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The Jump
From the acclaimed author of SLAY and The Cost of Knowing comes an action-driven, high-octane “thrill ride” ( Kirkus Reviews ) about a group of working-class teens in Seattle who join a dangerous scavenger hunt with a prize that can save their families and community.
Influence is power. Power creates change. And change is exactly what Team Jericho needs.
Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han are the four cornerstones of Team Jericho, the best scavenger hunting team in all of Seattle. Each has their own Jax, the puzzler; Yas, the parkourist; Spider, the hacker; and Han, the cartographer. But now with an oil refinery being built right in their backyard, each also has their own problems. Their families are at risk of losing their jobs, their communities, and their homes.
So when The Order, a mysterious vigilante organization, hijacks the scavenger hunting forum and concocts a puzzle of its own, promising a reward of influence, Team Jericho sees it as the chance of a lifetime. If they win this game, they could change their families’ fates and save the city they love so much. But with an opposing team hot on their heels, it’s going to take more than street smarts to outwit their rivals.
Influence is power. Power creates change. And change is exactly what Team Jericho needs.
Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han are the four cornerstones of Team Jericho, the best scavenger hunting team in all of Seattle. Each has their own Jax, the puzzler; Yas, the parkourist; Spider, the hacker; and Han, the cartographer. But now with an oil refinery being built right in their backyard, each also has their own problems. Their families are at risk of losing their jobs, their communities, and their homes.
So when The Order, a mysterious vigilante organization, hijacks the scavenger hunting forum and concocts a puzzle of its own, promising a reward of influence, Team Jericho sees it as the chance of a lifetime. If they win this game, they could change their families’ fates and save the city they love so much. But with an opposing team hot on their heels, it’s going to take more than street smarts to outwit their rivals.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2023
23 people are currently reading
6453 people want to read
About the author
Brittney Morris
17 books1,194 followersBrittney Morris is the author of SLAY, THE COST OF KNOWING,MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES - WINGS OF FURY, THE JUMP, and THIS BOOK MIGHT BE ABOUT ZINNIA. She holds an economics degree from Boston University and has written for video games including The Lost Legends of Redwall, and Subnautica: Below Zero. She spends her spare time reading, playing video games, and enjoying the rain from her home in Philadelphia. She lives with her son Atlas. Brittney is the founder and former president of the Boston University Creative Writing Club and looks forward to NaNoWriMo every year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
February 10, 2023
TW// racism, classism, mentions of underage drinking
The Jump is a super unique story that’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It follows four friends who solve scavenger hunts. When a mysterious social justice organization called The Order posts a scavenger hunt online with the reward of power for the winner, the four friends embark on a dangerous journey through Seattle with the hope of winning the power and using it to stop an oil company from ruining their city.
I really enjoyed The Jump. It was a fun story that tackled some important topics. I also go to Seattle a lot, so I was able to picture a lot of the locations that the crew explores, which increased my enjoyment level. The puzzles were really hard to solve and I wasn’t able to figure any of them out before the crew did, but it was interesting to see how each character’s mind worked as they solved the riddles.
The four main characters were perfect for this story. They all came from diverse backgrounds that made for an interesting combination. The diversity is one of the strongest features of this book and it was handled really well.
There were some moments in this book where certain activist topics felt a little forced. I’m all for including important social justice topics in books, but this book was just shy of 250 pages, so cramming a ton of these topics into such a short book ruined the flow in a couple spots. It wasn’t too big of an issue, but it would’ve been nice if this book were a little longer so that there would’ve been time to fully flesh out all of the social justice topics that were included in this book.
I felt there were a few loose ends that should’ve been tied up in this book like what exactly happened with Lucas in the final event and what happened to Sigge’s brother. Loose ends aside though, I loved how each character got a heartwarming moment at the end of the story. It was super sweet and it felt like a great end to Team JERICHO’s adventure.
Overall The Jump was well worth the read for me and I’m looking forward to reading more of Brittney Morris’ writing in the future.
I won an arc of this book in a giveaawy, so thank you so much to YallFest for providing me with the opportunity to read The Jump.
The Jump is a super unique story that’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It follows four friends who solve scavenger hunts. When a mysterious social justice organization called The Order posts a scavenger hunt online with the reward of power for the winner, the four friends embark on a dangerous journey through Seattle with the hope of winning the power and using it to stop an oil company from ruining their city.
I really enjoyed The Jump. It was a fun story that tackled some important topics. I also go to Seattle a lot, so I was able to picture a lot of the locations that the crew explores, which increased my enjoyment level. The puzzles were really hard to solve and I wasn’t able to figure any of them out before the crew did, but it was interesting to see how each character’s mind worked as they solved the riddles.
The four main characters were perfect for this story. They all came from diverse backgrounds that made for an interesting combination. The diversity is one of the strongest features of this book and it was handled really well.
There were some moments in this book where certain activist topics felt a little forced. I’m all for including important social justice topics in books, but this book was just shy of 250 pages, so cramming a ton of these topics into such a short book ruined the flow in a couple spots. It wasn’t too big of an issue, but it would’ve been nice if this book were a little longer so that there would’ve been time to fully flesh out all of the social justice topics that were included in this book.
