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tadams_sg's review against another edition
4.0
The book is completely different from the movie. Also, the book is much better than the movie.
Davy discovers his jumping powers due to his father's physical and emotional abuse of him. Originally, just using his new ability to escape from a terrible life, Davy relocates to New York City. While living in NYC, he meets a girl and falls in love. Eventually, Davy's goodness bites him in the butt, because no good deed goes unpunished. When Davy overhears his neighbor beating his wife, Davy intervenes and rescues the woman after jumping the husband to Central Park. Well, it turns out the husband is a detective with the NYPD. Now Davy has an NYPD detective and his buddies looking into him. Earlier in the book, Davy robbed a bank by jumping into the vault while the bank was closed. Having the detectives after him scares Davy because he thinks they will find out about the bank robbery.
Davy, whose mother abandoned him and his father while Davy was still a boy, rekindled his relationship with her. Mary, Davy's mother, is a travel agent who has to go on a trip for the agency. While on this trip, her plane is hijacked and Mary gets blown up by the well know terrorist, Rashid. Once Davy hears of this, he goes on a crusade to avenge his mother's death.
While attempting to avenge her death, Davy attracts the attention of the National Security Agency. The NSA tries to reach Davy by going after his friends and family. NSA agents monitor his girlfriend Millie and his father. Millie soon gets taken into custody, unconstitutionally, the NSA agents actually kidnapped her and her roommate. Davy captures Rashid as well as agent Cox of the NSA who is agent in charge of Davy's case, and takes them to a remote place that no one find. Davy holds them captive until Millie's release. The NSA refuses to release Millie, so Davy jumps multiple NSA agents to airports on the other half of the world.
In the end, Davy and Cox come to an agreement. Millie is released, Rahid is handed over to the proper officials, and Cox returns to the NSA unharmed. Davy and Millie can live their lives without interferance from the NSA, although Davy promises to check the classified section of the paper where if the NSA needs his services, they will reach out to him.
I kept waiting for the part where Samuel L. Jackson chases after Davy trying to kill him, but this never happened. The NSA, it seemed to me, just wanted to use Davy as an asset to the agency and not harm him. I also waited to find out that Mary had to capture her son and kill him and that she wasn't really dead that was just a ruse so that she wouldn't have to kill her only son, but this also never appeared in the book. Like I said, the book and movie are completely different and I definitely prefer the book.
Davy discovers his jumping powers due to his father's physical and emotional abuse of him. Originally, just using his new ability to escape from a terrible life, Davy relocates to New York City. While living in NYC, he meets a girl and falls in love. Eventually, Davy's goodness bites him in the butt, because no good deed goes unpunished. When Davy overhears his neighbor beating his wife, Davy intervenes and rescues the woman after jumping the husband to Central Park. Well, it turns out the husband is a detective with the NYPD. Now Davy has an NYPD detective and his buddies looking into him. Earlier in the book, Davy robbed a bank by jumping into the vault while the bank was closed. Having the detectives after him scares Davy because he thinks they will find out about the bank robbery.
Davy, whose mother abandoned him and his father while Davy was still a boy, rekindled his relationship with her. Mary, Davy's mother, is a travel agent who has to go on a trip for the agency. While on this trip, her plane is hijacked and Mary gets blown up by the well know terrorist, Rashid. Once Davy hears of this, he goes on a crusade to avenge his mother's death.
While attempting to avenge her death, Davy attracts the attention of the National Security Agency. The NSA tries to reach Davy by going after his friends and family. NSA agents monitor his girlfriend Millie and his father. Millie soon gets taken into custody, unconstitutionally, the NSA agents actually kidnapped her and her roommate. Davy captures Rashid as well as agent Cox of the NSA who is agent in charge of Davy's case, and takes them to a remote place that no one find. Davy holds them captive until Millie's release. The NSA refuses to release Millie, so Davy jumps multiple NSA agents to airports on the other half of the world.
In the end, Davy and Cox come to an agreement. Millie is released, Rahid is handed over to the proper officials, and Cox returns to the NSA unharmed. Davy and Millie can live their lives without interferance from the NSA, although Davy promises to check the classified section of the paper where if the NSA needs his services, they will reach out to him.
