Jumper
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The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Jumper is a fast-paced science fiction adventure about a 17-year-old boy learning to use his ability to teleport. The opening chapters are unsettling -- featuring a beating by a parent and an attempted rape by a stranger -- but the level of violence decreases significantly, at least until a subplot about a terrorist hijacking, in which a woman is killed. Davy's father is an alcoholic, but Davy is a near-teetotaler. The book's language is realistic but can be rough, with multiple uses of "damn," "hell, "s--t," and "piss," as well as perhaps a dozen instances of "f--k."
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What's the story?
As he suddenly discovers during a beating from his alcoholic father, 17-year-old Davey Rice has the ability to \"jump,\" to teleport to any location he's been to before and can reconstruct in his memory with sufficient detail. Jumping allows him to escape from abuse at home, but it's not easy for a teenager to survive in a place like New York City with no money and no identification. Davey must learn to live safely and happily with an awesome talent, even though there will terrible tragedies that he can't avoid.
Is it any good?
JUMPER is a clever, captivating, suspenseful science fiction adventure with a troubled yet resourceful young protagonist. Author Steven Gould treats his outlandish premise with as much realism as possible, examining the physical and emotional consequences that an ability like teleportation might bring. The narrative zigzags in unexpected directions, but the complexity of the characters keeps the story grounded and compelling.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about teleportation as a common theme in science fiction. What's so intriuguing about it?
If you could commit a crime with an absolute guarantee that you would not get caught, would you?
Is revenge ever satisfying? What should an individual do in response to someone who hurts them deeply?
Book details
- Author: Steven Gould
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Adventures, Great Boy Role Models, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Tor Books
- Publication date: October 13, 1992
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 17
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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