Steven Gould's debut 1992 novel "Jumper"http://www.amazon.com/Jumper-ebook/dp/B003Y5HCXG/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1360391141&sr=1-5 is probably the best novel about teleportation in science fiction. It tells the story about how David Rice learns to secretly use his jumping talent.
In "Reflex" http://www.amazon.com/Reflex-Jumper-ebook/dp/B003YXXKJI/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1, the sequel to "Jumper", David is captured by a power hungry group that wants to coerce David to work for them. Hyacinth Pope, one of the leaders of the group, tortures and experiments on David, but Millie, his girlfriend, learns to jump and she rescues David and Pope is jailed.
In "Impulse" http://www.amazon.com/Impulse-ebook/dp/B00AEC8OUW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1360391061&sr=8-2&keywords=impulse, Gould explores what it would be like for a young teenager to have the jumping ability.
Now years later, David and Millie are married. They live way way off the grid in a remote cabin in Canada, with their young daughter Cent, who is unable to jump. Fearing the well financed groups that previously made him a prisoner, David has enacted many security safeguards, multiple internet accounts and fake disguises to live. No one even knows that Cent is even alive. She was born in the cabin with the help of a midwife and is home schooled. Meanwhile Millie and David use their talents and money to jump food to relief efforts in Bangladesh.
Cent, 15, chafes under her parents' controls and their paranoia. One day while snowboarding, she finds herself in the midst of an avalanche, which triggers her jumping ability. She tells her parents, and David and Millie help her learn to use her talent and she travels around the world learning to use her talent. However, Cent wants to hang out with kids her own age.
David and Millie reluctantly agree, that since Cent can jump, and presumably escape from harm, she can enroll in high school to learn how to interact with kids her own age. David provides her with a special telephone that cannot be traced to the family, and they buy a house in New Prospect so she can attend the local high school.
Cent goes to school and makes friends with a couple of local girls. She meets Brett, goes on a date with another guy and joins the snowboarding team. On the side she experiments on her abilities learning to increase her acceleration when she jumps, and control her talent better.
Meanwhile, instead of keeping a low profile at school, Cent gets on the wrong side of Caffeine, a bully and local drug dealer. Things gradually escalate and soon Cent is defending three local boys who are being blackmailed by Caffeine, and taking on Caffeine and her gang members, who gradually use more and more muscle on Cent.
There are some good high school scenes about the new girl in school, and her first exposure to jocks and boys. But inescapably, having the ability to jump, will mean that you are going to use it. Its almost impossible not to.
In the end, Cent, Caffeine, and David's old enemy Pope are all together in an airport, and Cent and her family must use their talent to escape.
Cent is a very likeable character and Gould interjects scenes with Millie and David that augment the story. Generally, "Impulse" is a good fast read about how a young person would deal with her talent, but it seems a little far-fetched that she would immediately get involved in a situation with a drug dealer and her gang members given her situation.Nevertheless, it definitely ratchets up the action.
This coming of age story is a good fast enjoyable read.
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