I felt there were a few loose ends that should’ve been tied up in this book like what exactly happened with Lucas in the final event and what happened to Sigge’s brother. Loose ends aside though, I loved how each character got a heartwarming moment at the end of the story. It was super sweet and it felt like a great end to Team JERICHO’s adventure.
Overall The Jump was well worth the read for me and I’m looking forward to reading more of Brittney Morris’ writing in the future.
I won an arc of this book in a giveaawy, so thank you so much to YallFest for providing me with the opportunity to read The Jump.
October 6, 2021
Pretty thrilled with this one!
February 16, 2023
Review coming soon.
December 4, 2023
‘The Jump’ by Brittney Morris is an intense and exciting thriller for teens and for those readers interested in how some scavenger games (very very popular in some circles, especially those whose members are young and/or in college) are being played in the 21st century.
I’ve copied the book blurb:
”From the acclaimed author of SLAY and The Cost of Knowing comes an action-driven, high-octane novel about a group of working-class teens in Seattle who join a dangerous scavenger hunt with a prize that can save their families and community.
Influence is power. Power creates change. And change is exactly what Team Jericho needs.
Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han are the four cornerstones of Team Jericho, the best scavenger hunting team in all of Seattle. Each has their own specialty: Jax, the puzzler; Yas, the parkourist; Spider, the hacker; and Han, the cartographer. But now with an oil refinery being built right in their backyard, each also has their own problems. Their families are at risk of losing their jobs, their communities, and their homes.
So when The Order, a mysterious vigilante organization, hijacks the scavenger hunting forum and concocts a puzzle of its own, promising a reward of influence, Team Jericho sees it as the chance of a lifetime. If they win this game, they could change their families’ fates and save the city they love so much. But with an opposing team hot on their heels, it’s going to take more than street smarts to outwit their rivals.”
The book blurb is accurate, and from reading magazine articles about how scavenger hunts are being played currently by today’s aficionados, so is the description of the clue/hunt game that the main characters love to do. The only thing I thought was missing in the novel’s fictional scavenger hunt was there are no gps coordinates that are utilized as they are in today’s real-life adult scavenger hunts. Instead, a working knowledge of a map of Seattle and the surrounding cities is the information most necessary to win.
One more thing. I suspect conservative right-wingers generally will not like this book for their kids. At all. Unless they are right-wing libertarians . This story represents a politically liberal (and accurate, imho, except for perhaps a slight exaggeration in one plot point) point of view. I was born and lived most of my life in Seattle, and the police have been in trouble with the US Department of Justice several times https://youtu.be/pFRtEouh-OU?si=kp3HA.... If the book isn’t on the Christian/white-supremacists list for YA books to be burned/banned, I suspect it will be.
Just for fun and info: https://www.scavengerhunt.com/locatio...
I’ve copied the book blurb:
”From the acclaimed author of SLAY and The Cost of Knowing comes an action-driven, high-octane novel about a group of working-class teens in Seattle who join a dangerous scavenger hunt with a prize that can save their families and community.
Influence is power. Power creates change. And change is exactly what Team Jericho needs.
Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han are the four cornerstones of Team Jericho, the best scavenger hunting team in all of Seattle. Each has their own specialty: Jax, the puzzler; Yas, the parkourist; Spider, the hacker; and Han, the cartographer. But now with an oil refinery being built right in their backyard, each also has their own problems. Their families are at risk of losing their jobs, their communities, and their homes.
So when The Order, a mysterious vigilante organization, hijacks the scavenger hunting forum and concocts a puzzle of its own, promising a reward of influence, Team Jericho sees it as the chance of a lifetime. If they win this game, they could change their families’ fates and save the city they love so much. But with an opposing team hot on their heels, it’s going to take more than street smarts to outwit their rivals.”
The book blurb is accurate, and from reading magazine articles about how scavenger hunts are being played currently by today’s aficionados, so is the description of the clue/hunt game that the main characters love to do. The only thing I thought was missing in the novel’s fictional scavenger hunt was there are no gps coordinates that are utilized as they are in today’s real-life adult scavenger hunts. Instead, a working knowledge of a map of Seattle and the surrounding cities is the information most necessary to win.
One more thing. I suspect conservative right-wingers generally will not like this book for their kids. At all. Unless they are right-wing libertarians . This story represents a politically liberal (and accurate, imho, except for perhaps a slight exaggeration in one plot point) point of view. I was born and lived most of my life in Seattle, and the police have been in trouble with the US Department of Justice several times https://youtu.be/pFRtEouh-OU?si=kp3HA.... If the book isn’t on the Christian/white-supremacists list for YA books to be burned/banned, I suspect it will be.
Just for fun and info: https://www.scavengerhunt.com/locatio...
Want to read
January 12, 2021"The contemporary YA follows a group of Seattle teens who enter a cryptology contest run by a mysterious entity called The Order, which will offer the winner high-tech resources that the teens plan on using to stop the placement of an oil refinery in their neighborhood." (x)
YES PLEASE.
YES PLEASE.
February 8, 2023
Thanks for the free copy.
The book was okay.
I was disappointed that a book for 12 and up has so many curse words.
I may be a prude, but I wouldn't want my granddaughters to read it.
The book was okay.
I was disappointed that a book for 12 and up has so many curse words.
I may be a prude, but I wouldn't want my granddaughters to read it.
