Impulse

November 12, 2012
Familiarity with Gould’s Jumper and Reflex (or, at minimum, the film of Jumper) is recommended before starting this initially confusing but intriguing story. Millicent “Cent” Ross is born in secrecy and raised in relative seclusion by her overprotective parents, Millie and Davy. The isolation isn’t without reason: government forces and others are looking for the Ross family. Millie and Davy have the ability to teleport, or “jump,” from location to location. Cent has only jumped with her parents, never on her own, until a freak accident unleashes her dormant power and opens up a whole new world. She demands release from her isolation, but controlling her power is as daunting as navigating high school, what with boys, sports, and a particularly loathsome bully. Fans of the series will enjoy meeting the next generation, but other readers may just feel lost.

December 15, 2012
The third of a well-regarded series (that inspired a poorly regarded film) is essentially Teleporting: The Next Generation, as Davy and Millie Rice's daughter Cent discovers that she, too, can "jump." Years after teleporter Davy Rice was captured by a mysterious corporation (Reflex, 2004), he remains paranoid that they'll find him or his loved ones again. He and his wife, Millie, live off the grid in a nearly inaccessible lodge 60 miles from the Arctic Circle, home-schooling their 16-year-old daughter and strongly discouraging her from developing relationships with others. Cent's unhappiness with the status quo finally persuades her parents to purchase a home in a small town and enroll her in high school. Of course, the Rices' pretense at a normal life doesn't last long. Like her parents, who covertly teleport to spearhead relief efforts all over the globe, Cent has compulsive heroic tendencies. She simply can't resist employing her newly developed teleporting ability against Caffeine, the school bully who's blackmailing three freshman into serving as drug mules. Davy's overprotectiveness of his daughter will be most amusing to series fans--as a 17-year-old in Jumper (1992), he was robbing banks and fighting terrorists. One of the strongest aspects of the series is its serious attempt to explore and exploit the possibilities of teleporting (and how to circumvent them), and Cent's experiments to add velocity to her jumps add velocity to the plot. Readers will cheer for sympathetic Cent, but she's a bit too perfect; despite her extraordinarily isolated upbringing and claims of social awkwardness, her insightfulness about people is incredibly high, and she's unreasonably able at negotiating the dating scene. Ultimately, though, this is a great romp with a little social conscience-raising mixed in. Mr. Gould, please write faster.

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January 1, 2013

Since childhood, Cent has lived off the grid with her parents in an isolated Yukon cabin. Cent's parents are both "jumpers," whose abilities to teleport have made them a target of governments and other organizations wanting to exploit them. Now a teenager, Cent wants to experience normal high school life. When an emergency situation triggers her first "jump," her parents reluctantly agree but decide they will all keep a low profile. But circumstances--and Cent's sense of honor--dictate otherwise, and the family finds itself back on the radar. Gould re-enters the world of his Jumper series (Jumper; Jumper: Griffin's Story; Reflex), following the first jumpers and their daughter as they confront a modern world even more complex and morally ambiguous than the one they fled. VERDICT With its teenage protagonist treading a treacherous path through high school, adult and YA fans of both J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels and Orson Scott Card's "Ender" series will enjoy this sf adventure.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-This addition to the series is the first one marketed to young adults. It stands strongly on its own, but will encourage teens to pick up Jumper (1992) and Reflex (2004, both Tor) as well as seek out the 2008 film, Jumper, based on the first book. Sixteen-year-old Cent has spent her life in isolation, hiding from the people who are looking to kidnap and control her father and his ability to jump from place to place via teleportation. Although she has been able to travel the world by "jumping" with her parents, her entire existence is a secret, and she has never been able to go to school or have friends. This all changes when she is caught in an avalanche and suddenly ends up back in her own bedroom. Cent is a jumper, too. No longer able to protect her, her parents allow her to assume a false name, set down roots, and attend school, where she makes friends and finds her first love. But what happens when her identity is discovered and her family is suddenly in grave danger? A great science-fiction story that holds up to classic adult/YA crossovers, this is a must-read for any fans of the genre. With a strong female protagonist, interesting secondary characters, a bit of romance, some humor, and loads of action and adventure, Impulse will keep readers engaged from start to finish.-Sharon McKellar, Oakland Public Library, CA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.