Jump by Elisa Carbone [book]

Jump by Elisa Carbone [book]

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Speak; Reprint edition, 2010
Language: English
ISBN: 0142419133

Plot Summary:
P.K.'s parents don't understand her, and she is not doing well in school or in their eyes; so they decide to send her to boarding school, but P.K. is not on board with this idea. Critter's parents also don't understand him and the different way that he views life; he escapes a mental ward and is in the right place at the right time when P.K. decides to make a plan and leave. They meet at the rock climbing gym and as virtual strangers decide to pool their money and leave in the middle of the night on an adventure that will lead them west to Yosemite on a rock climbing adventure. The hitchhike and takes buses to each stop and rock climb sometimes dangerous surfaces all the while forming an attraction. They meet interesting characters, face life threatening climbs and are on the run from the cops because of their break away trip. P.K. is very strong minded and willed and thinks that she knows better for herself in life; she wants adventure and she is in love with rock climbing. Critter is an interesting character in that he says he can see people's auras and is very in touch with living a free life to its fullest. The novel it is fast paced with adventure and romance as they run from the cops and fall for each other's similar viewpoints on climbing and living a fun life.

Critical Evaluation:
I think that this book was an easy read, and I enjoyed all of the rock climbing lingo that was interspersed all throughout the novel. I have rock climbed so I am aware of the feelings that they have about it, but I wonder if people from an outside perspective will be able to grasp the sport as much through this novel. It is a good parallel story of both P.K. and Critter escaping from their societies to run away and do something that they love. I thought that the plot line of runaway romance was fairly typical for a young adult novel but liked that it was punctuated with philosophy, rock climbing, and adventure.

Reader's Annotation:
When P.K. finds out that she is going to be sent to boarding school she decides to run away to Yosemite to climb, and she brings a guy from the climbing gym with her thinking the idea is great until the past catches up with them.

Websites to look Into:
www.elisacarbone.com/

The Author:
Carbone actually reenacts some of the plots in the books that she writes, she researches the area, and completes interviews with the surrounding people when writing her books.

Awards:
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011
Cybils Award nominee 2010
Maryland Black Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee 2011-2012
Keystone State Reading Association Young Adult Book Award Nominee 2011
Georgia Peach Book Award 2012-2013
Richie's Picks Best of 2010
Starred review Publisher's Weekly

Similar Books:
"The Half-Life of Planets" by Emily Franklin
"Somebody Everybody Listens To" by Suzanne Supplee
Booktalking Ideas:
Discussing running away from home
Actually going climbing while discussing the book to understand it more

Genre:
Adventure, Fiction

Interest Age:
13+

Challenge Issues:
Running away from home
I think that this could very well be a challenge because many teens do run away from home and it is important to talk about it and make it known that it is not as glamorous as it may seem, and that it may not be the solution.

Why this Book?
This book is a fun action book, and I chose it because I love rock climbing and I thought that it was a book that would appeal to people that think running away from home will take away your problems- because it won't.