March 7, 2023
**4.5 rounded up**
**Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the e-arc!**
“The Jump” follows Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han, four teens who make up Team Jericho, the best scavenger-hunting team in Seattle. With an oil refinery being built in the heart of their home, and their families livelihoods being put in jeopardy, how far will they go to stop it? The Order, a vigilante organization, has created the ultimate scavenger hunt - win the prize and with it power and influence. But they’re not the only ones in desperate need to win the hunt, and there may be more at stake than they even realized.
I really enjoyed this! Reminiscent of Slay, this was very fast-paced and it was tough for me to put it down once I got into it (I think I put it down one time). The story is written from the perspective of all four main characters, and it allowed the audience a chance to get into their heads and understand each character’s motives. It was important to get each character’s perspectives on certain events, especially as things heated up and started to get more intense.
There was also great LGBTQ+ rep from the characters! And Brittney provides very important social commentary on multiple topics in this book, that I won’t go too deep into for fear of spoilers. Overall, this was an enjoyable book from start to finish and I would definitely recommend it if you’re trying to get out of a reading slump! Sometimes a fast-paced scavenger hunt is just what you need!
**Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the e-arc!**
“The Jump” follows Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han, four teens who make up Team Jericho, the best scavenger-hunting team in Seattle. With an oil refinery being built in the heart of their home, and their families livelihoods being put in jeopardy, how far will they go to stop it? The Order, a vigilante organization, has created the ultimate scavenger hunt - win the prize and with it power and influence. But they’re not the only ones in desperate need to win the hunt, and there may be more at stake than they even realized.
I really enjoyed this! Reminiscent of Slay, this was very fast-paced and it was tough for me to put it down once I got into it (I think I put it down one time). The story is written from the perspective of all four main characters, and it allowed the audience a chance to get into their heads and understand each character’s motives. It was important to get each character’s perspectives on certain events, especially as things heated up and started to get more intense.
There was also great LGBTQ+ rep from the characters! And Brittney provides very important social commentary on multiple topics in this book, that I won’t go too deep into for fear of spoilers. Overall, this was an enjoyable book from start to finish and I would definitely recommend it if you’re trying to get out of a reading slump! Sometimes a fast-paced scavenger hunt is just what you need!
January 16, 2023
Got this book from a GR giveaway. Probably closer to 3.5. Fast paced which was nice. Super diverse characters, also great. Some parts did feel a little forced and not super realistic for this age group. It was written for a younger audience which makes it a quick read, but I wouldn’t recommend this to middle school students I know (if only because every chapter involved strong language)
Storyline was good and I didn’t expect the ending. Enjoyed watching the group solve puzzles (which are more fun if you know Seattle…I don’t have a clue about it so I couldn’t really solve any along with them).
The author is talented and carefully created the characters and story.
Read it in a day, never felt like not finishing, but won’t be going out of my way to recommend.
Storyline was good and I didn’t expect the ending. Enjoyed watching the group solve puzzles (which are more fun if you know Seattle…I don’t have a clue about it so I couldn’t really solve any along with them).
The author is talented and carefully created the characters and story.
Read it in a day, never felt like not finishing, but won’t be going out of my way to recommend.
March 27, 2023
This book was so exciting!! The story was fast paced and I loved the diverse cast of characters and how the story was narrated between the 4 members of team JERICHO. The clues and mystery kept me hooked like The Inheritance Games, but the plot and characters were so uniquely their own that I have no comparisons. I really liked seeing all the different perspectives and motivations for participating in such a high risk game. The friend group soling a mystery aspect also reminded me a little bit of another book I really enjoyed this year: Aces Wild by Amanda DeWitt, though the stories are completely different.
All I know is I will continue to read (and love) ANYTHING Brittney Morris writes!
All I know is I will continue to read (and love) ANYTHING Brittney Morris writes!
March 25, 2023
Full disclosure: I read this as an audiobook, so the voices of the narrators might have affected my view of the novel. The cast is very diverse: a black Pakistani-Muslim gay female, a male with autism, a black male who is also a vegan, and a Korean transgender male. They each have talents that make them crucial parts of Team Jericho (who take part in intense scavenger hunts). However, there seemed to be too many social justice issues in the book. If the author had focused on a couple and completely flushed them out, it would have left more of an impact. It just felt rushed. I saw what Morris was attempting with the novel and commend her for the creativity of the plot.
December 15, 2022
4.5 stars! This was the first advanced reader's copy of a book I've ever read, so I feel obligated to write a review! This book was fast-paced and had a good balance of action sequences and heartfelt moments. It had a wonderful, diverse cast of characters to root for. At times some things felt forced or rushed, but overall it was a really great book with great messages about social justice mixed in with a cryptology scavenger hunt competition. Also shout out to the cover artist because the cover is SO COOL.
June 18, 2023
More of a 3.5, but I usually round up when it comes to star ratings on here.
I quite liked the game challenge aspect of the book, but wish we could have spent more time getting to know the characters instead of just being told who they were. I wanted to know more about Han, and his past with this mother, more about his dad and brother. I wanted more of Yasmin and her family, her fledgling romance, how she got into parkour. The plot moves along quickly, but there's a lot going on, and it's a lot in the sense that it's just a bit over the top when it didn't have to be (for instance, a incident at the grocery store, which would have theoretically have had cameras everywhere, could have been a lot less and still ended up the same because racism doesn't need a huge scene to end in arrest). I think teens will dig the diversity, but it basically hits all the diversity bingo squares in a way that doesn't feel as organic as I wish it had- possibly because there's 4 povs so the characters aren't as fleshed out, and we get to know them more for their skills and preferred gender pronouns then we do as individuals who are just also x, y and or z. However, representation is a much needed thing for teens to have, and I am definitely not a teen so it's not as urgent for me.
