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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
This was a fun Audiobook. But Korman is such a powerhouse in middle grade fiction that is to be expected. Jett is the son of one of the richest people in the world (think Jeff Bezos) and acts like it. After getting into a bit of trouble back home, dad packs him and his minder off to the backwoods of Little Rock, Arkansas and the wellness retreat The Oasis. Rule number one at Oasis? Completely unplug. This is a time for meditation, mindfulness, getting back to nature and finding yourself. The last thing Jett wants to do is find himself. Grace is a “camper” who comes every summer and she loves it. She is totally into the lifestyle of the Oasis. Then there are the other kid campers and adult ones to (this is a family place after all). But Jett, especially the trouble making precocious kind will be kids. They take in a baby lizard they name Needles (because its bite is worse than it’s bark), and discover that things at the Oasis are not always what they seem. This book was a laugh riot with lots of heart. However, I thought the ending was way rushed. So much time was built building up the Oasis and trying to reform Jett, that the mystery at the end came as a bit of a shock and almost seemed out of place. This book was enjoyable, and kids will love it, but Korman has done better.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3,5/5. Good audibook, the narrator was great and the story itself was fun. Not the most original middle grade «plot», but I like the setting of an unplugged retreat for children and the morale it try to pass on, with subtility to not overtake the story, but still present. The characters were a bit strong on stereotypes, but it didn't bother me much. Overall an entertaining and enjoyable middle grade book with a some depth to it, that compensate for the low originality. I like it!
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just when you start to think that this book is just a cute story about a rescued lizard - it goes sideways, and not in a bad way!
If the story stopped at seeing how a spoiled rich kid, a do-gooder, a weirdo, and an allergy-prone kid can find common ground and even bond over a lizard rescued from the hot spring, it would have been a great feel-good story. But, a few misplaced Snicker wrappers lead down a very unexpected and thrill-filled path.
CAWPILE: 8.00
If the story stopped at seeing how a spoiled rich kid, a do-gooder, a weirdo, and an allergy-prone kid can find common ground and even bond over a lizard rescued from the hot spring, it would have been a great feel-good story. But, a few misplaced Snicker wrappers lead down a very unexpected and thrill-filled path.
CAWPILE: 8.00
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced audio review copy of this book.
I loved the setting of this book, because any kind of camp setting always gets me--and this was a wellness retreat, so even better.
The characters were interesting, if not exactly unique. They were definitely predictable in some ways, though I was still rooting for them. The characters were not very diverse and didn't have many distinguishing characteristics for the most part, other than some personality differences amongst the children.
The plot was interesting and I enjoyed watching how it turned out. The corruption components of the story were fun to read about.
I had some problems with how this book dealt with vegetarianism, meditation, etc. I also feel that there was some inherent fatphobia in this that was not resolved in anyway.
Overall I think this would be an exciting, if not very unique, book for middle schoolers.
I loved the setting of this book, because any kind of camp setting always gets me--and this was a wellness retreat, so even better.
The characters were interesting, if not exactly unique. They were definitely predictable in some ways, though I was still rooting for them. The characters were not very diverse and didn't have many distinguishing characteristics for the most part, other than some personality differences amongst the children.
The plot was interesting and I enjoyed watching how it turned out. The corruption components of the story were fun to read about.
I had some problems with how this book dealt with vegetarianism, meditation, etc. I also feel that there was some inherent fatphobia in this that was not resolved in anyway.
Overall I think this would be an exciting, if not very unique, book for middle schoolers.
*in stores 1/5/2021
Unplugged is a middle-grade mystery novel about the troublemaking son of a tech billionaire and his forced visit to a health and wellness camp in Arkansas called Oasis.
In Uplugged the reader follows Jett Baranov as he arrives as Oasis and realizes his dad hasn’t sent him to a five star posh resort but instead signed him up for a camp with a no-cell phone rule, vegetarian menu and daily meditation and hypnosis. Jett is predictably annoyed with the camp rules and menu and joins up with other kids interested in trips offsite to get candy and taking care of an non-sanctioned reptile pet called “Needles”. As Jett snoops around camp he starts to find things that don’t add up and maybe camp Oasis isn’t the haven of wellness it claims to be.
