The Jump

January 15, 2023
Four high school students compete in a citywide scavenger hunt with the hopes of taking down a major corporation. Jaxon, who is Black; nonspeaking Hansel, who is White and struggles with auditory overstimulation; Black and Pakistani Yasmin; and Korean American trans boy Daeshim, who also goes by Spider, represent different backgrounds--but the friends share a unifying passion: solving internet-based cryptology puzzles. United as Team JERICHO, the group participates in elaborate scavenger hunts that take place against the backdrop of rapidly gentrifying Seattle neighborhoods. Profit-hungry conglomerates, such as the oil-shilling Roundworld, continue to destroy small businesses and push out working-class families. When the group learns of a new puzzle that appears to be sanctioned by clandestine vigilante organization the Order, Jax immediately enlists Team JERICHO to participate in the game. Though other team members--most notably Yas--are skeptical of the Order's true intentions, Jax is tempted by the prize, which includes a chance to join the ranks of the secret society. As they soldier on, the teenagers discover that their greatest strength is their loyalty to each other. This action-packed novel depicts the destruction of late-stage capitalism and captures the bonds of friendship through the four protagonists' alternating first-person narration. Racial and cultural diversity are spotlighted while being seamlessly woven into the plot. A thrill ride unabashedly critiquing abusive systems of power that mirror real-world behemoths. (Fiction. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 6, 2023
Four Seattle teens team up to take down a powerful multinational enterprise that threatens their livelihoods in this ambitious tech-driven mystery by Morris (The Cost of Knowing). Black teenager Jax is the leader of Team Jericho, a group of ingenious scavenger hunt enthusiasts passionate about solving the cryptology riddles posted to online urban exploration forums. When the Order, an infamous organization of anarchist crypto-vigilantes “bent on bringing justice to the untouchable elite,” serendipitously devises a challenge to recruit new members, Jax convinces his team to participate. He hopes that joining the Order will provide them the resources to stop Roundworld, a megacorporation whose growing presence threatens marginalized communities across Seattle. But each new clue, and the appearance of ruthless rivals, complicates the team’s mission. And as the teens uncover more about the Order, they begin questioning whether the institution is everything it seems. Morris intersperses a middling mystery plot with affecting personal drama, notably sketching a warm, supportive neighborhood caught in the undertow of gentrification. Propulsive action scenes thrill, but it’s the complex, impressively drawn characters, their individual motivations, and their unwavering loyalty to each other that steal the show. Ages 12–up. Agent: Quressa Robinson, Nelson Literary.

March 1, 2023
Grades 7-10 From the author of SLAY (2019) comes an exhilarating adventure of four teens who must use their puzzle-solving skills to stop the construction of an oil refinery. Han, Yas, Spider, and Jax are each gifted with a skill set that makes them the unstoppable Team Jericho, their cryptogram-solving unit. When an underground group makes a splash with a puzzle of their own, Team Jericho races to crack the code and save their families from the oil refinery that's threatening to destroy their communities. Morris crafts a well-rounded cast of diverse characters, each of whom has their own motivations for stopping the oil corporation. The four teens are at the center of the story, but the environment is just as compelling. Set in Seattle, the book addresses various environmental justice movements occurring around Puget Sound and the Indigenous groups who strive to protect the land. Undoubtedly, the author accomplishes much in under 300 pages, but some readers may lament the missed opportunities for further details surrounding the puzzles and the teams involved. Nevertheless, this eco-thriller packs a mighty punch.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Readers meet the Team Jericho squad, also known as the scavenger hunting dream team of Seattle. With Jax as the cryptologist, Yaz as the parkour expert, Spider as the technology wiz, and Han as the resident history and map expert, Team Jericho has earned a reputation as the team to beat. But when a new oil refinery threatens their community, the team must win the next scavenger hunt sponsored by "The Order." This anti-establishment group promises influence and power to the group who can solve its scavenger hunt, and Team Jericho sees this as the answer to their problem. Solve the puzzles and take down the refinery. However, "The Order'' is not what it seems, and the team is on the brink of losing what has made them so exceptional. Do they walk away and risk the existence of the community they love, or do they continue the game and watch their team fall apart to gain power and influence? Morris's work of fiction is set in modern-day Seattle. Told from the perspectives of the four main characters, the story explores themes of community and change. Readers experience the struggle between the main characters who desperately want to be the agents of change, and their families who want to keep them safe. The chapters are short and fast-paced, which is a perfect combination for reluctant readers. There is some language as well as some mature themes. VERDICT An entertaining read for high school students, particularly for those who love adventure.-Jeni Tahaney

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