Word Spelunking

Peggy Eddleman’s Sky Jumpers is a super captivating middle-grade read with exciting and refreshing post-apoc elements and breathless thrills. Twelve year old Hope lives in White Rock, a town located in a 10 mile wide crater, in a post WW III world. The green bombs of WW III left the world devastated and destroyed most of the technology, so the citizens of White Rock value inventing above all else. But Hope rather go sky jumping off the crater’s cliffs and into the deadly Bomb’s Breath- the deadly layer of air left behind by the bombs that one must hold their breath through. But when bandits invade, looking for White Rock’s life saving antibiotics, Hope and her sky jumping friends may be the town’s only hope.Sky Jumpers is such a fun, entertaining read and I loved every minute of it! Peggy Eddleman has woven a smartly crafted post-apoc story for a MG audience with superb storytelling, wonderful word-building, and charming characters. This book has all the well thought-out and logical post-apoc world-building elements and the intensity; urgency; and unpredictability I love in great YA post-apocs, but crafted in ways that are appropriate for and easily understood by a MG audience. In fact, Sky Jumpers is the perfect book to introduce younger readers to the post-apoc genre! Eddleman explores both her post-apoc world’s history and its current state in-depth, but not in a way that will overwhelm readers. The WW III green bombs and their devastating effects make complete logical sense, and create a setting with such exciting possibilities and potential. Like me, younger readers will be fascinated by White Rock and its intriguing mix of 19th-21st century technology and way of life.Sky Jumpers’ heroine, Hope, is a fun mix of feisty, clever, brave, and vulnerable. She’s such a relatable and lovable character, and I loved seeing this world through her eyes. Younger readers will easily connect with Hope and have no problems rooting for her. Hope’s friends and adventure companions, Aaren; Brock, and little Brenna, are just as lovable and well-developed as Hope, and I loved the genuine friendship among this quirky group.Sky Jumpers is filled to the brim with thrills and excitement! Like me, young readers will love soaring into the deadly Bomb’s Breath, careening down a snow covered mountain, racing across the desolate terrain, and going up against a group of lawless bandits to save White Rock, with Hope and her motley crew.The end is totally satisfying, but leaves plenty of room for future adventures, and I cannot wait for more!MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I had such a fantastic time reading this book! Endlessly enthralling and never boring, Sky Jumpers, will have readers breathlessly turning pages until the very end. As a new author, Peggy Eddleman has certainly made a sparkling debut and gained a fan in me. A definite MUST read, especially for middle-grade readers.