in this "backstory introduction" become very important when looking at and understanding some of David's later choices.
Solid ending. Always good, especially good here, even though it's the first of a series.
Subtle yet effective glance at some feminist themes in relationships: the problems the dominant narrative of sex as a transaction creates for the individuals involved who don't want to follow that narrative yet know no other way, things like that mentioned in passing, things most girls and some guys have to deal with and normally sooner rather than later was really gratifying and added a bit of (sorely needed) depth to David's romance with Millie.

Disliked:

I didn't really feel the romance between David and Millie. There were great aspects around this arc (see the last bullet above), but I found most of the romance to be slightly passionless and pretty meh. Could definitely have been handled better.
The descriptions in the action scene sometimes went by too fast, especially with his jumping thrown in. It was hard for me to maintain a sense of what exactly was going on in the battle scenes.

RECOMMENDED FOR: "Soft" Sci-fi fans, those who like both contemporary YA and urban fantasy, anyone looking for a male protagonist, anyone who felt the movie slightly "lacking" and is willing to read this book as a YA and not a hardcore science fantasy. Just don't bother with the second book and you'll be golden. show less

A 17 year old boy is physically abused by his father and then discovers he can teleport to escape the beatings…and then goes on to try to survive on his own with no knowledge of banking, credit, job skills, hormones, etc. The first half of the book was obviously intended to give us an extensive understanding of the hero's flaws and weaknesses...and motivations. For me, this whole section of the book can only be entertaining to a teenager to read---I don't respond well to naive adolescents with super powers. It isn't until the last half of the book when the story changes to one of vengeance against the terrorist who killed his mother that the tempo picks up. The tension increases as the NSA gets involved trying to capture the hero, show more etc., etc.; and the, now 18 years old, hero manages to outwit both the US government and a series of terrorists around the world in the attempt to avenge his mother's death and get his hostage girl friend returned from the NSA. This is a light read and is good for moderate entertainment but is devoid of any meaty philosophical content or any realistic (whatever that means) treatment of teleportation. And, after 'everything' is resolved, there's no hint of how the hero is going to survive into the future, nor what he'll do when he gets there. show less

I recently reread two highly underrated super-hero novels, Jumper and its sequel, Reflex. These books remain among my favorite super-hero stories, and I only wish the movie version had been an actual adaptation, instead of crapping all over the book.

Jumper is an engaging hero's journey. Davy doesn't spontaneously decide to put on a costume and fight crime (in fact, he wears ordinary clothing throughout the book). His character develops exactly the way a real 18-year-old with a sudden ability to teleport would develop. He can't find his birth certificate or social security number, and like many young people, he's unaware that he can write to his state department to get a copy--so Davy can't get a job. In need of money, he uses his power show more to rob a bank. Then he starts messing with bullies, from his thuggish neighbors to his abusive father. He takes creative revenge on people who have hurt him. But even with endless freedom and money, Davy is lonely, without friends or family. In need of someone to share his fortune with, he gets a girlfriend. He finds his long-lost mother. He does good deeds. But he doesn't decide to hunt criminals until a suicide bomber kills his mother.

A timely theme in Jumper is about terrorism. When Davy hunts suicide bombers, the U.S. government treats Davy as a lawless vigilante--so they abduct Davy's girlfriend and hold her as a hostage. Outraged, Davy starts jumping agents all over the world, stranding them in dangerous countries. Homeland Security then labels Davy as a terrorist. Davy reacts like most 18-year-olds, with extreme anger. In the end, both Davy and the man in charge at Homeland Security have to reconcile their mistrust of each other, and work together for the people they are both trying to rescue.

Both of these books are short and fast-paced. I will add that Reflex is a bit more geared to adult audiences. It takes place ten years after the first novel, so Davy is a married man. He's also gained some very powerful enemies, and one of them is a woman who treats him like her pet dog.

This review was originally published on my blog. show less

Gould's Jumper is hard to resist. Built from suspense and engaging characters, the novel moves quickly and really resists easy categorization. Much as I came to this novel because of enjoying the movie, Gould's original exploration has more depth and immediacy than what ended up portrayed on the screen (much as the synopsis doesn't particularly reflect that difference). From page to page, I was as much compelled by the characters as the plot, and Gould's writing mixes humor and suspense easily.

All together, I'd recommend this to anyone interested.

I read this years ago, and just re-read it in the "boxed" first three books e-set.

Jumper asks important questions and, more importantly, answers them - often not in ways Davy can anticipate. He is 17 at the start, and 20 at the end; his character arc is challenging and unflinching in ethical and moral gray areas. I loved the romance the first time and it's even better the second time.

That missing fifth star is for a young adult knowing things way beyond his lived experience. He's from Ohio, but can conveniently SCUBA dive? He knows names of things just by looking at them? This sort of thing violates my suspension of disbelief, but obviously not enough to dislike the book.

This one surprised me. I'll preface this by saying I haven't seen the movie, so I had nothing to compare to. It's also a little interesting reading 20 year old sci-fi set in then-present times. There were a couple instances where I forgot how old this book was and thought, "Wait, why doesn't he just do X?" But then I remembered the dark times and all was well again.

So, first things first. Read past page 9. Trigger warnings for domestic/child abuse and rape, as well as alcoholism. But read past page 9. Davy is a young man, not even 18 at the start, who discovers he can teleport, or "jump" as he calls it. From this premise, the novel evolves from the exploration of his powers to revenge against terrorists and the NSA. Despite the show more confronting start, I found this book got darker the further I read. But I'm ok with that. Sort of eases you in, and turns up the intensity every few chapters.

Overall, well worth the read and glad I picked up the bindle it was in so long ago. show less

Davy Rice first discovered he could teleport when he "jumped" to the safety of his public library when his alcoholic father started to beat him. This wasn't the first time his father had beaten him but it was the last. Although he was still in high school he decided to take to the road to stay away from the abusive home. Turns out life on the road wasn't any safer and he jumped again to the library. This time he decided to be a little more prepared and he went back to his father's house, got some clothes, some food and money from his father's wallet. Then he took a bus to New York City. Turns out a teenager without a high school diploma, no driver's license and no birth certificate can't get a job even in the Big Apple. So Davy resorts show more to bank robbery which is pretty easy for someone who can teleport himself and anything he can hold.

That's just the start of Davy's adventures. He gets involved with fighting terrorism and has to evade the National Security Agency when he comes to their attention. It's all pretty far-fetched but I rather enjoyed the book. show less