But when he experiences a mystifying event involving visions, voices and spectral visits, Jack figures there’s only one person to help him understand who’s calling out to him and why.

Jack would really like to connect with Lauren but can’t figure out how. Finally, she did and she hasn’t had to work since. For the longest time, Lauren’s mother didn’t listen. The town still talks about when she kept badgering her mother about the money in their wall. Jack’s classmate, Lauren, is said to have unique abilities too. But Jack’s ability to predict the future - well, that just annoys the hell out of them. Bad enough he’s a rock musician, has crappy grades and hangs out with his “loser” friends. Jack has been getting on his parents’ nerves for some time. While he’s still writing about himself in third-person, David should probably also mention that he lives outside Richmond, VA, with his wife, two kids and a dog who’s terrified of thunder (not the best situation since it thunders from spring until fall in Richmond).Psychic flashes, haunting visions, missing persons and visits from ghosts. His short fiction has also appeared in literary reviews. Currently, he’s working on a sequel to Jump When Ready, to be published in 2014. But for Henry to even have a chance, he has to convince a group of teenagers that dead doesn’t mean helpless.ĭavid Pandolfe is the author of two novels, Jump When Ready and Streetlights Like Fireworks.

As the police chase false leads, Henry comes to realize that he’s his sister’s only hope. He knows who did it, where she’s being held and what will happen if the kidnappers don’t get what they want. Is Henry’s group kept isolated because of their abilities? If so, are they considered gifted or seen only as a potential bad influence?īefore Henry can reach any conclusions, he witnesses his sister being kidnapped. Soon, Henry learns that his new friends all possess unique skills for making themselves noticed by the living.

After all, what could he possibly have in common with a Mohawk-sporting punker from the 80s, a roller skater from the 70s with a thing for kimonos, and an English “rocker” from the 60s? Add to that, Henry can hear the other groups but he never sees them. Since he drowned, Henry has remained with the same group of teenagers and he keeps wondering why.

Jump When Ready by David Pandolfe