But like I said, this is a fast and furious read. The stakes are high, as the teens aren't just solving puzzles for the fun of it, but eventually in order to save their neighborhood from a giant oil corporation that is threatening every aspect of their lives- from the neighborhood garden that helps feed lots of in need families, to businesses that will go under if the company makes it's deal. There's also another team that not only challenges our group, but legitimately puts them in danger of not just losing the game, but maybe their lives.
I really liked what we did see of each character- their home lives in particular, and just wanted more, but it was enough for me to want them to win and conquer. Sometimes YA definitely feels more for an adult audience (which is the reason I run an adult YA book club, and this was our pick for June 23), but The Jump feels more like Morris was more aware of her YA audience and what they would connect with the most and in that way I think this is successful and worth having on the classroom shelves (which is where my physical copy of this book will be going, especially since I listened to the audio). I always look forward to Morris's books and can't wait to read the next one!
I quite liked the game challenge aspect of the book, but wish we could have spent more time getting to know the characters instead of just being told who they were. I wanted to know more about Han, and his past with this mother, more about his dad and brother. I wanted more of Yasmin and her family, her fledgling romance, how she got into parkour. The plot moves along quickly, but there's a lot going on, and it's a lot in the sense that it's just a bit over the top when it didn't have to be (for instance, a incident at the grocery store, which would have theoretically have had cameras everywhere, could have been a lot less and still ended up the same because racism doesn't need a huge scene to end in arrest). I think teens will dig the diversity, but it basically hits all the diversity bingo squares in a way that doesn't feel as organic as I wish it had- possibly because there's 4 povs so the characters aren't as fleshed out, and we get to know them more for their skills and preferred gender pronouns then we do as individuals who are just also x, y and or z. However, representation is a much needed thing for teens to have, and I am definitely not a teen so it's not as urgent for me.
But like I said, this is a fast and furious read. The stakes are high, as the teens aren't just solving puzzles for the fun of it, but eventually in order to save their neighborhood from a giant oil corporation that is threatening every aspect of their lives- from the neighborhood garden that helps feed lots of in need families, to businesses that will go under if the company makes it's deal. There's also another team that not only challenges our group, but legitimately puts them in danger of not just losing the game, but maybe their lives.
I really liked what we did see of each character- their home lives in particular, and just wanted more, but it was enough for me to want them to win and conquer. Sometimes YA definitely feels more for an adult audience (which is the reason I run an adult YA book club, and this was our pick for June 23), but The Jump feels more like Morris was more aware of her YA audience and what they would connect with the most and in that way I think this is successful and worth having on the classroom shelves (which is where my physical copy of this book will be going, especially since I listened to the audio). I always look forward to Morris's books and can't wait to read the next one!
October 25, 2025
This went down so easy. Love me a twisty action puzzle book with a diverse cast! Told from the perspectives of all four of the core team members.
Great local (Seattle) references (Duwamish, Beecher's), slightly alternate reality (the evil corporation is called "Roundworld," as far as I know the central scavenger hunt doesn't exist IRL), fun action scenes (parkour in alleys). Really dug the diverse family structures and struggles, corporate evil references. Always appreciate autistic representation. It's all very very good.
If the published reviews said it could go down to 6th (aka there had been slightly less cussing), it would be a no-brainer for my Middle School booktalk tours. As it is, it's a no-brainer for my next High School visits.
Great local (Seattle) references (Duwamish, Beecher's), slightly alternate reality (the evil corporation is called "Roundworld," as far as I know the central scavenger hunt doesn't exist IRL), fun action scenes (parkour in alleys). Really dug the diverse family structures and struggles, corporate evil references. Always appreciate autistic representation. It's all very very good.
If the published reviews said it could go down to 6th (aka there had been slightly less cussing), it would be a no-brainer for my Middle School booktalk tours. As it is, it's a no-brainer for my next High School visits.
January 18, 2025
The Jump
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4/5) or 8.00/10 overall
Characters - 7
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 8
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 9
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 8
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4/5) or 8.00/10 overall
Characters - 7
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 8
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 9
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 8
November 8, 2023
was interesting and engaging… but also at the end of the day not very related to gentrification😭 enjoyed mentions of racism and classism
December 25, 2023
This one was just okay.
I felt like the book was having an identity crisis while reading it--it couldn't decide if it was middle grade or YA. The issues the kids are dealing with are pretty serious, which suggests YA. But the overall narrative is very simple and I frequently solved the puzzles before the main characters, which suggests middle grade. If this was a book for middle grade, I probably wouldn't have read it, as I find those books are too simple for my tastes. So I'm not really sure how much business I have criticizing it, because I may not be the target audience.
