Jump

by Ginger Rue

High school junior Brinkley Harper is beautiful, wealthy, admired, and powerful--until the day she wakes up in the body of a classmate she wouldn't be caught dead hanging out with.
Goth girl Miranda is everything Brinkley isn't: she won't leave the house in anything but black, her family life is in tatters, she's practically invisible at school, and she's hiding a dark secret. As Brinkley experiences Miranda's life from the inside out, she's forced to consider the world from a very different point-of-view. But this won't be Brinkley's last "jump," and each time she lives a day in another classmate's body, Brinkley not only begins to feel empathy for others, she also begins to glimpse the fears, vulnerabilities, and disappointments behind her own perfect facade. By experiencing the world as somebody else, Brinkley may finally learn to understand herself.
A contemporary fantasy featuring a gutsy heroine and fast-paced action, "Jump" explores the transformation of a girl who never knew she needed one. "From the Hardcover edition."

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, High School

ebook

First published September 14, 2010

Reviews

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really well written story of a teenager who is egocentric until she starts jumping into the bodies of her classmates and realizes what lives they really have.

A very well written story and so great to read. With wonderful characters and a fantastic story line that will keep you rapidly turning the pages.

[Katelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking back at high school experiences and memories is more enjoyable for some people than it is for others. I've got quite a few friends who insist that we reminisce every time we see each other, even if it's on a regular basis. As the years go by though I would hope that whether you were popular and constantly surrounded by friends, or were more of a loner and kept to yourself, that maturity kicks in and helps you realize a thing or two. Ginger Rue introduces us to Brinkley, an uber-popular, beautiful and very mean high school girl. She's given an ultimatum, go to therapy with a school counselor and change your ways or be expelled from high school for your bad behavior. Rue takes readers on the journey or self-transformation (even if it is forced) and learning the error of your ways.

Now as much as I'd like to think that anyone who has ever uttered an unkind word to me sees their error and changes later on in life, we all know that isn't realistic. Some people just are who they are and there's nothing that's going to change that. But every once in a while I still want to like a character like Brinkley as I see her morph from this terrible person into a very different and kind individual. I didn't hate Brinkley, but it took me a while to warm up to her.

As she jumps from body to body of fellow students she considered less than worthy of her attention before her forced therapy sessions, lessons are learned. You saw that coming didn't you? So yes, this story was slightly predictable but overall it was fun to watch unfold. Good triumphs and the resident mean girl gets a strong dose of reality and learns that her ways need to change dramatically. If only all high school bullies were forced into this kind of therapy and counseling sessions!

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. Jump is a satisfying riff on the "trading places" concept, in which a mean girl has to swap lives with the girls she's bullied. You might think you know exactly how this plot premise will play out, but the book avoids going to the predictable places. It's surprising and super-fast-paced.

I'm a mother of two girls, and I recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable read for their daughter. It paints a realistic, respectful portrait of everyday teen struggles without being overly dark; it's fun without being trashy; and it's wholesome without ever, ever being sickly sweet. I love that the book is full of the kind of social intelligence I wish I'd had when I was in high school.

[The Book Sale Scrounger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I originally picked this book up because the banter between the main character and her therapist was too good to pass up. But as the story went on, I started immediately finding problems with the personification of the supporting characters, who were displayed the following ways:

Fat characters are only valid if they're dieting.

"Emo" characters are only valid if they're self-harming.

Non-white characters are only valid if they originally come from an entirely different country and therefore have a hard time fitting in.

Plain characters are only valid if they act as if they are the reincarnation of Jesus 24/7.

I know that the entire point of this book was for the main character, who was so flat and uninteresting that I've already forgotten her name, to learn empathy, and other characters had to suffer for the lesson to really stick. But I'm really sick of the trope in YA novels - and, hell, the belief in real life - that we should sympathize with people solely because they go through troubles that we will never know about. I mean, yeah, a lot of people do, but that really shouldn't be our main motivation for playing nice with others. How about we do it because being nice is the right thing to do, regardless of the person's situation? Maybe that heavy girl isn't stringently recording her diet down to the calorie (or even on a diet!), but that doesn't make it automatically okay to tear her down regardless. Maybe dyeing your hair black shouldn't be enough to make you recoil in disgust at a person, regardless of whatever mental battles they might be fighting. And Jesus Christ almighty, making racist remarks at a person isn't better or worse if said person originally comes from another country. It's still racist! This message could have totally been worked in if the main character traded bodies with a "normal" person, especially since it's such an important one to learn. But no, we get to read two hundred pages worth of the Suffering Olympics. Disappointing.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Brinkley Harper is the queen of Story High. Everyone knows her and many fear her. Because of her reputation as a bully, Brinkley has been ordered to see a therapist. If she doesn't keep her appointments, she faces possible expulsion, which her parents are concerned will severely limit her college choices. Brinkley reluctantly meets with the counselor, but she doesn't have any plans to cooperate.

