Reflex

Jumper #2

by Steven Gould

Davy has always been alone. He believes that he's the only person in the world who can teleport. But what if he isn't?A mysterious group of people has taken Davy captive. They don't want to hire him, and they don't have any hope of appealing to him to help them. What they want is to own him. They want to use his abilities for their own purposes, whether Davy agrees to it or not. And so they set about brainwashing him and conditioning him. They have even found a way to keep a teleport captive.But there's one thing that they don't know. No one knows it, not even Davy. And it might save his life...."This is a fun, fast-paced novel that - like Gould's other books - also has a social conscience that gives it more depth than such a story might have in lesser hands. You don't need to have read Jumper to enjoy the new novel, but [it's] highly recommended." - Charles de Lint, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction on Reflex"Though Gould continues to exuberantly press the boundaries of scientific credibility, his gift for placing ordinary people in extraordinary situations against a backdrop of international concerns makes this fast-paced adventure sizzle." - Publishers Weekly, starred review on Reflex

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Urban Fantasy, Thriller

391 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2004

About the author

Steven Charles Gould is an American science fiction author. His novels tend to have protagonists fighting to rid government of corrupt antagonists. The struggle against corruption is the focus, rather than the technology.

Reviews

[seak · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something about this series that's really sunk it's teeth into me. I already have the third book, Impulse, queued up on the iPod. There's something about this simple concept of being able to teleport that's absolutely captivating.

And I had misgivings going into this one. How could it top the first one? What else can you do with teleportation, right? Turns out, plenty.

I don't know if these are really spoilers for the first book, but I'll go ahead and warn. There are a few I guess.

We know Davy can teleport and he can do really cool things with it, though there are limits. He can't just go anywhere, he has to have been there, and not only that, he has to remember the place.

By the end of book one, Davy is taking covert jobs with unnamed government entities, but of course this creates some waves. And it's a bit hard to keep it a secret after a while. Not everyone's unconscious when they're being teleported away and sometimes other people are present ... such as an entire plane full of people.

So some "bad guys" take notice and figure out a way to keep Davy captive. These parts were extremely captivating, where Davy pushes the boundaries of his captivity while suffering tortures, you name it.

On the other side, Millie, now Davy's wife, is stuck in the Erie (I've only 'read' these on audio, so you'll have to forgive spelling), which is the couple's home on the side of a cliff. The only way in and out is through teleportation. Sucks to be the one who can't...

But there's a plan they put in place to get out and she follows it. I won't go into detail for fear of spoiling too much, but it works out and she's on the hunt for her beau.

Flipping back and forth from Davy's captivity to Millie's search, the story starts to come together and lots of great teleportation ensues.

Overall, I thought this was a great installment with lots of thought into how to keep a person captive who can teleport. I'm looking forward to continuing this story in Impulse.

A note on the narration. Macleod Andrews once again takes the reigns here and does a commendable job. He's got the right mix of vulnerability and stubbornness that really catch the essence of Davy.

4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book was really fun, the whole idea of creating a “reflex” in a jumper (much like Pavlov’s dog) was interesting as a training method. The latter half took a nose dive for me.

It seems like the two protagonists have unending knowledge about all things – so much so that it pulled me out of the story because it was odd. Like Millie knowing what type of shingles were on the roof of the house; not just that she knew what they would feel/smell like, but that she knew the name of the type of shingle. The unending description of the planes and boat using boat/plane-specific terminology that I don’t know and don’t care to know. David seems to know absolutely everything there is to know about the corrupted police and thieves around the Venezuelan airport. It was a recurring thing throughout the book and it really bothered me.

For the record, I’m roughly the same age as Millie in the book, I’ve been with my husband for just shy of 10 years, we don’t have kids, and my training is also in psychology (though I’m working as an accountant). Now, on the complaints

The other thing I had an issue with is how every other word out of Millie’s mouth was how badly she wanted kids. And Millie and David both spend a large portion of their inner dialogs lamenting the fact that they were unable to have sex with the other person. Really? You’ve been married 10 years and your husband (who works as a spy for the NSA) disappears, and you only miss the physical part of the relationship?? And keep droning on and on and on about it like a 16-year-old not experienced with sex? It would have been nice to see the characters mature a little bit. Sure, sex is a big thing in a relationship, but it’s not the primary reason I would miss my husband. And I wouldn’t walk by playgrounds and bemoan the fact that he didn’t “knock me up” (her words) before he got kidnapped.

