My Review: I was immediately drawn to this cover and was intrigued by the synopsis. I think it will appeal to many young readers the way it did for me. It starts off kind of slow, kind of a boring summer camp drag but things take quite an interesting twist and send the characters off on a bit of a mystery adventure. I did struggle a bit with the audio file from netgalley, it was computer generated as the full narration hadn't been released yet. It was difficult to distinguish the various POVs as well as the tone of each character, but I am sure that will be corrected once it has actual narrators voicing the story. That little issue made it difficult for me to focus on the story but I do really think it will appeal to a lot of young readers and I may give it a shot again in print format or the full audiobook once released. I think there is a character in this story that everyone can find a connection with. I really enjoyed watching kids bond over something so different and the way friendships are built.

My Rating: I did struggle quite a bit with the audio version, but please keep in mind that I was not listening to a final narration, so don't let that put you off. I am sure the final version will be so much better. I give it a rating of Three Paws.

UNPLUGGED was set to me by Net Galley, free of charge, in exchange for my honest review.
I chose to listen to UNPLUGGED, instead of reading it. It is a fiction young adult novel, written by Gordon Korman. Harper Audio made and published the audio edition. I will say, right off the bat, that the reviewer’s copy that I listened to was a computer voice. So, I cannot attest to the narrator/s.
In this young adult novel, Jett Baranoff was sent to a retreat, called THE OASIS, because he refuses to obey his authorities. One of the employees at his father’s firm, Matt Siganes, was sent along with him to be his handler (to make sure Jett didn’t find a way to “escape” or cause trouble). Even on the plane, on the way there, Jett has already decided he was going to hate it there, and he begun plotting. When he gets there, he is met with the WORST PUNISHMENT POSSIBLE. His computer, phone, and all electronic devices are collected – to be returned when he left. DOUBLE UGH!!
Jett is “starved” and is met with an all vegetarian menu. The three pillars of this place are MEDITATION, GOOD NUTRITION, AND EXERCISE – all of which he’s decided is “going to kill him”. While he is there he meets two other tweens, Tyrel and Grace, who love the Oasis. In the midst of one of his shinannigans, this novel turns into a fun mystery.
Will there be a love story? Will Jett even allow himself to become friends with anyone? Will Tyrel and Grace become part of the investigation? Will Jett allow them to? Will the mystery be solved?
You know me, you’ll have to read or listen to UNPLUGGED to find out. LOL
I believe this would be a book that any middle schooler would enjoy…especially those who like to read mysteries. I think it would also be a fun chapter book to read to a middle school class or library reading group.
I would recommend this book.

“Unplugged” is a fun middle grade mystery by the master, Gordon Korman. There was elements of this story that reminded me of the modern middle grade classic, “Holes,” which is truly high praise coming from a middle school librarian. I like that this book will make kids consider the pros and cons of all the technology we surround ourselves with. There is something to be said for breaking away and making healthier choices, especially by getting outside and into nature more. And yet, being completely cut off can also leave us vulnerable. There is a deeper message here about the exploitation of people seeking help and guidance and the way greed can corrupt folks. Plus, there are adorable baby alligators! What more could you want?!

Adorable cover! I really disliked the audiobook’s narrator so I had to download the ARC from Netgalley. I enjoyed the premise of this book: rich kid needs to unplug to find out who he is and wants to be. I would have liked a bit more personal growth, but really enjoyed the idea behind it. I believe we all need to unplug more in our lives. It’s a good message for kids. Thanks Netgalley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Fun and engaging middle grade mystery from Gordon Korman. If you like his other books this one will be a winner!

Jett is a spoiled rich kid and when daddy's jet drops him off in the middle of nowhere and he is forced to give over his phone and do all these weird things he would never do. But as the time goes by he gets used to it, but what happens next?

Unplugged is another awesome book from Mr Korman. The loss of being plugged in is not the end of the world and you will live through it but watch out for the meditation. The mysteries and humor Korman puts into his books always draws me in and I love it and this book doesn't disappoint either. This book is great and I can't wait for the next.