I think readers of all ages will enjoy this middle-grade adventure and mystery. It has enough laughs and plot twists to keep the interest of teen and tween readers but isn’t childish or silly.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced audio copy of Unplugged in exchange for my honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four stars
Unplugged is a middle-grade mystery novel about the troublemaking son of a tech billionaire and his forced visit to a health and wellness camp in Arkansas called Oasis.
In Uplugged the reader follows Jett Baranov as he arrives as Oasis and realizes his dad hasn’t sent him to a five star posh resort but instead signed him up for a camp with a no-cell phone rule, vegetarian menu and daily meditation and hypnosis. Jett is predictably annoyed with the camp rules and menu and joins up with other kids interested in trips offsite to get candy and taking care of an non-sanctioned reptile pet called “Needles”. As Jett snoops around camp he starts to find things that don’t add up and maybe camp Oasis isn’t the haven of wellness it claims to be.
I think readers of all ages will enjoy this middle-grade adventure and mystery. It has enough laughs and plot twists to keep the interest of teen and tween readers but isn’t childish or silly.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced audio copy of Unplugged in exchange for my honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four stars
Thank you so much to Harper Audio and NetGalley for letting me listen and review this fun MG audiobook. It was done in with a synthetic voice so I can't comment on the narrator. It was enjoyable listening to the voice galley and I liked this entertaining MG story a lot.
It was a bit of a slow start for me when listening to this story, but it picked up a little way into it, and then it kept picking up as the story kept moving along and the last half was the more intense part of the story where a lot of the action happened. It had a great ending and some good lessons and subjects that could be discussed from it that would be good for MG kids and also, anyone, could enjoy it and get a lot out of it.
This was a very uplifting and enjoyable camp story about kids and their families/friends that end up at a wellness camp and have to unplug. They have to learn how to work on being healthy, active, and doing things without always using phones and technology.
It's about the main character, Jett, who's a spoiled rich kid because his Dad is a rich tech billionaire. Jett has always gotten what he wanted and then he goes too far with some stunts he pulls so his Dad has him sent to this wellness camp called The Oasis. At the camp, Jett and everyone else has to hand over their cell phones, eat veggie burgers and other healthy foods and participate in wholesome activities like meditation, ziplining, and so forth.
After being angry for a bit, Jett finds that he starts to enjoy himself and make friends with a few others who he bonds with over having a pet lizard they name Needles. Jett notices after a while thought that all the adults at the camp act weird and he starts to wonder what's going on and then investigates to find out if there's something wrong and what it is. He has to figure a lot out by himself at first and then hopes the others will listen to him. They end up finding and figuring out some interesting things and learning more about themselves and that life outside of the plugged-in world is good fun and educational for them too.
It's a very entertaining, enjoyable, and great MG story with adventure, mayhem, uplifting mood, and great fun for everyone. Make sure to put it on your list so you can be ready to read and enjoy it when it comes out!
It was a bit of a slow start for me when listening to this story, but it picked up a little way into it, and then it kept picking up as the story kept moving along and the last half was the more intense part of the story where a lot of the action happened. It had a great ending and some good lessons and subjects that could be discussed from it that would be good for MG kids and also, anyone, could enjoy it and get a lot out of it.
This was a very uplifting and enjoyable camp story about kids and their families/friends that end up at a wellness camp and have to unplug. They have to learn how to work on being healthy, active, and doing things without always using phones and technology.
It's about the main character, Jett, who's a spoiled rich kid because his Dad is a rich tech billionaire. Jett has always gotten what he wanted and then he goes too far with some stunts he pulls so his Dad has him sent to this wellness camp called The Oasis. At the camp, Jett and everyone else has to hand over their cell phones, eat veggie burgers and other healthy foods and participate in wholesome activities like meditation, ziplining, and so forth.
After being angry for a bit, Jett finds that he starts to enjoy himself and make friends with a few others who he bonds with over having a pet lizard they name Needles. Jett notices after a while thought that all the adults at the camp act weird and he starts to wonder what's going on and then investigates to find out if there's something wrong and what it is. He has to figure a lot out by himself at first and then hopes the others will listen to him. They end up finding and figuring out some interesting things and learning more about themselves and that life outside of the plugged-in world is good fun and educational for them too.
It's a very entertaining, enjoyable, and great MG story with adventure, mayhem, uplifting mood, and great fun for everyone. Make sure to put it on your list so you can be ready to read and enjoy it when it comes out!