And while I’m complaining, I may as well complain about the use of the word “girlfriend” every time the characters were trying to be sassy.

The ending was a little too neat and tidy for me too – it read like a bad rom-com movie, where everything is wrapped up neatly and the girl finally gets a baby. Bah. Two stars just because I really liked the first half of the book.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steven Gould's story development improved drastically in this sequel to Jumper. And yet, Gould stays true to his literary "voice." He graphically tells it like it is, just like you'd talk to your closest friends or speak in your inner voice. He doesn't try to find a million different synonyms for the word "butt."

His characters arrived fully formed, deductive, and inventive. The story line was engrossing, but I only give five stars to the books I absolutely can't put down. There were several well thought out, deeply technical story elements that I really enjoyed. The psychoanalysis from Millie was also a major improvement from her abilities in Jumper. Overall, I look forward to reading another book from Gould, and hope he can stay both Sci-Fi and real at the same time.

An element that didn't bother me, but might bother some of my friends is the plethura of sexual innuendo. Gould never graphically describes a sexual encounter, but the hints are there. I would most likely not recommend this book to a teenager.

[Richard Guion · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good sequel to Jumper, though totally different in tone and narration. The first book was written from the 1st person perspective of Davy, who had his life turned around by the fact that he could teleport. This book is third person, split chapters between Davy and Millie, his wife. When Davy is captured, Millie discovers that she can teleport as well, although at first only in life threatening situations. Davy is captured by a pretty big and scary organization - for those who thought the first book lacked a strong villain, this one certain has an antagonist. It was a page turner and lots of fun to see what Millie did with the same power that Davy has.

[Lisa Lap · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Jumper, the story picking up ten years after Jumper ends. In ten years, Davy and Millie haven't really done much to move forward. Yes, they're married, and yes, they travel all over the world, and yes, Davy works with the NSA as needed - but none of that is new information. Millie wants to start a family and Davy isn't sure he's ready for that. In the midst of an arguement about having children, Davy "jumps" to a meeting with his NSA contact and is consequently kidnapped. Millie is trapped in their cave home in Aerie waiting for Davy to reappear. After a day and a half of waiting she realizes something has happened and works to climb out of the cave. As she's climbing down the rope snaps and she begins to fall only to find herself on the floor of her condo. She jumped. Suddenly Davy isn't the only teleporter in the world anymore.

How Millie can suddenly jump is never really made clear. Just as the reason that Davy is kidnapped is never really made clear. He is held in a big mansion, conditioned to jump only within the constraints his captors set forth, and only accomplishes one vague mission for them throughout the story. The NSA shuts down the investigation as it becomes clear a mysterious "Mr. Simons" is involved, the FBI continues to help Millie in her pursuits to find her husband, and Millie continues to expand her jumping skills.

Eventually she tracks down Davy's location and manages to jump Davy to safety. Together they track down the mysterious Mr. Simons and before they can find out any information from him - he self detonates leaving us with exactly as many answers as we had when we started this book: none.

I kept reading thinking the mystery would be solved but I was not at all satisifed by the ending which answered none of the questions the encompassed the book. I have no idea if there's a follow up to this story or not, and if there is I'm not sure if I'll read it or not. A disappointment overall.

[Brian Kristopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Jumper, which is the basis for the rather awful movie staring Hayden Christensen and Samual L. Jackson. The movie only bares a passing resemblance to the books, and both books are much better than the movie.

Reflex picks up ten years after Jumper. During that time, Davy has been working as a courier for the NSA. He pops in, delivers or picks up a package, and pops out. The trouble is, he'll only do the job if he knows what he's delivering, and if it won't hurt anybody.

