Enchanting Review: Jump

JUMP
GINGER RUE
Contemporary YA
Tricycle Press
ISBN# 978-0385739405
$15.99
224 Pages
Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Spoiled. Egotistical. Popular. All can describe Brinkley Harper, the undisputable Queen of Story High. She's currently being forced to see a shrink, the peculiar Irirangi, so she can stay at Story High after an 'incident' with one of the other students, not to mention she's personally responsible for four girls leaving the school. When Irirangi ends the first session by telling Brinkley she has some very special therapy planned for her, Brinkley could never imagine what's in store. Within days of their first meeting, strange things start happening. First, she finds herself inhabiting the body of that freak Miranda of all people. But a funny thing happens, Brinkley begins to see just what her and her friends behaviour looks like when she's on the receiving end of it. And twenty-four hours as Miranda, gives her a glimpse of a life she'd never imagined. Unfortunately, Miranda isn't the last jump she makes.

So for the first few chapters, I really didn't like Brinkley much at all. Selfish, stuck-up, a bully, all are adjectives that barely scratch the surface of Brinkley. But as the story moves on, not only does Brinkley start to see a new side of herself that she isn't all that proud of, the reader sees what Brinkley isn't showing the world. Her boyfriend is more arm candy than anything else, her parents could be the definition of absentee and her housekeeper is the closest thing to family she has. Her growing friendship with Miranda was one of my favourite parts of the book, especially when she confided in her what was really going on and Miranda didn't quite believe her. As Brinkley matures, and starts to discover who she really wants to be, she becomes a far more likeable person. One of the best scenes is when Brinkley decides to get back at the guy Carly likes, after a jump into the other girl's body, where she was ignored and overheard the guy's remarks about 'her'. Definitely one of my favourites in the book.

All in all, I found JUMP to be an enjoyable read.

Ginger Rue was the advice columnist for Sweet 16magazine and has written for Girls’ Life, Teen Vogue, and Seventeen magazines, among others. Visit her online at www.gingerrue.com to learn more.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
October 2010