Today the blog tour for The Book Jumper, Mechthild Gläser's new fantasy-fulfilling YA novel, stops right here at Stories & Sweeties! :D I'll be sharing my thoughts and then telling you which book I would love to jump into if I had the Lennox family's book-jumping powers! Read on>>>
The Book Jumper
by Mechthild Gläser
♦publisher: Feiwel & Friends
♦release date: January 3rd, 2017
♦hardcover, 384 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review
Amy Lennox doesn't know quite what to expect when she and her mother pick up and leave Germany for Scotland, heading to her mother's childhood home of Lennox House on the island of Stormsay.
Amy's grandmother, Lady Mairead, insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House—but not in the usual way. It turns out that Amy is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as Amy's new power is, it also brings danger—someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts—at whatever the cost.
Review: If there was ever a book that fulfilled every avid reader's fantasy, it's
The Book Jumper. The two families on the island of Stormsay have a very special legacy and an amazing gift. They are the guardians of the literary world---every story every written is theirs to watch over and protect. And to do this, they magically transport themselves right into the stories themselves. What reader has not dreamt of this very thing?? I think it may be my favorite magical power that I've ever come across. :)
When Amy learns of her family's gift, she is excited to start jumping. She's a little cocky and reckless with it, especially after she learns she can do something no one else can, not even other Jumpers. I liked the closeness between her and her mother, but I really thought Amy's reaction to a few surprises her mother throws at her were a bit overly dramatic. I did like the gradual closeness that grows between her and Will, a young man from the "rival" family on the island. The mystery and danger grows as one character turns up murdered and key ideas start going missing from the stories, throwing them into chaos. Amy, Will, and her new fictional friend Werther race to find out who is behind the thefts, with all kinds of suspicions flying. In the story, each work of fiction is part of a huge connected world and even though at times the how and why of the way the world worked is a little glazed over and fuzzy, with a little suspension of disbelief, it's a completely enjoyable romp through some of my favorite stories.
There were just a few problems I had. As often happens with translated books, I found the flow to be a little bit choppy at times. Its times like these that I wish I could magically read in any language so I could experience all stories in their original form. I definitely think that there's usually a little something that gets lost in translation. Another little quirk I had is that it felt very young. Amy seemed very young at times and most of the story felt more geared toward a middle grade audience---so much so that the few swear words that popped up felt jarring and out of character.
Still, such a wild, fun, and creative story. I also loved that for a book about fairy tales and classic stories, it wasn't quite a happily ever after but an interesting ending that left Amy with a pretty weighty decision to make in her future.
•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•
Mechthild Gläser was born in the summer of 1986 in Essen. Even today, she lives and works in the Ruhr area, where she devotes herself to her studies and now and then dances ballet badly - but only when no one is looking. She started writing early, and her laptop still stands on the pink desk under which her first stories arose. She finds inspiration everywhere, but best with a cup of peppermint tea.
(translated from Goodreads author info, originally in German)
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So which book would I love to jump into??
If I ever was so lucky to find myself suddenly able to jump into my favorite books, the question would be: which book would I jump into FIRST ;D. It would be a dream come true, being able to fly with Peter Pan and Wendy, join Dumbledore's Army, drink a cup of tea with the Hatter and Alice, and learn to fence with the Three Musketeers. But the first book I would jump into, just to get my feet wet in the literary world, would be Pride and Prejudice. To talk and dream with Lizzie and Jane, walk the halls of Netherfield, put on a pretty gown and my best manners and dance at a lively ball, and take long walks and carriage rides through the English countryside. Not to mention, get to witness both the first encounter of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and flip to the end to see him finally confess his love. ♥♥♥
SO which book would YOU jump into??
Be sure to drop by the rest of the stops on the Book Jumper Tour!
