Wednesday, November 10, 2010

JUMP by Ginger Rue



Brinkley Harper is the queen of Story High.  Everyone knows her and many fear her.  Because of her reputation as a bully, Brinkley has been ordered to see a therapist.  If she doesn't keep her appointments, she faces possible expulsion from Story High which her parents are concerned will severely limit her college choices.  Brinkley reluctantly meets with the counselor, but she doesn't have any plans to cooperate.

Returning home from her appointment, Brinkley is greeted by Tallulah, the family's housekeeper.  Brinkley's parents may indulge her every whim, but they are usually too busy with their careers and social engagements to spend any real time with their daughter.  Tallulah takes care of Brinkley and shows extreme patience with the teen's abusive behavior. 

On this particular night Brinkley is upset by her parents' latest last minute vacation disappearance so she heads to bed.  The next thing she knows she is waking up, not in her comfortable bed, but in a classroom at Story High.  Confused and unsettled, she rushes to the nearest restroom, and what she sees as she looks in the mirror baffles her even more.  Instead of her stunningly beautiful face, she is looking at the face of a hideous goth girl named Miranda.  What is going on?

Brinkley realizes she has somehow taken over the body of one of the people she would be least likely to associate with at Story High.  Everyone she encounters believes she is this Miranda so she stumbles through her day trying to do whatever the girl would do. 

When school ends, Brinkley/Miranda heads home to Miranda's house only to discover that the poor girl lives with a rather terrifying and abusive father.  Brinkley also learns of Miranda's secret habit of self-injury which causes her to view the girl in a whole new light.

Brinkley finds out that sleep releases her from Miranda's body, and she once again has her own life back.  But she soon discovers that this is just the beginning.  Will seeing life through the eyes of those around her change how Brinkley herself views the world? 

Author Ginger Rue takes readers on a wild ride as Brinkley jumps from character to character.  Though farfetched in terms of reality, Brinkley's experiences will have readers doing a bit of self-examination.  How do we really treat others and how is that treatment perceived?  JUMP is fun and entertaining but thought-provoking as well.

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