The author's note mentions having sensitivity readers, which is good, but the book needed a better editor--there are several inconsistencies I noticed. Small things, but annoying. There are however, several things that I consider plot holes. For example, the way the narrative wraps up so neatly with a bow doesn't really make sense. The problems are all just kind of hand-waved away. Again, if this is for middle grade, that's fine, but I think a YA audience will notice that this is unrealistic. The author throws a big wrench in the story however, by the end of the novel this is completely forgotten about and never resolved, even though it's a major source of conflict between multiple characters. So why introduce it at all? It's cheap drama.
The overall political message of the book seems to be that young people can effect change in their own communities, and that vigilante hacker groups are unreliable. I think this is a good message, but there are a couple moments of political messaging that really had me scratching my head. For example, early on in the book, a character sees someone wearing a Guy Fawkes mask to a protest, and that makes her uncomfortable and feel like they're going to do something violent. Which look, I get Guy Fawkes masks are cringy, but later on in the book, the police are arresting people and trying to force them to identify protesters from pictures . So, it seems like wearing a mask to a protest is a really good idea actually! This would make sense if the character had an arc about becoming more comfortable with radical aesthetics (I don't think concealing your identity at a protest is an inherently radical act, it's clearly important for safety and at best a radical image), but there's no acknowledgement of this by the narrative. Also, the extent to which every single character that isn't explicitly described as non-white immediately assumes the characters of color are evil thugs that beat up old ladies feels pretty cartoonish. Like, it almost feels like it's irresponsible of the parents to raise their kids in Seattle because of they seem to get threatened and assaulted literally every time they leave the house. I'm not from Seattle and I've never been there, so it's possible the book was trying to communicate that the kids were spending a lot of time in majority-white neighborhoods that are notorious for this kind of thing, but the book also goes at length to tell you that the kids are really familiar with most of these parts of the city, so those things don't really add up do they?
Overall, there were a lot of moments that seemed like the author was setting something up that ultimately went unacknowledged. This leaves the book kind of feeling rushed and underdeveloped. The climax especially suffers from this. There's a big action set piece on a burning building in which it's basically impossible to tell what's going on or where anyone or anything is. Very annoying to read, luckily it was short. The characters are also pretty undeveloped, unfortunately. I really wanted to hear more about them and their families, but we barely spend any time with any of them.
Oh, and the way the two lesbian characters walk around saying "don't flirt with me I'm not into guys haha!" randomly whenever a guy makes eye contact, even a guy who's also their best friend and already knows they're a lesbian is just one of the worst examples of exposition ever. It's true that gay people make a lot of jokes about being gay, but this is not how we do it. It doesn't feel true to life. The whole romance plot feels rushed as well, but that might just be a me thing because I don't really like romance and most romantic subplots feel rushed if they aren't extremely slow burn.
This book really reminded me of Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, except I prefer Little Brother on almost every metric. This book has a lot more diversity than Little Brother tho, which I know is really important. I think middle graders and some high schoolers will enjoy this book, especially if they know Seattle, but ultimately everything about it is just kind of clumsy.
I felt like the book was having an identity crisis while reading it--it couldn't decide if it was middle grade or YA. The issues the kids are dealing with are pretty serious, which suggests YA. But the overall narrative is very simple and I frequently solved the puzzles before the main characters, which suggests middle grade. If this was a book for middle grade, I probably wouldn't have read it, as I find those books are too simple for my tastes. So I'm not really sure how much business I have criticizing it, because I may not be the target audience.
The author's note mentions having sensitivity readers, which is good, but the book needed a better editor--there are several inconsistencies I noticed. Small things, but annoying. There are however, several things that I consider plot holes. For example, the way the narrative wraps up so neatly with a bow doesn't really make sense. The problems are all just kind of hand-waved away. Again, if this is for middle grade, that's fine, but I think a YA audience will notice that this is unrealistic. The author throws a big wrench in the story however, by the end of the novel this is completely forgotten about and never resolved, even though it's a major source of conflict between multiple characters. So why introduce it at all? It's cheap drama.
The overall political message of the book seems to be that young people can effect change in their own communities, and that vigilante hacker groups are unreliable. I think this is a good message, but there are a couple moments of political messaging that really had me scratching my head. For example, early on in the book, a character sees someone wearing a Guy Fawkes mask to a protest, and that makes her uncomfortable and feel like they're going to do something violent. Which look, I get Guy Fawkes masks are cringy, but later on in the book, the police are arresting people and trying to force them to identify protesters from pictures . So, it seems like wearing a mask to a protest is a really good idea actually! This would make sense if the character had an arc about becoming more comfortable with radical aesthetics (I don't think concealing your identity at a protest is an inherently radical act, it's clearly important for safety and at best a radical image), but there's no acknowledgement of this by the narrative. Also, the extent to which every single character that isn't explicitly described as non-white immediately assumes the characters of color are evil thugs that beat up old ladies feels pretty cartoonish. Like, it almost feels like it's irresponsible of the parents to raise their kids in Seattle because of they seem to get threatened and assaulted literally every time they leave the house. I'm not from Seattle and I've never been there, so it's possible the book was trying to communicate that the kids were spending a lot of time in majority-white neighborhoods that are notorious for this kind of thing, but the book also goes at length to tell you that the kids are really familiar with most of these parts of the city, so those things don't really add up do they?
Overall, there were a lot of moments that seemed like the author was setting something up that ultimately went unacknowledged. This leaves the book kind of feeling rushed and underdeveloped. The climax especially suffers from this. There's a big action set piece on a burning building in which it's basically impossible to tell what's going on or where anyone or anything is. Very annoying to read, luckily it was short. The characters are also pretty undeveloped, unfortunately. I really wanted to hear more about them and their families, but we barely spend any time with any of them.