Certain people who know about Davy see ways his ability to teleport himself could be used to further their interests, but his scruples would get in the way. So, they drug Davy, kill is control agent and after making sure he can't teleport away, start of a program of systematic torture designed to condition him to obey their orders.

From there, the book splits in two alternating between Davy's struggle with his kidnappers, and Millie, Davy's wife's attempts to find and rescue him.

Reflex borrows it's basic format from the last half of Jumper, and without needing to set up the story the way the first novel does, it can spend a lot more time on the action. It's a more fun book, if a good bit shallower than Jumper. Instead of centering on Davy's efforts to get past his abusive childhood, this book is, in a way, Millie coming into her own, after spending a long time dependent on Davy.

Both characters are a lot older in this book, a lot wiser, and for the most part, a lot smarter. Something you'd expect after ten years.

All in all, the book is at least as good as the original, though a bit different in focus. A good read. Though, with the ending, I'd be surprised if Gould didn't have a third book in mind

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflex follows about 10 years after the first Jumper book (just called Jumper) which was way, way better than the terrible movie of the same name. Davy is doing odd jobs for the NSA, using his special teleportation skills to drop things off or pick them up, but only for good causes. Unfortunately, he gets kidnapped and his captors find a way to contain him and bend him to their will.

While Davy struggles to figure out his escape, his wife Millie is stunned to discover that she can teleport too. Reflex uses alternating chapters to follow Davy, then Millie, then back to Davy. Millie really comes across as a hero in this book and not just a sidekick. She's a great character here; learning her own way but also using the knowledge that she's gained from ten years with Davy.

The bad guys are believable and not just caricatures. The NSA goes from being Davy's pillar of support to Millie wondering if they're on his side at all. Everything is well developed without dragging on.

It's been a while since I gave a book 5 stars. I thought a lot about what a 5 star rating really means. I loved this book. I didn't want to put it down, I was hooked from beginning to end, the characters were interesting and the plot moved at just the right pace. To me, that about sums it up.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading the sequel made me want to delete a star or two off the first book in the series because it reminded me of the parts I didn't like there. I was able to ignore all of the spy drama in Jumper because there was a great character-centered plot to focus on instead, but the characters didn't have any real growing to do in the sequel. Disappointing.

[Choco Con Churros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me está gustando muchísimo esta saga que va creciendo... la evolución de Millie de personaje "acompañante" a coprotagonista le ha sentado muy bien a la obra en su conjunto (aunque cierto detalle está justo encima de la línea de la frontera con la inverosimilitud)... La exploración de los personajes sobre las posibilidades de su propio poder (ya iniciado con mucho acierto en el libro anterior donde esa "autoexploración" no era algo tan apremiante como aquí, donde se mezcla con un thriller frenético que hace que a los personajes les vaya la vida (y la de los suyos) en ello) por el viejo truco de ensayo y error, tal como lo haríamos tú o yo si nos pasara algo así, es de lo más humano y el posterior entrenamiento en aquellas partes que sí funcionan, totalmente necesario tal como como vienen dadas las cosas.
Otra cosa que me gusta mucho de esta saga es que sus protagonistas son gente muy normal, que reacciona como cualquier persona normal... a la que le sucede algo extraordinario.
Han pasado 10 años desde el libro anterior y la pareja se resiente con el tiempo de lo que en principio parecía una ventaja. El supepoder de uno sólo de sus miembros facilita el día a día en algunas cosas, pero desequilibra la balanza en demasía en sus interacciones como pareja, lo que acaba por resentirla.
Y entonces entramos en el Thriller puro y duro, con momentos que son un puro desarrollo (muy ingenioso) de las ideas ya facilitadas en el primer libro y otros verdaderamente agudas de cómo explotar en ficción una premisa ya dada, hasta consecuencias impensadas, sin traicionarlas ni un poquito. O, dicho de otra manera, de cómo crear un universo con sus reglas y luego juguetear con sus posibilidades y sacarles cada vez más provecho, sin salirte de las premisas de partida. Este "jugueteo de posibilidades" sin salirse de la línea, que explora el escritor a la vez que sus personajes, que intentan entender hasta dónde pueden llegar, lleva a momentos buenísimos (como la impresionante, impresionante, impresionante, escena del mar) y creo que posiblemente sea la razón principal de que esta saga me esté gustando tanto (apoyada por lo creíble y humano de sus protagonistas, que podrían tranquilamente ser primos tuyos). Autores en GL Bis

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago. It was very good.

