Pub. Date: September 24th, 2013
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Hardcover
288 pgs.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
What happens when you can’t do the
one thing that matters most?
12-year-old Hope lives in White
Rock, a town struggling to recover from the green bombs of World War III. The
bombs destroyed almost everything that came before, so the skill that matters
most in White Rock—sometimes it feels like the only thing that matters—is the
ability to invent so that the world can regain some of what it’s lost.
But Hope is terrible at inventing
and would much rather sneak off to cliff dive into the Bomb’s Breath—the deadly
band of air that covers the crater the town lives in—than fail at yet another
invention.
When bandits discover that White
Rock has invented priceless antibiotics, they invade. The town must choose
whether to hand over the medicine and die from disease in the coming months or
to die fighting the bandits now. Hope and her friends, Aaren and Brock, might
be the only ones who can escape through the Bomb’s Breath and make the
dangerous trek over the snow-covered mountain to get help.
For once, inventing isn’t the
answer, but the daring and risk-taking that usually gets Hope into trouble
might just save them all.
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As a result of foraying into Middle Grade less
frequently than I would like, past reading experiences have left me with an
unshakable impression of Middle Grade being slower paced, with fairly
straightforward narratives, and readers sometimes being talked down to by adult
authors. If all Middle Grade novels were like Sky Jumpers, my impression would disappear really quickly. While I
would say that Sky Jumpers took it’s
time introducing the characters and explaining some of the science behind the
Bomb’s Breath prior to any major action occurring, the majority of the novel
was fairly fast paced, the back story complex, and there was absolutely no
talking down.
I was a big fan of Hope’s character from the beginning.
She’s spunky, not necessarily predictable, and just downtrodden enough to be a
relatable underdog without being underestimated by the reader. I was also a big
fan the friendships between Hope, Aaren and Brock. The three have to rely on
each other’s skills and strengths to not only keep each other safe, but to save
their town. I really appreciated such
strong and unique characters that genuinely liking and supporting each other.
My one big issue with the novel was the probability
and/or realism of certain events (and I’m not talking the sci-fi elements). Hope
figuring out that she can survive within the Bomb’s Breath by simply holding
her breath seemed rather far-fetched to me. Similarly, the idea that three
inexperienced hikers with little to no gear would be able to navigate a big
stretch of land during a blizzard while caring for a small child, seemed
entirely unlikely. These improbable events pulled me a bit from the story, but
I don’t necessarily believe that other readers looking for an entertaining adventure
story will share my issues with the improbabilities.
Overall, Sky
Jumpers had the perfect amount of suspense and intrigue to keep readers of
all ages invested in the story. I stayed interested even throughout my issues with
improbabilities because the characters are strong, interesting, and easy to
root for. I can see Middle Grade readers flocking to the series because of the
highly relatable characters and the combined sci-fi and action appeal.
Rating 3.5/5
*** I received a copy of the novel from the publisher to
read and honestly review. I was in no way compensated.
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