Review: Jumping the Nail by Eve Bunting

Jumping the Nail by Eve Bunting.

Harcourt Childrens Books
Publication Date: January 2012
List Price: $6.95
ISBN-13: 9780152413583

Review: The Nail is a 90 foot high cliff, hanging above the deep dark water below. In the California town of La Paloma, people have been jumping off of it all the time. But, when one thing goes wrong, it can result in serious injury, or even death. Previous tragedies still remind everyone of the risks. There is even a story of a girl who became paralyzed, and won't ever be able to walk again. In this thrilling, enjoyable, and fast reading novel, Jumping the Nail written by Eve Bunting, can anyone be stopped from jumping?

Once Dru finds out that a boy named Scooter is going to jump, can her boyfriend, Mike, and her stop him? He's a daredevil and loves to get his adrenaline going. Dru's friend Elisa might jump too, but will she breakdown and give in? After nearly forcing her to jump with him, Scooter now has bragging rights. However, Elisa seems to be haunted by the soul of a girl from the depths of the waters below the Nail. Claiming that the ghost wants her to stay, she tries to avoid going near the Nail. There are supposed to be other jumps, but will they end like Scooter's and Elisa's did? Or will the jumper die a painful death? The only way to find out is to read Jumping the Nail.

Jumping the Nail deserves a five out of five stars rating. It was an enjoyable and stunning fast read that kept me glued to it. The intensity of the book is very high at some points, and the reality of it is scary. I think the author didn't just write this book for a good read, but to teach a lesson that jumping off cliffs, or more importantly blindly following others, can be foolish and dangerous. Many people die from jumping into the waters below. With these two points together, it makes a fantastic book. I think everyone should read it, and I hope they learn a valuable, life-saving lesson from it.

Review written by William (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Jumping the Nail for this review.

Have you read Jumping the Nail? How would you rate it?