[This Is Not The Michael You're Looking For · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sequel to the book Jumper, the two books are an interesting contrast. Jumper was a much better concept, but this book is better executed. Perhaps Gould simply became a better writer in the decade which separated their writing.

I found the story to only be fair, and the fact that Davey's wife spontaneously learns to Jump (first chapter...not a spoiler) seems rather absurd. Davey's power has never been explained, but the idea that someone without the power can suddenly learn it seems a much bigger stretch than the existence of the power in the first place.

[Shaebay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This one was so much better than the first. It didn't have the same long meandering feeling and I was hooked from the start. A few parts did get a bit rambley, but it was still really good. One thing from the previous book was in this book though - crying. So.much.crying. You'd think that in 10 years the main guy would learn how to not cry at the drop of a hat. And it isn't the fact that it was a man crying, I just can't stand people in books crying because of their situation, mostly when they've experienced worse things (don't even get me started on the tears of gratitude thing).

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed & am finally donating as I need to cull bookshelves before moving.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel to Gould’s Jumper.

It jumps 10 years into the future. Davey is retiring from government operative work. But one of his enemies kidnaps him and starts training Davey to use his abilities against his will. It’s up to Millie to rescue him.

Pretty good follow up. I’m actually surprised it literally jumps over 10 years of stories of Davey using his abilities as a secret government agent.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I FUCKING LOVE IT SO MUCH
Millie and Davy are actually so cute together. before this book I thought romance was dead. Partners in crime 😆

[Jason Royle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first sequel to Jumper, and although I love the series a lot, it's not quite as good as Jumper, but still a very good, fun, interesting read.

Whereas the original introduces and builds character & world, Reflex builds on its foundation by focusing the entire story on a specific scenario involving the key characters. There's some exciting & intriguing exploration of Davy's powers and abilities, which was the book's standout for me!

A great addition in the series!

[J. Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jumper is one of my favorite books and I've read it numerous times now. I've read Reflex a couple of times, and I'm in the process of rereading Impulse, which I've only read once before. I haven't read Exo yet, but that will be next on my list.

So far, Reflex is my least favorite of the series.

It's not that it's poorly written - quite the opposite in fact. It's very well written, with some fun side characters and great character moments for both Davy and Millie.

My main problem is, well, I didn't enjoy reading about torture for that long.

It's kind of an uncomfortable read. The book goes into detail on the kind of hell that Davy experiences while in the hands of his kidnappers, and it's difficult to read. I tended to skim through those parts this time around.

My favorite parts of the book were those dealing with Millie and her ongoing search for Davy. Through her, the old spirit of the Jumper book still shined.

One of the things I liked most about Jumper was that it had a sense of adventure and wonder, while still dealing with a lot of heavy topics and doing an impressive juggling act for them. And that's missing here, at least, it's missing from Davy's sections. The fact that both Davy and Millie are written from a third-person POV this time (Davy was first-person in the first book) doesn't help much.

I think a part of that is that Davy spends most of the book in one general area, while Millie is actively working towards a goal. Her parts of the book were more fun, and I kinda wish the book had spent more time focusing on her, as that's where the meat of the story was for me. I think it could've helped add tension and mystery to the book. As the reader, you know where Davy is and what's happening to him - Millie doesn't. So when the book switches to Millie, it can be a little frustrating as she's trying to play catch up. But if the book had only been told from mostly Millie's perspective (say after the meeting with Cox, it then stays with Millie until towards the end), I think it would've greatly enhanced that feeling of tension and mystery. Then, everything that Millie discovers would be new to the reader as well. Millie's chapters had more of a sense of fun and adventure in them. One of the things I loved about the first book was Davy's dry sense of humor in tough situations. Like, when he's forced to jump out of the NSA office and he says "We mean no harm to your planet." He knows it's probably not gonna help his cause at all, but it's a funny moment that's true to his character. In this one, because of the extreme situation he's found himself in, that's kind of lost. Millie, though she's desperate in her search and it's not exactly a fun point of her life, at least has the freedom of interacting with a variety of characters and has some pretty great moments of dry humor herself.