Returning home from her appointment, Brinkley is greeted by Tallulah, the family's housekeeper. Brinkley's parents may indulge her every whim, but they are usually too busy with their careers and social engagements to spend any real time with their daughter. Tallulah takes care of Brinkley and shows extreme patience with the teen's abusive behavior.

On this particular night, Brinkley is upset by her parents' latest last-minute vacation disappearance, so she heads to bed. The next thing she knows, she is waking up, not in her own comfortable bed, but in a classroom at Story High. Confused and unsettled, she rushes to the nearest restroom, and what she sees as she looks in the mirror baffles her even more. Instead of her stunningly beautiful face, she is looking at the face of a hideous Goth girl named Miranda. What is going on?

Brinkley realizes she has somehow taken over the body of one of the people she would be least likely to associate with at school. Everyone she encounters believes she is this Miranda, so she stumbles through her day trying to do whatever the girl would do.

When school ends, Brinkley/Miranda heads home to Miranda's house, only to discover that the poor girl lives with a rather terrifying and abusive father. Brinkley also learns of Miranda's secret habit of self-injury, which causes her to view the girl in a whole new light.

Brinkley finds out that sleep releases her from Miranda's body, and she once again has her own life back. But she soon discovers that this is just the beginning. Will seeing life through the eyes of those around her change how Brinkley herself views the world?

Author Ginger Rue takes readers on a wild ride as Brinkley jumps from character to character. Though far-fetched in terms of reality, Brinkley's experiences will have readers doing a bit of self-examination. How do we really treat others, and how is that treatment perceived? JUMP is fun and entertaining but thought-provoking, as well.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor Brinkley: she's pretty, relatively smart, rich and, well, most amazing girl at Story High. It's hard work making sure you're always dressed better than anyone else, that your boyfriend also qualifies as arm candy, and to keep a ready supply of Mean Girl comments and quips coming at those less fortunate. Until, of course, she finds out what it's like being a loser. Yep, Jump has a whole Heathers-meets-Being John Malkovich theme going on.

We open with Brinks in therapy, part of a deal her parents were able to make (in addition to a large donation to the school) to keep her from being kicked out for being the Head Mean Girl, responsible for four people transferring out of the school. Irirangi (no distance-creating Dr. for her) starts by asking about Brinkley's relationships, and shows her a group of photos that Brinkley describes as "loser types".

Then the weird thing starts happening: she wakes up as other people. All losers, all people Brinkley would ignore or slight, and all whose lives have a certain teachable quality to their lives (compassion, listening, etc.). Seems her therapist has a Mrs. Piggy-Wiggle approach to helping people work through their issues.

Here's the thing - the amount of time Brinkley spends as each of these people is minimal (I think the longest is 12 hours). Yet somehow what she experiences is so intense that she's forever changed. Sorry, not buying it. Out of Sight, Out of Mind (another new book) is more believable because Amanda spends more time as Tracy - in as far as these books are believable.

ARC provided by publisher.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a few chapters to warm up to this story. Brinkley's family is dead rich. Mom and Dad are completely self absorbed, that's no problem they hired Talullah, the housekeeper to care for Brinkley. She has a trendy car, beautiful clothes, wonderful cosmetics and she is beautiful to boot.
The problem here is that Brinkley is the worst kind of girl bully. She has no problem destroying other girl's lives- trashing them until they leave the school or even the city.
The school has had enough. Normally this is a slam dunk and Brinkley would just be expelled- but- her parents just funded the new theater and for some reason the Director of the school doesn't want to expel Brinkley just yet. He wants her to go to counseling - if she completes the counseling she can stay at school. This is where the story starts, with Iriangi a truly unique counselor. Her method appears to be to dump Brinkley into the lives of the kids around her so she can actually walk a mile in their shoes.
A wacky premise, but as Brinkley becomes more real and more empathetic the book is more engaging. The stories of the kids Brinkley inhabits are interesting and sometimes compelling.

[Pamela Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing too exciting with this book. It was your typical easy, fun YA read with a good moral. Brinkley has it all. She is filthy rich, beautiful and popular. Everything seems to be handed to her on a silver platter, yet she is deeply unhappy. She is also a jerk and makes it her goal to make others' lives as miserable as possible (probably because of her own unhappiness). As a result of her bullying, four students transfer out of her school. Instead of being expelled, she is sent to therapy to work on her issues. She is very resistant but then weird things start happening. She begins to wake up each day as a different classmate, but still with her brain. She learns what it is like to live like the ones she bullies and she learns that everyone has struggles and vulnerabilities and that they can't be judged on their appearance or lack of popularity. Good character development and decently humorous story line.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was slightly turned off by the first few chapters. I felt zero compassion for Brinkley Harper, our protagonist. She was rich, beautiful, powerful, and had already driven about four girls out of Story High. Brinkley was especially snobby and nonchalant, but I guess that was exactly the effect the author was going for. The beginning felt pretty awkward, especially the initial encounter with Brinkley and Goth Girl Miranda, and that made me wary.

