“Jumper” by Steven Gould“Davey lives alone with his father. But the truth is, it isn’t much of a home. When things get so bad that Davey decides he has to run away, his big question is, Where? And how will he live?
The magical answer: anywhere Davey wants!
Davey discovers he has the power to “jump” from one place to another. Not just a few feet. But hundreds, even thousands of miles! As Davey explores his new power he learns that the world is literally his for the taking. But there are consequences, too as Davey will learn.” This is the back cover book description but this book is so much more. --- Description from the back cover
What would you do if you mother is gone and your father is an abusive alcoholic and during one of his beating you discover you could teleport. Where would you go? What would you do? How far you would you go to save the women you loved from the government? These are some of the questions posed to Davey Rice the protagonist of Steven Gould’s first novel “Jumper.” It’s a coming of age story told in the first person by Davey. It’s an exciting, compelling, and engrossing novel.
The characters are well thought out and you can understand their views and motivation through out the book. Gould articulates Davey’s emotional growth, from a teen runaway to a young man coming to grip with his life, his powers, love and lose, to the point that I could identify with Davey’s journey.
Gould tells a story that grips you from the first page. I would finish one page and want to continue with the next. The first time I read it I stayed up all night to finish it. I immediately wanted to start it over but I needed sleep and it permeated through my dreams.
It was surpassed my expectation. It had everything I find entertaining. It had the sci-fi, the action and adventure, and espionage. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and where it was going to take me. Gould display Davey’s ups and down. Even at the end it’s a complete narrative with so much story left to tell.
The reason I discovered “Jumper” is because of a website that tells what books are being made into movies. So I picked it up because it had an interesting plot and most movies due an awful job of books. The first time I read it I just read it, and just loved it, instantly becoming on of my favorites. There is a sequel “Reflex (Jumper)” by Steven Gould.
Using your imagination is fun to me and one of the main reason for reading, but having a distinct face makes it easier for to imagine the story. I looked it up on IMDB for the stars of the characters. The casting pleasantly surprised me; It will star Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, and Rachel Bilson. Having a clear picture of a face and voice to go along with word made it more enjoyable for me.
One thing I notice about the movie, that I’m questioning, is the addition of another jumper. I’m interested to see what this change will do to the story. Will it enhance the story or destroy it; I guess I’ll have to wait until it comes out. Even with the movie slated for a 2008 release, I recommend you read the book. “Hollywood” rarely captures the magic of the books. Most screw it horribly as filmmakers did "Eragon" and "Timeline".
