Bounders #1 By Monica Tesler

My name is Jasper, and I've been raised to become one of Earth's first bounders. Bounding allows people to instantly transport themselves anywhere in the universe, but there's something about my genetics that will make me better at it. I'm now in deep space with other kids like me, learning everything we need to know about bounding, where we are grouped into pods. We hope to win the overall contest between the pods, but one girl on our team may doom us. Mira is spacey, keeps to herself, hasn't spoken to anyone, and our mentor says she's the key to our success. Wait, I need to tell you that there's something bigger going on here at the Earthbound Academy. I saw an alien being held captive here, and it's being kept in a specially-designed cell. Even though people don't talk about it, I think this alien might be responsible for the Incident at Bounding Base 51. I thought I was being trained to explore the universe, but I now wonder if I'm being trained to become a soldier.

This book was very entertaining, and I plan to read the sequel soon. Jasper's self-doubt makes him an unlikely leader for his pod, but the other kids always look to him for guidance. He makes their individual talents work together, and he's the only one able to understand Mira. Mira continuously adds mystery to the plot, as she mentally communicates with Jasper from time to time and communicates with the imprisoned alien. She's also able to harness the energy needed to bound better than anyone else, and the mentor seems to be keeping secrets about her. Jasper notices inconsistencies in what they're being told, so it's difficult to identify the good guys from the bad guys. This makes the plot more enjoyable, and I assume the overall conflict will become clearer in the next book.