Where Books Come to Life

A review of Mechthild Glaser's novel The Book Jumper.

Two families with the magical power to jump into the world of books and interact with the characters that live there - as long as they don't mess with the plot - sounds like the perfect dream for any book lover. Unfortunately, The Book Jumper didn't quite stick the landing.

The book opens with phrases that are stilted and awkward, reading more like lists of character actions, rather than compelling passages that lead you deeper into the story. In fact, this was something that I struggled with the entire time I was reading this book. It may have been because the book was translated from German to English, but the characters just didn't stand out to me, and the phraseology used throughout the book was redundant and cliché. Even the protagonist filled the overused character trope of a clumsy girl running from her past - emphasis on the clumsy part. I found myself more intrigued by Will, the protagonist's companion, than the protagonist herself. Even the reason for the protagonist, Amy, and her mom, Alexis, to go to the mystical island of Stormsay was rather...irritating. Honestly, I didn't like Alexis at all as a character, and especially not as a mother figure. She comes across as abrasive and selfish, which may have been intention on the part of the author, but when combined with the overall lack of characterization that this book has it was more irritating than anything. Moreover, I was rather underwhelmed by the literary characters the author chose to have the book jumpers interact with. This is where I have to place a warning for future readers: if mentions of suicide trigger you at all, be aware that two of the literary characters Amy meets are ones that commit suicide in their stories. If you'd like a more detailed explanation, please email me or DM me on my Instagram page. The mentions aren't graphic or particularly intense, but I always like to provide a warning for subject matter along those lines.

Another problem that I had with this book was that there is no explanation given for the magical powers that the Lennox and Macalister have. Even the character meant to be the mentor of the two book jumpers says that "It's just the way things have always been," when Amy asks why the two families can jump into books, which to me is a rather weak way to dismiss such a hugely magical and mysterious power. Alongside confusing time skips and awkward changes in point of view, this massive plot hole became yet another thing that I struggled with as I read this book.

All of that being said, there were some things that I enjoyed about The Book Jumper. The concept behind the book is captivating, and the story interwoven about the princess, the knight, and the monster was honestly one of my favorite things about the book as a whole. This part was brilliantly crafted, and led to an ending that I found enjoyable and heart-wrenching. Additionally, the way that Glaser portrays the literary world is very interesting. The characters of all the books and plays that we, as readers in the real world, know and love are fully are fully aware of their own fictionality, and yet they have a world all of their own where they are almost like actors in a play or movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the concept of The Margin, as well as the interactions that occurred there.

Overall, this book was an interesting read. While it is not one that I would read again, I can definitely see why people enjoy it. For all its flaws and shortcomings, it was still a rather entertaining read.

The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser - 3.5/5 stars