Jumper by Steven Gould

The sudden discovery of his teleportation ability rescues teenager David Rice from his abusive father. It also signals the beginning of a new life for the troubled young man. Gould's first novel features a hero who is not particularly wise and whose ethics are sometimes questionable, but whose yearnings and psychological turmoil ring true. A dollop of suspense and a dash of romance make this fast-paced sf adventure a good purchase for large libraries.

Executive Summary: A cool concept that is uneven in its execution. This is one that really needs a half star rating as it's more 3.5 than 3, but not good enough to get a 4.

Audio book: Macleod Andrews is a pretty good narrator. He does some voices and accents. This is a good way to do the book, but not a must listen.

Full Review
I watched the movie and liked the concept, but little else. As a result I picked up the audiobook when it was a daily deal on Audible.

The book is definitely better, but it's pretty uneven. The start was a bit dark for my liking. It's definitely got some adult themes though nothing too graphic.

My main issue is the protagonist is often unlikable. Now this isn't bad writing on my Mr. Gould's part. In fact the actions and anger of Davy makes total sense given his age and background. I just found it a bit wearing by the end.

I do wonder what I would do if I was in Davy's position. Maybe I'm judging him too harshly. Being a teenager is trying under even the best circumstance I imagine. The book alternates between fun coming of age/romance and darker issues of both Davy's past/family issues and the larger implications of his abilities in the world.

I will likely continue on with the series, but I'm not in a rush to do so.

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.

I read this book so that I could then go to the movie but I never ended up seeing the movie. My understanding is that the movie is quite different than the book as usual. This book was like candy to me, and easy read but not very filling. Just something light, enjoyable once but probably not again.