However, as I read on, I found myself enjoying it. I don't know what it is about this book - I can't quite wrap my finger around it - but there's this spark as the story progresses. Brinkley loses her nonchalance and develops some depth to her personality, and she's also quite spunky in her own way. I loved the instances for when she would exact "revenge" and it was those moments that added a humorous element to the book that I really enjoyed.

[Kiirsi Hellewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the small amount of profanity (which this book really didn't need), I really enjoyed this story.

I would describe the plot as sort of a mixture between Mary Poppins/Beauty and the Beast. A mean, selfish, bullying girl who thinks she's the center of the universe is taught a much-needed lesson by a mystical figure.

But it's done in an interesting way that really made me care about the characters and root for them to succeed in learning that lesson and really changing.

I thought the author did a particularly good job describing what life is like inside other people's minds and situations, and really helping the main character understand and experience the people she's previously looked down at so much.

An enjoyable, fun book with a unique situation.

[Our Library Mornington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that you just can't put down!

Brinkley seemingly has everything going for her - she is stunningly pretty, has a superb figure, is fabulously wealthy, has incredible fashion sense, attends a prestigious school, owns her own car and has a handsome boyfriend. But.. (there's always a 'but') she is in counselling as an alternative to expulsion as her behaviour has caused four students to leave the school altogether. She is saved only by the fact that her wealthy parents have funded the school's new auditorium. The counsellor's attempts to persuade Brinkley to consider the views of the people with whom she is in contact fail dismally - or do they?

A riveting read, a romp in someone else's shoes.

Picked by Val (Rosebud Library)

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book I received from the giveaways on this site. I had intended to read it sooner but became bogged down in my other reading that needed to get done. I wish I had read it sooner.

Brinkley is the meanest girl in school and has bullied several students out of school. This puts her into counseling to be able to stay in school. She soon starts learning that life may not be easy when she finds herself in the shoes of other students. She tries to understand how she keeps jumping into these other people and finds out that their life is not always what she thinks it is like. Will Brinkley learn to not judge or will she be trapped forever in this world of jumping?

[Jen]

LOVED this book! I picked it up at TLA as an advanced reading copy. The book won't actually be published until October, but it will be one of the first books I order for my new library. Brinkley is the obnoxious, typical rich girl cheerleader at a large public high school. She finds herself "jumping" into the bodies of the school " losers" she torments regularly. While the resulting situations and lessons learns are predictable, Rue's writing was compulsively readable and I loved the way each person she inhabited had something different to teach her. Can I just say again how much I love YA literature???

[Julia Trotter · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun little story.

An easy read. Jump tells us of how self absorbed, beautiful, rich Brinkley literally had to walk in the shoes of the all of the people she either tormented or thought too beneath her to even notice. It was a believable story of how someone could actually relate to other and change into a better person. I'm mean, believable in an totally supernatural kind of way.

Cute book.

[Kim Burean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brinkley is rich, beautiful and popular, but very mean. As a punishment for bullying, she must get counseling. After meeting her counselor, some strange things start happening. She keeps waking up in other peoples' bodies and must live in their shoes for a while. Brinkley learns a lot about herself and others in the process.

This book has suprisingly more depth than it would seem from the cover and blurb. It was really good.

[Brianna Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a fun read about an adolescent who literally had to learn what it was like to live in another's shoes. However, I wish the author would have spent more time on some of the "jumps" and let the narrator have more fun with it. She went to class and followed along as she was supposed to. It would have been fun to play around as another person and the author could have easily expanded on that.

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book and groaned because it seemed like the same story as every "I switched bodies with someone else and learned a lesson" book/movie ever. And it kind of was. But in the end it was so charmingly written that I stopped caring and started enjoying the book. If there was a 3.5 star option, I'd pick it. Fun!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Fun read and I liked the characters. The idea that one "jumps" into another body for one day to get a feel for how they live and see the world was a great way to teach teens to respect others who you might feel as different. I knew what the ending was going to ultimately going to be but it was a fun ride.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for my daughter to read it. Knowing how high school kids treat eachother, this book will hopefully make the youth of today think before they speak. Until you have lived a day in someones shoes don't prejudge. Great read and I recommend it.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This quick read surprisingly held my interest throughout every page, overcoming the totally unoriginal plot.

[Annamaria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe three stars if I had finished it- but I couldn't.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this it was hilarious! Sensitive! WOW.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mean girl Brittney gets sentenced to a unique kind of therapy for driving 4 girls to leave the school.

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun! I always like the stories where the mean girls get theirs.

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Predictable outcome, but the journey was enjoyable enough.

[Heidi David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought "Jump" was an amzing book. It was a perfect book for me. I think Ms. Rue made "Jump" perfect and relatable.

[paige d · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like the book/movie Beastly crossing over with Sweet 16 by Kate Brian, seriously

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aw, if only all bullying/mean girl problems were so easily and quickly solved with a little "turn into someone else for a day" magic.

[Bribooks2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book!

[Jonah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read.