I don't mind that the book doesn't flinch away from showing the gruesome stuff - it's just not something that really appeals to me. If I reread this in the future, I'll likely skim or skip those parts entirely.

I also didn't care for Hyacinth Pope much at all. Her character just feels kind of awkward.

I am looking forward to finishing the series. From what I recall, Impulse is more of a return to roots kind of book. I have no idea about Exo yet, but I'm hoping for the best.

[Maxinoume · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first watched the movie and liked it, so I was interested in reading the book, because the books are always better than the movies, right..? But I was disappointed.

The first book : Jumper, was enjoyable. I liked it because there wasn’t an “enemy” that wants to kill David, it was like a book about a normal kid (except the fact that he can teleport) living is life. That made the book more realistic and representative of a real life. But for the same reason, I wasn’t thrilled to continue reading.


I didn’t like the second book : Reflex. The book was well written and all but I didn’t like the story. He got captured after 20 pages and got out like 30 pages before the end. I was raging against the “bad guys” the hole book, and because of that I didn’t enjoy the reading. It was too morbid (not sure if it is the right word). There were too much unanswered questions : Why can Millie jump? Who is the leader of the “bad guys”? And something I didn’t like at the end : They will have children, that is so stupid, they can’t even have a real life because of the “bad guys” and they want to give birth to a kid that won’t be able to have a normal life.


Finally I don’t regret my reading, but wouldn’t recommand the books. I first thought the book would be the movie plot but with explanation but it was a whole other story. I wouldn’t say the movie was better because it wasn’t the same story. I would have prefered a book about the Paladins chasing David though.

Max

[Mridupawan Podder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever imagined yourself to be a character in a book? Have you ever said, ooh yes, I wanna be him. Or, blindfuckme, that guy is so totally me!

Reflex is one of those books that's like wine. You write a sequel years later and boy, it's gold. You can read about a book of a teenager and go through his stumbles because you know, you've been through his age. You've been a teen. So when I read the first book, I transported myself to the past and read it with the eager hunger of a teenager who knows exactly what's happening. And that is nothing.

Reflex is the story of the hero of Jumper. Only it's ten years later and he's ten years older. I'm 28 now and I can tell you, it's like watching myself in the present. Only he's married while I'm still struggling to get over my ex and he has cool powers.

There are two more books but I'm not going to read them for a while. It's not Davy's story anymore. It's not mine anymore. And i don't know what should I pick up. I'm still not over the ending. I'm still not over a lot of things.

Who would've thought this one would've been an eye opener of sorts. Hah.

If you're reading this expecting a review, oh well, be disappointed.

[Nico A Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started reading this in January and it took me until October to finish mostly because it was a chore for me to really get into it. I read the first one and enjoyed it for what it was but that’s about it. As for Reflex... I only read it so I could be done with it. The writing was lacking and didn’t hold my attention like most other books I’ve read. The author has this thing for the word “shuddered” as it’s so over used in both the first book and this one.

At a certain point you kind of came to expect the Hyacinth Pope character to always come on to Davy any time she’s in the room with him. Either have him cave or refuse her right off and be done with it. She drugs him at one point and you kind of have to think that she’s hella desperate or Davy is just that sexually attractive to her. I dunno.

I will agree with other reviewers about Millie’s internal dialog concerning wanting a baby and how repetitive that becomes.

When I got down to the last 20mins of the book, I was literally falling asleep. I’m glad I finished it though so I don’t have to worry about reading any more of it. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Kat Hooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reflex is the second book in Steven Gould’s JUMPER series. Ten years have passed since we left Davy and Millie. Now they’re married and Davy works occasionally for the National Security Agency. On one of his trips to Washington D.C. to meet with his contact there, he gets drugged and kidnapped by a group of people who want to use his powers for their own evil purposes. As they work to get Davy under their control, Millie uses her skills as a psychologist to search for him. She needs some help from the government, but she isn’t sure who she can trust. There seem to be leaks in high places.

