Jump

by Elisa Carbone

Overview

Jump. That is what P.K. has done. A totally wild, crazy jump from a restrictive life with her family into a life of total adventure—rock-climbing out west with a guy she barely knows. At first, everything’s amazing. Not only are they climbing in awesomely beautiful national parks like Yosemite but they seem awesomely made for one another. P.K. is in heaven. And then the cops show up . . . with an arrest warrant. And P.K. has to decide who to believe: this amazing guy whom she trusts with her life—or the cops, who want her to believe that he may take her life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101427446
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/13/2010
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	435 KB
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Elisa Carbone is the author of several previous books for young readers, including Blood on the River and The Pack. She divides her time between Silver Spring, Maryland, and Hendricks, West Virginia.

Editorial Reviews

"[B]oth the journey and the end result are extremely satisfying."

Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

Told through the alternating present-tense perspectives of two runaways who connect through their love of rock climbing, Carbone’s (Blood on the River) picaresque novel is equal parts entertaining and provocative. Strong-willed 16-year-old P.K. runs away to avoid being shipped to boarding school, and gentle-natured Critter, who has the ability to see colors that indicate people’s emotions (for reasons he keeps to himself for some time), escapes from a psychiatric hospital. The teens hitchhike to Las Vegas and jump at the chance to make the first-ever ascent of a steep rock face. Chapters range from a few sentences to a few pages, and the descriptions of the pair’s climbs are riveting—especially a treacherous scramble up a cliff with police in pursuit. Yet the narrators’ psychological explorations are as exhilarating as their physical exploits. The allegedly unbalanced Critter takes serenity to new heights as he shares with P.K. logical, relatable coping mechanisms (“You’re scared of the future.... look at where you are now. Is there anything to be afraid of?”). An incisive reflection on endurance, independence, belonging, self-knowledge, and love, this story should find a wide audience. Ages 12-up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 8 Up—P.K. has decided to run away before her parents can send her to boarding school. When her climbing friends at the local gym decline her invitation to come along, she enlists a handsome stranger to join her. What she doesn't know is that Critter, who is a gifted climber, has recently escaped from a mental institution, where his parents committed him following a suicide attempt. Thing is, Critter's near-death experience has left him feeling great. He sees people's auras, can feel their moods, and oftentimes intuit their thoughts. He believes that since the past has passed and the future can't be known, one might as well live as purely in the present as possible. His mantra is, "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" Demonstrating these principles to P.K. as they cross the country, climbing first at Red Rocks in Nevada and later at Yosemite, they evade capture by the authorities when they can and escape when they can't. There is enough climbing lingo and action to interest gym rats, and it's hyped by the tension and passion of their developing relationship. All's well that ends well, and madness, at least in the case of Critter, seems not to be all that different from believing that one—anyone—might reasonably choose a road less traveled.—Joel Shoemaker, South East Junior High School, Iowa City, IA

School Library Journal

Two teenage runaways bond as they scale various challenging cliff faces in this romantic adventure that will please fans of both Anthony Horowitz and Meg Cabot. Critter is a fugitive from a mental institution to which he was committed after a suicide attempt. P.K. is desperate to escape her parents' plans to send her to boarding school. The two meet at a local gym, where Critter agrees to accompany P.K. on a spontaneous rock-climbing trip that will continue until they are captured or run out of cash. Critter's fresh enthusiasm for life, born from his near-death experience and based on a Buddhist-like philosophy, is positive and funny, deepening the plot and contrasting nicely with P.K.'s anxious personality. Soon they are sharing their life stories and falling in love. Suspense builds as they stay one step ahead of the authorities, and the climbing sequences are action-packed and intense. (Familiarity with rock-climbing terminology isn't essential, but it does help.) The short chapters, unusual topic and alternating first-person voices make this an exceptional choice for reluctant readers. (Fiction. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews