Week Five Book Six--Jumped

Did you read the title of this entry? That's right--Week Five, Book Six!!! And it's only Wednesday! Last night I started the book Jumped, and since it was such a short book, I decided to finish it off in one night.

Jumped is about three high school girls--Leticia, Trina, and Dominique. These girls are VERY different from one another, yet their lives become intertwined throughout the novel. Dominique is raging mad because her grades have landed her benched on the basketball team. And the coach is not budging about the rules. So when flighty Trina casually says hello to Dominique and her girls while Dominique is upset, Dominique threatens to jump Trina after school. Trina doesn't know this, though--she's too flighty to notice much other than her artwork going into the school mural. But Leticia witnesses the whole thing and must decide whether she should warn Trina. And her decision has explosive consequences.

I stayed interested throughout the novel. I enjoyed reading the book through the three girls' voices; it made me understand their situations more, even if I didn't agree with them. And as an educator, it reminded me of the multiple ways that students can get distracted by their personal lives. The ending was pretty surprising to me--and definitely made me angry. But sometimes good books do that, because life doesn't always make you happy. Expect this to be a quick, thought-provoking read that keeps you wondering what will happen at the end!