As part of the Australian Blog Tour for Sean William's latest YA novel, Jump, I have a review and giveaway for y'all today! Super excited to review this book because not only is Jump (published as Twinmaker in the US) one of the books I was most looking forward to this year but after finishing the book (literally ten minutes ago), I found myself really enjoying the book as well! Thanks to Allen and Unwin for the review copy, the blog tour and the giveaway (you guys are amazing!)
Review
(Goodreads) You can be Improved....
In a near-future world in which technology can transport you anywhere instantly, can a coded note enable you to change your body—to become taller, stronger, more beautiful? Clair is pretty sure the offer is too good to be true. But her best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try, longing for a new, improved version of herself.
What starts as Libby’s dream turns into Clair’s nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious—but powerful—stranger called Q, Clair’s attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.
The Short Story? - One of my favourite reads of this year! I went into Jump not knowing what to expect but finished the book thoroughly enjoying the content between the covers! An interesting and engaging take science fiction, cloning, DNA mojo and an utopian dictatorship, Jump was a thrilling and action-packed adventure. A fast-paced chase across the country, William's clever and intense plot leaves readers on the edge of their seats. A great protagonist with a brilliant mind, a mysterious ally and a race against time to save the world, Jump is definitely one of the cleverest science fiction novels!
The Long Story? - This is my kind of book. Action-packed, intense and fast-paced yet at the same time, incredibly thought provoking and clever. One of the highlights of the novel for me was the complexity of the ideas behind the technology. IT WAS SO CLEVER. The whole idea of cloning, teleportation and how we can be genetically mutated without our own knowledge every time we teleport is such a fascinating yet plausible theory. I'm not an expert in genetics and DNA mutation but William's take on the classic science fiction idea was thoroughly enjoyed. The other aspect of the plot I very much enjoyed was the chase. Clair, our protagonist, was chased all across the country by clones wanting to kill her, she makes unlikely allies on the way and learns that sacrifice and death is a necessity of life and on top of that, she's on a race against time to save her best friend. It's a highly complex plot and although I didn't exactly get lost, there are certain points in the novel where I felt myself falling behind. Jump is definitely one of those novels that you need to concentrate while reading or else you'll be left confused and unsatisfied.
Throughout the novel, we meet briefly meet a number of characters however most of them come and go very quickly (either they die or they're left behind) therefore leaving the characterisation to be a little empty. However the characterisation of our protagonist was fantastic. I loved Clair as a character, she was smart, responsible yet at the same a badass and master strategist. Where she lacked in physical combat, she made up for with her quick wits and fast thinking. Another constant for the duration of the novel was, Q, mysterious and revealed only at the very end for who she really is, I absolutely loved Q as a character. She was so sincere and the lengths she went to protect Clair were admirable. Jesse was also a character that accompanied Clair from the start to the very end, although there was some attraction between the two I wouldn't really call it a romance, perhaps the beginning of a romance? Overall, the characterisation was well done, a fantastic protagonist, her two constant companions and a body count that follows them!
Although the reviews of Jump have been mixed, I'm definitely on the lover's side for this book. Well written, clever and exciting, William's did an excellent job incorporating science, adventure, drama and action together. Unique, Jump is unlike any other science fiction novel that I've ever read and for those of you who are sick of the dystopian and science fiction cross-over, I highly recommend Jump because it's a solid science fiction novel. Thoroughly enjoyable, I can't wait to see where the rest of the series takes Clair and her friends!
What's it Worth? - Hand Over the Paycheck/ Squeeze into the Budget
Sean has also created a fantastic Youtube video about D-mat (which is the fascinating technology behind cloning and the DNA mutation I was raving about in my review!)
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Jump, I'm giving away copies of Jump! Thanks to Allen and Unwin, I have THREE (3) COPIES of JUMP by Sean Williams to giveaway to Australian Residents (sorry to my international readers but publisher's request!).
- AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
- Ends 1st of December
- Must be 13 or older
- Optional Entries :
* Leaving comment on this review
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