The Jump, by Brittney Morris, (March 2023, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9781665903981
Ages 12+
Brittney Morris wrote Slay, one of my favorite books of 2019. I haven’t read The Cost of Knowing (2022), but I just had a chance to sit down with The Jump, which came out last year, but will be coming out in paperback in about a week and a half. I am so glad I did. Morris can write gaming YA in a way that puts readers right in there with her characters. The Jump brings together four friends: Jax, Yaz, Spider, and Han, four teens who love puzzles and are part of Team JERICHO, a digital scavenger-hunting team in Seattle. Each member has their own specialty: Jax is the main puzzler; Han knows all the ins and outs of the city; Spider is the hacker, and Yas excels at parkour. Together, they’re competing for their families when an oil refinery builds in their backyard, putting their families’ livelihoods at risk. A shadowy organization calling themselves The Order has been posting clues online, whipping the teams into a frenzy by promising power as an ultimate prize: “The game is anarchy. The prize is power”. Up against other teams, JERICHO has to stay one step ahead of everyone but someone’s cheating… and who’s really pulling the strings at The Order? Deep diving into social themes, including gentrifiction and the relationship between the police and underrepresented communities, Morris turns the game into a chess game between The Establishment and The People. Gender fluid and inclusive characters are realistic and recognizable. The four main characters narrate their chapters, giving depth and voice to each one. An excellent addition to collections – if you haven’t read this one yet, don’t miss it in paperback.
Mom Read It 