I kept waiting for the part where Samuel L. Jackson chases after Davy trying to kill him, but this never happened. The NSA, it seemed to me, just wanted to use Davy as an asset to the agency and not harm him. I also waited to find out that Mary had to capture her son and kill him and that she wasn't really dead that was just a ruse so that she wouldn't have to kill her only son, but this also never appeared in the book. Like I said, the book and movie are completely different and I definitely prefer the book.
adbooks20's review against another edition
3.0
I read this before the movie came out. I know it's petty, but I refuse to see the movie on principle. Intriguing story, with good characters, a fair amount of suspense and tasteful romance.
beckylbrydon's review against another edition
2.0
This book suffers from the main problem that it is written in the first person and so David Rice comes across as a self-centred whiney child, which makes it really hard to like him. While primarily being a book about a kid who discovers he can jump through space to arrive anywhere in the world he has been before, it also deals with a lot of issues such as grief, abuse and alcoholism which are all very well portrayed as David moves through life reacting to each situation as it arises. I'll admit that I saw the film first, and it greatly differs from the book. I'll also admit that I thought the film was better, mainly because of the maturity of the main character in the film compared to the book, as well as Millie’s reaction to finding he can jump across the globe
However, this book is one of the very few that has made me so annoyed at the main character that I actually started writing in pencil in the margin. Understandably, David has abandonment issues
I think what annoyed me most is the attitude he conveys to his girlfriend Millie, a psychology major. David has Edward Cullen levels of creepy in the ways he acts towards Millie when they are apart
I was so relieved at the end of the book when he actually starts seeing that he probably does need help, something he denies for the majority of the book, and if he hadn't I wouldn't have given it the extra star. My most common thought throughout this book was that yes, David has been through a heck of a hard time. But does that excuse him for what he does and how he uses his powers? In my opinion, no it doesn't. What would he have done if he hadn't had his powers, if he were an everyday guy going through what other people have also gone through? This isn't a series I would go out and buy to continue, nor is it one I would recommend based on the first book apart from to see if some of my friends had the same opinion about David as I.
Spoiler
albeit in the book he jumps away from her making her doubt her sanity for weeks before explaining, where as in the film he jumps in front of her to convince her that he's being hunted and they need to run making her freak out and try to run from himSpoiler
. It's worth noting that the entire film basically encompasses the first half of the book only.However, this book is one of the very few that has made me so annoyed at the main character that I actually started writing in pencil in the margin. Understandably, David has abandonment issues
Spoiler
his mum runs away from his abusive Dad, and then dies in a terrorist attack after they meet for the first time in yearsSpoiler
but he is perfectly happy to go through life blaming every one that hurts him or angers him. The major anger management issues range from wishing to drop people in the middle of the desert for the smallest of slights to full on causing a car crash and nearly killing the driverSpoiler
a truck driver who nearly abused David when running away for the first time before he jumped awaySpoiler
, without showing any remorseSpoiler
when he first arrives in NY he robs a bank (which I can kind of understand seeing as he's a runaway with no way of getting money) of near to $1 million (which he never returns, even when he finally discovers how to get his birth certificate to get other important document to get a job so he can actually work for a living). He feels guilt for getting the bank workers in trouble but does the minimum he can to assuage his guilt. He also feels relieved that the guy in the car crash didn't die but not guilt for causing it.Spoiler
He spends most of the book stating that he doesn't want to be like his Dad or like terrorists, yet this is exactly what he becomes despite his many attempts to refute itSpoiler
Apparently, according to David, picking up NSA officers and dropping them all across the globe in retaliation for them holding his girlfriend is perfectly acceptable behaviour. Chasing after terrorists who murdered his mum while jumping between countries, then kidnapping them and the NSA and holding them in the middle of the desert, is all perfectly legal and he gets off with nothingSpoiler
I think what annoyed me most is the attitude he conveys to his girlfriend Millie, a psychology major. David has Edward Cullen levels of creepy in the ways he acts towards Millie when they are apart
Spoiler
he jumps outside her window every night to watch her turn out her lights before going to bedSpoiler
. When the relationship starts, it very much feels like he is using her as a mother figure/ therapist, and it amazes me that it isn't till the very end of the book that this psychology student suggests that he actually go to therapy.Spoiler
despite his revelation to her that he caused a car crash as pay back about half way through which should have been a red flagSpoiler
I was so relieved at the end of the book when he actually starts seeing that he probably does need help, something he denies for the majority of the book, and if he hadn't I wouldn't have given it the extra star. My most common thought throughout this book was that yes, David has been through a heck of a hard time. But does that excuse him for what he does and how he uses his powers? In my opinion, no it doesn't. What would he have done if he hadn't had his powers, if he were an everyday guy going through what other people have also gone through? This isn't a series I would go out and buy to continue, nor is it one I would recommend based on the first book apart from to see if some of my friends had the same opinion about David as I.
itsfreelancer's review against another edition
4.0
Verdict : I love it.