Oh, and the way the two lesbian characters walk around saying "don't flirt with me I'm not into guys haha!" randomly whenever a guy makes eye contact, even a guy who's also their best friend and already knows they're a lesbian is just one of the worst examples of exposition ever. It's true that gay people make a lot of jokes about being gay, but this is not how we do it. It doesn't feel true to life. The whole romance plot feels rushed as well, but that might just be a me thing because I don't really like romance and most romantic subplots feel rushed if they aren't extremely slow burn.
This book really reminded me of Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, except I prefer Little Brother on almost every metric. This book has a lot more diversity than Little Brother tho, which I know is really important. I think middle graders and some high schoolers will enjoy this book, especially if they know Seattle, but ultimately everything about it is just kind of clumsy.
March 17, 2023
2.5 rounded up
Maybe I was too excited for this and went in with my expectations too high... However, there are a few inaccuracies about the tech and it's another YA book that reads younger except for the cuss words.
Maybe I was too excited for this and went in with my expectations too high... However, there are a few inaccuracies about the tech and it's another YA book that reads younger except for the cuss words.
February 27, 2024
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book for free and have voluntarily written this review.
“Be the change.” People say it all the time. But what does it really mean? That’s what teens Jax, Yas, Han, and Spider - the members of Team Jericho - inadvertently start to find out when they start playing a game organized by the illustrious group The Order in Brittney Morris’ newest novel.
Team Jericho is the best. With four members who each have a specific skill set, they are a well-oiled machine that solve puzzles better than any other out there. When The Order, a vigilante group who stands up for the little guy, posts a new game in their forum promising power as a reward, Team Jericho (led by a determined Jax) jumps into it with gusto. This is the chance they’ve been looking for to try to stop the oil refinery that is proposed to be built in their community, thereby taking away something from each of them and their families.
I cannot pinpoint exactly what it was (and this will probably sound disingenuous but I don’t care), but I absolutely fell in love with this book within the first page or two. The story opens with Jax and his family and Brittney provided such a clear, concise picture of who each person was and their relationships with each other. She was able to do this with each new character that was introduced and it really made the story come to life. I wasn’t just an outsider looking in, but someone that was really a part of the lives of these people and I loved it.
The creativity of each puzzle the players had to solve was amazing. I would sit there trying to see if I could solve it before the players, but it has never been clearer how not clever I am (and in a way that didn’t make me feel bad about myself). Also, Pokemon Go is definitely not dead and I'm glad it is acknowledged in print.
And the representation! It was such a diverse cast of characters, from people of color to members of the alphabet mafia to even some neurodivergence. And the way that each character understood enough about the others (even though they could never understand completely) warmed my heart. From anxiety over a Black friend being incarcerated to a hand hovering in comfort rather than a hug for a neurodivergent friend, every of these little interactions we don’t even think about mean so much. The care and kindness that Brittney treated these characters is the same care and kindness we should strive to put out into the world.
I don’t know if it was just me, but the twist near the climax of the book took me by surprise (and yet also didn’t at the same time considering my understanding of the world). The way that these teens came together when they needed to most, even after having been antagonistic toward someone or in a fight with someone else, pulled at my heartstrings and gave me hope for the future of our world (even if I was reading about a fictional world).
I picked up this book and couldn’t put it down until I was finished about five hours later. Brittney is a master of her craft and I cannot wait to read her other books and whatever else is to come from her.
“Be the change.” People say it all the time. But what does it really mean? That’s what teens Jax, Yas, Han, and Spider - the members of Team Jericho - inadvertently start to find out when they start playing a game organized by the illustrious group The Order in Brittney Morris’ newest novel.
Team Jericho is the best. With four members who each have a specific skill set, they are a well-oiled machine that solve puzzles better than any other out there. When The Order, a vigilante group who stands up for the little guy, posts a new game in their forum promising power as a reward, Team Jericho (led by a determined Jax) jumps into it with gusto. This is the chance they’ve been looking for to try to stop the oil refinery that is proposed to be built in their community, thereby taking away something from each of them and their families.
I cannot pinpoint exactly what it was (and this will probably sound disingenuous but I don’t care), but I absolutely fell in love with this book within the first page or two. The story opens with Jax and his family and Brittney provided such a clear, concise picture of who each person was and their relationships with each other. She was able to do this with each new character that was introduced and it really made the story come to life. I wasn’t just an outsider looking in, but someone that was really a part of the lives of these people and I loved it.
The creativity of each puzzle the players had to solve was amazing. I would sit there trying to see if I could solve it before the players, but it has never been clearer how not clever I am (and in a way that didn’t make me feel bad about myself). Also, Pokemon Go is definitely not dead and I'm glad it is acknowledged in print.
And the representation! It was such a diverse cast of characters, from people of color to members of the alphabet mafia to even some neurodivergence. And the way that each character understood enough about the others (even though they could never understand completely) warmed my heart. From anxiety over a Black friend being incarcerated to a hand hovering in comfort rather than a hug for a neurodivergent friend, every of these little interactions we don’t even think about mean so much. The care and kindness that Brittney treated these characters is the same care and kindness we should strive to put out into the world.
