I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review
voluntarily.
At the outset, I have only one word to describe this book - WOW!
The Photo Jumper is an amazing tale of a man with a special ability allowing
him to visit the past by jumping into photographs. This is a character-driven
tale of Allister, who has an ability even he doesn't completely understand. It
is extremely well written with characters that a reader can care about,
descriptions of the settings that come alive, and it is emotionally charged,
running a full gamut of the emotional spectrum. I was absorbed in this story
from the moment I started reading all the way to the end. This is one of the
best books I have read this year so far. Not to be missed.
Allister McClamroch is, more or less, an ordinary guy with an extraordinary
ability; he can jump into and out of photographs at will. He can interact with
others in those images, and he can even take inanimate objects into and out of photos.
While he cannot bring people with him, he can relive old moments and enjoy new
experiences that enrich him. There are rules he cannot break. He cannot go into
a photo and stay there forever.
But not all is fun and games for him. There are consequences for actions,
both good and bad.
In the real world, he has his share of problems. He is a lonely person, and
at times seems like a tragic character. He has a sense of responsibility and
works hard to take care of those obligations, sometimes falling short. One
thing he is dealing with is an obsession over the death of a high school
friend. Allister is determined to see his friend and his friend's family
receive the justice that is their due.
But there is also so much more to this tale.
Grayson is a cop. He is also Allister's friend and confidant. The two work
to solve cold cases while Allister works to become a private investigator. Then
there's Mila. A woman Allister meets completely by chance who becomes someone
special in Allister's life.
All the characters in this book are believable as people one might meet
anywhere, and they come alive as the reader gets deeper into this tale.
My favorite plot point in Photo Jumper involves character
transformation. Every photo Allister jumps into becomes a real place for him,
but when he jumps out, everything is reset to what it was before he jumped in.
Not only is this a great plot device, but it affords the principal character an
opportunity to reflect on his decisions and even make things right for himself.
It is difficult to explain without spoiling important aspects of the story, so
I'll just leave this right here.
The primary theme of the book, and my takeaway, is while one can be obsessed
by past situations, there is always hope for a better future if one can focus
on the things in life that are important. The author sums it up in a quote from
Buddha: "In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how
gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for
you."
Or perhaps another quote that applies is from Star Trek. Mr. Spock observes
in the episode entitled Amok Time...
"After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing
after all as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true."
The Photo Jumper is a well written, highly entertaining sci-fi adventure. I
was mesmerized from the start and was never bored, nor did I run into anything
that took me out of the story. It unfolds much like a movie would in the
reader's mind. The tale is loaded with twists and turns, and I didn't find
anything predictable. There are some disturbing moments of violence, but those
were not gratuitous and helped to move the story along. The science fiction is
on the lighter side, so there are no long-winded explanations of how things
work, and there isn't a lot of jargon to bog down the flow of the story. It is
one fine story I can recommend for any reader; it has everything one can want
from an engaging reading experience. Highest Recommendations!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tony's passion is writing science fiction and fantasy with an emotional
punch. Raised with humble beginnings in Georgia, his early childhood limited
travel. The only way to experience other places was with voracious reading and
imagination. He draws inspiration from fantasy/fiction genres, dreams, comics,
the supernatural, and roleplaying games. He applies his degree in world history
to deliver relatable but unpredictable storytelling that readers demand.
Tony is never not writing, but breaks away to burn new recipes in the
kitchen, neglect chores to obsess over football, and play with his dog. He is
based in San Antonio, Texas, happily married, raising two children, and works
in the financial industry.
Tony has a lot of future work in progress. Check out his web page at https://tonybible.com/ for more information.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