If you've watched the movie (ugh), you better go for this. This is a different and far better book.
From bank heists to terrorist extermination, this book will take you all over the world. There's love in the unlikeliest places and tragedy in swarms, guts when the last flame ebbs and failures when you're at the top.
Who needs X-Men's Nightcrawler when you've your own Ohio born David? I've laughed hard so many times it's embarrassing.
"we mean no harm to your planet", David says when cornered by intelligence agencies. This was a riot.
And if you're ever stuck between a rock and a hard place, just jump!!
If you've watched the movie (ugh), you better go for this. This is a different and far better book.
From bank heists to terrorist extermination, this book will take you all over the world. There's love in the unlikeliest places and tragedy in swarms, guts when the last flame ebbs and failures when you're at the top.
Who needs X-Men's Nightcrawler when you've your own Ohio born David? I've laughed hard so many times it's embarrassing.
"we mean no harm to your planet", David says when cornered by intelligence agencies. This was a riot.
And if you're ever stuck between a rock and a hard place, just jump!!
blastoise's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 (sorry dad). Good page turner. Heavy physical and sexual abuse trigger warning for the first 5-6pages. I'll give a sequel ago if it expands well on the concept
masoudhouse's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
If you know this from the movie... it's very different in all the right ways.
I watched the movie, which has great teleportation action and special effects, but a very simple story. When I found out the movie was based on a novel, I expected the same. And then I read it... and was pleasantly surprised with how much more nuanced and developed it is.
First thing: there's no war between teleporters and some kind of knights templar with shock sticks/electric nets. It's a book that just follows a traumatized teen boy who decides to runaway from his abusive father. It then follows him as he tries to survive and evade notice by intelligence agencies.
Second thing: it's a very introspective/reflective novel with some plot elements. But that doesn't mean that it's "heady" or slow paced. No, actually it's very well paced and interesting from the point of view of how someone would get by with powers but no access to ID/ social security/etc in the 90s.
Third: it has some dark elements. Not only the protagonist running from the trauma of physics abuse but the main character nearly getting sexual assaulted right after running away (minor spoiler, but happens in the first dozen pages of the book).
However, it's not a grimdark book that uses such sparse moments to keep reader engagement. Most of the novel is just about the main character learning to be an adult and thrive.
The prose is decent in the first few pages but then gets extremely strong throughout the rest of the novel. It's definitely worth your time and one of my favorite novels of all time. Steven Gould is definitely a sleeper master writer. Read this novel.
I watched the movie, which has great teleportation action and special effects, but a very simple story. When I found out the movie was based on a novel, I expected the same. And then I read it... and was pleasantly surprised with how much more nuanced and developed it is.
First thing: there's no war between teleporters and some kind of knights templar with shock sticks/electric nets. It's a book that just follows a traumatized teen boy who decides to runaway from his abusive father. It then follows him as he tries to survive and evade notice by intelligence agencies.
Second thing: it's a very introspective/reflective novel with some plot elements. But that doesn't mean that it's "heady" or slow paced. No, actually it's very well paced and interesting from the point of view of how someone would get by with powers but no access to ID/ social security/etc in the 90s.
Third: it has some dark elements. Not only the protagonist running from the trauma of physics abuse but the main character nearly getting sexual assaulted right after running away (minor spoiler, but happens in the first dozen pages of the book).
However, it's not a grimdark book that uses such sparse moments to keep reader engagement. Most of the novel is just about the main character learning to be an adult and thrive.
The prose is decent in the first few pages but then gets extremely strong throughout the rest of the novel. It's definitely worth your time and one of my favorite novels of all time. Steven Gould is definitely a sleeper master writer. Read this novel.