Book Review: Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman
Genre: Middle Grade, Dystopia, Science Fiction
Source
Purchase: Amazon Hardcover, Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble

Summary: What happens when you can't do the one thing that matters most? Twelve-year-old Hope Toriella lives in White Rock, a town of inventors struggling to recover from the green bombs of World War III. But Hope is terrible at inventing and would much rather sneak off to cliff dive into the Bomb's Breath—the deadly band of compressed air that covers the crater left by the bombs—than fail at yet another invention. When bandits discover that White Rock has priceless antibiotics, they invade. With a two-day deadline to finish making this year's batch and no ingredients to make more, the town is left to choose whether to hand over the medicine and die from the disease that's run rampant since the bombs, or die fighting the bandits now. Help lies in a neighboring town, but the bandits count everyone fourteen and older each hour. Hope and her friends—Aaron and Brock—might be the only ones who can escape to make the dangerous trek through the Bomb's Breath and over the snow-covered mountain. Inventing won't help her make it through alive, but with Aaron and Brock's help, the daring and recklessness that usually gets her into trouble might just save them all. 
Review

The Good: Hope Toriella is a daring girl who has strong dedication to friends and family. When she can't invent in a town where inventing is very important and kids have to invent, she gets a blow to her self-esteem every year. But in a post - World War III world she gets the opportunity to prove herself useful when bandits attack and she and three friends set out for the next town to bring back help. The Bomb's Breath left behind since the war, usually deadly, is their best bet in helping them both escape and get back in time to stop the bandits from taking away life saving antibiotics and harming anymore townspeople. Sky Jumpers is a rich vibrant story that takes you on an adventure different from any you have been on before. Peggy finds a way to make Sky Jumpers unique and when the kids go into the bomb's breath to save their town it will be you holding your breath.

The Bad: Where is the movie version for this? I mean, come on this is one of the most innovative books since Harry Potter. Sorry but I have nothing negative to say. I guess sometimes Hope's a bit naive? But she's a kid so again, nothing negative to say.

The Verdict: A must read for young people and adults who are fans of MG and YA books. The next step is a movie. Yes I really want this made into a movie.

Rating: 5 Stars