I don’t know if it was just me, but the twist near the climax of the book took me by surprise (and yet also didn’t at the same time considering my understanding of the world). The way that these teens came together when they needed to most, even after having been antagonistic toward someone or in a fight with someone else, pulled at my heartstrings and gave me hope for the future of our world (even if I was reading about a fictional world).
I picked up this book and couldn’t put it down until I was finished about five hours later. Brittney is a master of her craft and I cannot wait to read her other books and whatever else is to come from her.
January 15, 2023
The Jump is teen fiction. I'm an aging senior, far from the intended audience. As I read the first several chapters I could tell my nephew who seems to be a typical 14-year-old would love The Jump, so I passed it on to him. The four-star-rating comes from him. He said he really liked it!
February 23, 2023
An entertaining enough YA mystery (?) with a lot of radical ideas, beginners cryptology, and a great diverse cast. I think the pacing is a bit off, and not all of the characters resonated with me, but overall I would recommend for teenagers looking for a cool "fight the power" story.
The cryptology is definitely for beginners. I'm not an expert in it or anything, but even I know the first thing you do when someone posts a mysterious image on a cryptology forum. Also no spoilers, but a big pet peeve of mine is technology inaccuracies: looking at the HTML for a website is not "hacking." And there's a point where one character gets a DM over Pokemon GO, a kids' app hat does NOT have any sort of messaging system. It probably won't bother most people, but it definitely made this feel more juvenile to me.
I think the pacing is entirely too fast. A lot is thrown at you with all the characters, their families, their skills, and the writing doesn't give time for any of it to breathe. It's just one thing after another, and a bit too fast for my liking.
As a YA sort-of-mystery though, it's good! I love the diversity, I actually like how they figure things out as a team, as well as their interactions with the other teams. Glad I got an early copy!
The cryptology is definitely for beginners. I'm not an expert in it or anything, but even I know the first thing you do when someone posts a mysterious image on a cryptology forum. Also no spoilers, but a big pet peeve of mine is technology inaccuracies: looking at the HTML for a website is not "hacking." And there's a point where one character gets a DM over Pokemon GO, a kids' app hat does NOT have any sort of messaging system. It probably won't bother most people, but it definitely made this feel more juvenile to me.
I think the pacing is entirely too fast. A lot is thrown at you with all the characters, their families, their skills, and the writing doesn't give time for any of it to breathe. It's just one thing after another, and a bit too fast for my liking.
As a YA sort-of-mystery though, it's good! I love the diversity, I actually like how they figure things out as a team, as well as their interactions with the other teams. Glad I got an early copy!
Want to read
October 19, 2022It's been a while since I've read an action book, and I cannot wait. Plus, is that a hijabi on the cover? Yessss!
February 22, 2024
This action-packed story about friendship, influence, power, and community is so heartwarming and gut-wrenching all at the same time. I loved to see the bonds of friendship tested as team JERICHO tries to decipher clues, but I also enjoyed seeing how these very diverse characters handled the tough moments and how their different life experiences led them down very different paths when confronted by the darker sides of society.
It did take me about 20-30% of the book to really get into it and overall I really enjoyed the story and thought the pacing was perfect, but the ending was what truly blew me away and had me tearing up. Without spoiling it, I’ll just say that Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han have truly wonderful parents and the chapters dedicated to them interacting with their parents after the events of the story are wrapping up are truly some of the most moving chapters I have read in a story.
Rating 4.5 stars
Thank you to BookSparks and Brittney Morris for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.
It did take me about 20-30% of the book to really get into it and overall I really enjoyed the story and thought the pacing was perfect, but the ending was what truly blew me away and had me tearing up. Without spoiling it, I’ll just say that Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han have truly wonderful parents and the chapters dedicated to them interacting with their parents after the events of the story are wrapping up are truly some of the most moving chapters I have read in a story.
Rating 4.5 stars
Thank you to BookSparks and Brittney Morris for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.
February 26, 2024
The Jump by Brittney Morris
Thank you so much @booksparks for my gifted copy and the chance to review it honestly.
Team Jericho is the best scavenger hunting team in Seattle. With an oil refinery being built in their city, they have the chance to win a scavenger hunt that can change the fate of their families’ and save the city.
The Jump is a fast paced and fast read that holds your attention throughout the story. There’s multiple POVs and I enjoyed the story. It is unique and a fresh story, a storyline I’ve never read anything else like. I feel like this would be such a fun and interactive story if you’re familiar with Seattle because you might be able to actually solve the puzzles! (Unlike me) I will say that this story touches on a lot of social commentary of important topics and the book could have benefited from being a tag longer because it did feel crammed in. Overall though it was enjoyable and I always love an unexpected ending!
Happy reading!
Thank you so much @booksparks for my gifted copy and the chance to review it honestly.
Team Jericho is the best scavenger hunting team in Seattle. With an oil refinery being built in their city, they have the chance to win a scavenger hunt that can change the fate of their families’ and save the city.
The Jump is a fast paced and fast read that holds your attention throughout the story. There’s multiple POVs and I enjoyed the story. It is unique and a fresh story, a storyline I’ve never read anything else like. I feel like this would be such a fun and interactive story if you’re familiar with Seattle because you might be able to actually solve the puzzles! (Unlike me) I will say that this story touches on a lot of social commentary of important topics and the book could have benefited from being a tag longer because it did feel crammed in. Overall though it was enjoyable and I always love an unexpected ending!