Just like Jumper, Reflex is pretty compelling reading for the most part. Davy’s experiences as a captive are fascinating as we watch the bad guys use operant conditioning to try to bend him to their wills. This eventually starts to pall, however, because Davy spends almost the ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

[Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sequel to the book (and movie) Jumper, Reflex throws us back into the lives of Davey (who can 'jump' to anywhere in the world he can see or has visited before, just by thinking about it) and his wife Millie, in the present day.

Davey is working for the NSA on the quiet in sensitive cases like kidnapping and extraction, and his wife is a counsellor. Very quickly, their lives are upended when Davey - who has no limits on where he can go in an instant - is kidnapped, and can't escape.

This is a great read, with believable action, a strong female lead in Millie, twists that are hard to see coming and kept me up late reading way past my intended bedtime. Also, the characters are a bit sarcastic by nature, so there's some great snark and comebacks throughout the tale.

I really enjoyed it, so much that I'm going to read more by Steven Gould.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

There were many things I disliked about this.
The fact that Millie now jumps bugs me so much. She has never done it before and suddenly she's able to do it? Is teleportation like the flu, you can "catch" it? WTH?
I got so sick of the sex/baby stuff. Ugh. Davy has been kidnapped and Mille takes the time to think "I wish he'd knocked me up first?" Or what about "Come home soon, Davy, I need to get laid?" Really? I mean, really?!? And Davy was thinking about it, too, but not as bad. It just really aggravated me.
The storyline itself was okay. I would have enjoyed it more, I think, had Millie not been given 1/2 the book in her POV. I've already read a book about learning to jump so reading it again through her eyes was meh.

Reflex was okay. Not as good as Jumper but okay.

[Kiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another adventure with Davy, ten years after the previous book. Davy's got an established career with the NSA, and his girlfriend-now-wife Millie gets transported all over the globe by Davy's unlimited teleporting ability. But sure enough, trouble strikes. Davy gets kidnapped (and... brace yourself... tortured in rather horrible ways), and Millie is left to solve the crime. Like Jumper, the story here is the plot, not the characterization. Aside from the nausea, I couldn't really bring myself to feel what the characters felt. But it's quite a gripping story, and I was rooting for an escape, and I liked that in the end it took both of them to solve it.

[Lukas Lovas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this book a couple of times before and usually skipping it, when I'm doing the jumper series re-read because of how dark it is. I've realised now I can barely remember it (compared to jumper or Impulse), so I went ahead and re-read it as well....gotta say, it wasn't nearly as dark as I remembered it. There are a few moments and scenes that do make for a much darker mood, but overall, it was quite enjoyable and I now regret skipping it all these years.

[Linda Branham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the idea of this book. The character can 'jump" teletransport himself anywhere! I happened to be reading the book while sitting in an airport and I decided it would be a wonderful skill to have!
Of course people are him... and his wife because they either want him to jump someplace for them... or to keep him jumping someplace. A very good and imaginative story

[eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Epic sequel to Jumper. Although yes, Steven Gould kind of lost me in the scientific and technical facts, and the middle part dragged a bit, the overall novel was smashing and a wild ride. It makes sci-fi hella appealing, sexy and action-packed. You wouldn't have been able to expect anything like this.

But how on earth was Millie able to do what she did? Important questions!

[Cher Mendoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infinitely better than the first book. The style of writing had improved and the David's arrogance was lessened. This time, I loved that his wife took the spotlight and she kicked ass.

Read my full review for this book HERE.

[Nijhia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a well awaited sequel to me and I was severely let down and I often didn't give a shit about the girl character, I only cared about Davey. You can literally skip every chapter concerning her and get the whole story still.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike most sequels, I actually preferred this book over Jumper the first book b/c for me it was much mature and better written novel for most part. I don't know if this is partly b/c of the 12 years in between the two or what, but this book had a much more adult orientated story.