The Jump

By: Brittney Morris

Narrated by: Zeno Robinson, Ali Andre Ali, Soneela Nankani, Sagan Chen

From the acclaimed author of SLAY and The Cost of Knowing comes an action-driven, high-octane “thrill ride” (Kirkus Reviews) about a group of working-class teens in Seattle who join a dangerous scavenger hunt with a prize that can save their families and community.

Influence is power. Power creates change. And change is exactly what Team Jericho needs.

Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han are the four cornerstones of Team Jericho, the best scavenger hunting team in all of Seattle. Each has their own specialty: Jax, the puzzler; Yas, the parkourist; Spider, the hacker; and Han, the cartographer. But now with an oil refinery being built right in their backyard, each also has their own problems. Their families are at risk of losing their jobs, their communities, and their homes.

So when The Order, a mysterious vigilante organization, hijacks the scavenger hunting forum and concocts a puzzle of its own, promising a reward of influence, Team Jericho sees it as the chance of a lifetime. If they win this game, they could change their families’ fates and save the city they love so much. But with an opposing team hot on their heels, it’s going to take more than street smarts to outwit their rivals.

©2023 Brittney Morris. All rights reserved. (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Zeno Robinson, Soneela Nankani, Sagan Chen, and Ali Andre Ali (Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han respectively) move the story from their own perspectives in alternating chapters. Robinson and Chen, especially, put listeners into the shoes of their characters: in high school, competing with (and sometimes against) friends for what might just be survival. Perfect for teen readers with their eyes wide open who like their stakes high and their puzzles thrilling." (Caitlin Savage)

Needed more confidence

At its core, the story was badass especially for a young audience. Unfortunately, while the narrator seemed very good at what they do (accents, pacing, etc) they made the main character seem incredibly whiny and insecure just with the intonation. Which honestly made me drop this book a couple of times because I couldn’t stand the insecurity of the protagonist. It wasn’t in the writing though it was just in the way the words were read. The book overall touched on really heavy and well deserved topics but it felt like they needed to be explored further or needed to focus on characterization a little bit more because I left not really caring too much about the characters even though I desperately wanted to and loved the premise.