Happy reading!
March 6, 2024
THE JUMP
Bʀɪᴛᴛɴᴇʏ Mᴏʀʀɪs
Oᴜᴛ NOW!
Four teens join together to participate in a digital scavenger hunt across Seattle as Team JERICHO. Each of them is diverse and has their own strengths: Jax- cryptologist, Yas- a Parkour expert, Spider- a hacker, and Han- a cartographer… no gps here. They’re Black, Muslim-Pakistani, trans, sapphic, autistic with selective mutism, (and a nonbinary parent).
A vigilante group called The Order 👁️ creates a puzzle with promises of a huge reward. The teens see this as their chance to save their community and fight back against the oil refinery that is planning to build and puts them all in danger. There isn’t a choice, is there??
This is a FAST moving, action-packed book. The clues were really fun and SO clever!! I love puzzles so this was my favorite part. Because it was so fast paced and there was so much happening I do wish there was more book though. 250 pages seemed a little short. It will be a great read for MG. My son would’ve absolutely enjoyed this book at that age. In fact it gave me an excuse to message him and chat. He said it sounded cool and it’s kinda like ARG (Alternative Reality Games). I asked if that was like geocaching and he basically said mom, go read a book 😹… any chance to talk to them when they leave the nest, right?
**Check CW
Thank you to @booksparks and @brittneymmorris for including me on this book tour and for the #gifted copy.
February 25, 2023
3.5 Stars
It was fun. A great, diverse cast in a fun city chasing down an ultimate scavenger hunt prize (i.e. possibly taking down the corporation that is threatening their homes). This book is exactly what you expect it to be, in the best way. So why the middling rating? The character chemistry, something that this book really relies on in the setup, just doesn't come together as much as I would like. It's like Goonies light--all the antics but without the right banter. The characters don't play off each other in a way that would have made me love this book. Not bad, just not everything I would have wanted.
Anyway, my full review will be available March 17, 2023 at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley and Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
It was fun. A great, diverse cast in a fun city chasing down an ultimate scavenger hunt prize (i.e. possibly taking down the corporation that is threatening their homes). This book is exactly what you expect it to be, in the best way. So why the middling rating? The character chemistry, something that this book really relies on in the setup, just doesn't come together as much as I would like. It's like Goonies light--all the antics but without the right banter. The characters don't play off each other in a way that would have made me love this book. Not bad, just not everything I would have wanted.
Anyway, my full review will be available March 17, 2023 at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley and Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
March 2, 2024
This was a super fast-paced book filled with so much action & diversity! I loved that each one of the main characters had their own special characteristics & were from different backgrounds. It was really neat to see them so engaged in working together for the scavenger hunt & to ultimately save their homes for their families. While this was a short book, it still had so much detail with the puzzles & scenes that I could actually picture the images in my mind as if I was watching a film 🍿
Definitely shows that @brittneymmorris is quite the creator with the graphics & storytelling as she has also written narratives for video games. How freaking dope is that?!
Definitely shows that @brittneymmorris is quite the creator with the graphics & storytelling as she has also written narratives for video games. How freaking dope is that?!
May 29, 2023
When an ARC of The Jump came into the bookstore I was immediately intrigued by the premise of teens solving a series of scavenger hunting puzzles to gain the "power" to save their community, something they are each fighting for in their own ways. The book is fast paced with a cast that is diverse not only in terms of race, but also gender expressions and sexuality. Each of the characters had depth to them, which was impressive for such a short novel and the descriptions of the action kept me engaged throughout. Definitely going to be handselling this one at the store!
January 31, 2024
4.0
A fun story that explores important topics.
This may be for you if you like reading books with:
Multiple narrators,
Diverse characters,
Fast, action-packed pacing,
Rival scavenger hunting teams,
Anonymous social justice groups (in this case The Order),
The impact of mega-corporations on local homes and businesses,
LGBTQ+ representation, and
Social commentary (racism, classism, and more).
A fun story that explores important topics.
This may be for you if you like reading books with:
Multiple narrators,
Diverse characters,
Fast, action-packed pacing,
Rival scavenger hunting teams,
Anonymous social justice groups (in this case The Order),
The impact of mega-corporations on local homes and businesses,
LGBTQ+ representation, and
Social commentary (racism, classism, and more).
April 14, 2023
For me Jump started off good. I was into it, but then it got too much too quick. Because there was too much going on, way too much to follow, I basically disassociated from the book. I just could not focus on the story and the characters and the EVERYTHING that was happening. I think this book had a good premise, but it didn't work for me.
August 31, 2023
3.5 stars
A fun cast of characters, and an intriguing plot with a great twist. Struggled at times with trying to understand the interpersonal conflicts and some of the clues seemed a bit obvious. But where Brittney's writing always shines is her depiction of class, race, and moving through the world as an "other." Overall a fun read, especially if you're into cryptology and/or tech.
A fun cast of characters, and an intriguing plot with a great twist. Struggled at times with trying to understand the interpersonal conflicts and some of the clues seemed a bit obvious. But where Brittney's writing always shines is her depiction of class, race, and moving through the world as an "other." Overall a fun read, especially if you're into cryptology and/or tech.
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