Not sure if you'll like this one, but some of you might so I thought I'd let you know about it. The first thing to know about this novel is that it's a guy's story. It's written by a guy from a guy's point-of-view and totally in a guy-appealing way. So, if you're a girl and can enjoy books written like that, you'll be fine. Otherwise, I suggest watching the movie instead. It was released last year and is out on DVD. Although marketed to the Male Teens Through Twenties demographic, it's much more girl-appealing, especially when you consider Hayden Christenson was cast in the leading role. Yum! Movie-makers know guys like to take their girls to the movies. To this day, when my husband and I go out to the movies, it's inevitable Science Fiction or Fantasy because we both love those kinds of stories. He's glad I've never been in to 'Chick-Flicks,' except one, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, which I can watch by myself on DVD. Anyway, the movie is better structured for suspense and action.
However, if you think the book might work for you, read on.
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Davy's father beats the crap out of him and his mother ran out after putting up with the abuse for too long. His father keeps him around for the slave labor and so he won't have to pay child support. Davy's almost 18 years old when he discovers his natural ability to teleport. Suddenly, he's able to escape his pathetic idiot of a father.
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Disoriented at first, he goes hungry, gets mugged on the streets of New York City, and doesn't quite know what to do. He can't get a job, because he escaped his father without a birth certificate, a high school diploma, a driver's license or a social security card. He has no idea how to establish himself and his identity elsewhere and he's understandably afraid. He begins to 'jump' into hotel rooms to sleep and to other places to steal food, then clothing and other stuff. Although he demonstrates a clear sense of ethics otherwise, his stealing increases until he starts jumping into bank vaults to steal vast amounts of money.
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Early on, Davy meets Millie, a girl about three years older. They fall in love, but don't expect sighing romantic tension if you're a girl who likes that, because this is a book for guys. Remember?
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Eventually, Davy goes searching for his mother. He's terrified because she abandoned him, but Millie, a psyche major, encourages him. Eventually, he finds her and learns she didn't intentionally abandoned him, but fled to a hospital to have her face re-built after his father broke it. Then, she was afraid to go back for him.
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And so Davy has Millie and his mother back in his life again, not to mention an unlimited 'bank account.' Things should be good. However, after rescuing a woman from her abusive husband, a police officer, he finds himself being hunted down by the police who, of course, prefer to believe the pathetic idiot instead of Davy. And then his mother is killed when terrorists blow up the jet she's traveling in. Davy freaks out and wants to hunt down the terrorists, because he has this super power now and can exact revenge. The corrupt police and assorted shady characters also kidnap Millie.
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Now both the women Davy loves have been attacked and all he wants to do is avenge, rescue, and try to make all the bad people stop hurting all the good people. But, can he?
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This book was released in 1992, so it ought to be in your local library. There's another version, JUMPER - GRIFFIN'S STORY, which I have not read.
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A few warnings for the more sensitive among you- There is a little bit of graphic sexual innuendo, but nothing that effected me, probably because it's so guy-oriented that it bored me. There is a significant amount of cussing, which you might expect from any human in a really tense situation. And there's some graphic violence. None of this really bothers me much, but if it had been cleaned up just a bit the book could have been stocked in Young Adult as well the regular Science Fiction section, at least in my community's store and library, and, therefore, receive more exposure to readers. The themes are certainly pertinent to young adults, teens and twenties.
Here's the glorious Temptations to help celebrate- 
It's because she's 'beached' on the sofa!