This will appear on my blog on Jan 5th.

Gordon Korman is a popular author in my classroom, so I was excited to try this audiobook. I, personally, am not a fan of his work, but my students like some of his books. The audiobook version of this is, honestly, pretty terrible It was hard to follow, and the characters weren’t that interesting. I think it might be better as a book, and I will definitely purchase for my classroom. Overall, this is a good middle grade book.

*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

Kids are forced into unplugging from electronics while at a wellness camp. Jett Baranov is used to getting his way so he can't believe he has to hand over his cell phone. As the kids get used to their new reality without electronics, they notice that the adults are acting strange.

My students are going to enjoy Unplugged. The cover is adorable and it will catch their attention. The story is also fairly predictable if you are an adult, but my students won't think so. It would be a fun read aloud.

I listened to the audiobook and it was hard to keep the characters separate, but the traditional book will make that a little bit easier to follow. I found it a little slow in the beginning, but it did get better as it went.

Imagine a summer camp that is so boring and horrible that four kids who mostly don't even like each other would bond over a lizard. That is The Oasis. Told from multiple points of view which are often difficult to distinguish due to the robotic reading (I can enjoy a book well enough with this voice sometimes but it is definitely suited to a one POV book better than this one) we know that most of these kids are pretty one dimensional and not very likable. I sometimes try to put myself in my students' place when reading something like this. Then I realize that when I'm doing that, the book isn't as good as when I don't even think of that. Literature for children should be just as engaging and well developed as literature for adults. Just with different word choices and situations when necessary. These characters were all a little too flat for me. I think middle aged kids will read it and think, "That was good." I do not think they will reread it or tell their friends they should read it. I guess that is my bar.

Getting this right out of the way: the audiobook was read by a synthetic voice which is very odd listening to a robotic tone reading a book centered around ridding your life of technology. It is very hard to judge the audiobook as a result, but luckily, I also got an eARC of the book itself.

This book is just what you would expect from Korman. That playful humor that emanates throughout the rest of his stories is alive and well in Unplugged. Kids are not going to be even a little disappointed in this story and I expect it to end up on many statewide book award lists.

For Libraries: If Korman's other works are popular in your library, you certainly won't want to pass this one up.

I think the synthetic voice made it hard to follow which person was speaking at which time, however, I got the point of the story. It was very cute and quick, not my favorite of Mr. Korman's work but definitely a great quick read! The kids at my library are going to eat it up.

Very cute story with a great message. I also really liked the cover art. I find it a great idea to have digital books to listen to at night to wind down.

A fun YA book with some interesting twist and turns. Jett is sent to a health resort to help him understand his action have consequences.
At first I really dislike Jett as a spoiled brat as the book goes one you fine that he is just lonely. With a group of the most unlikely group of friends and a lizard the summer becomes interesting. Gordon Korman word play is entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Thanks to @netgalley for an Audiobook. Narrated beautifully

While ¬Unplugged has a great plot, the audio version makes them no more likeable. In fact, I found the audio no more likeable. A good narrator is essential to audio books. This digitally generated voice added no depth to the story. Told by several campers, the voice needed to change for each camper who was telling their viewpoint about the summer camp in which they had to give up all technology. Without the voice changes, it was too difficult to keep track of who was talking.

This middle grade book provides a fun setting with some interesting characters. There aren’t particularly any great lessons about “being unplugged” which is a bit ironic, but there is some character development and growth within the characters throughout the story.

Also, the event that brings the kids in the camp together was a fun touch. I think having an animal be the uniting factor was clever and realistic. Even though the kids don't learn much about being unplugged necessarily, they do learn the importance of empathy and understanding other people's story

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for a review. So first I will say that this particular audio was hard to follow for the first couple of chapters because it is a digital voice which threw me for a bit until I got used to it. I loved the preface of this book being kids and families in a detox from foods, jobs, and technology. It took awhile to see where it was all going but I couldn't wait to see. All the different characters were great. Love the idea of different narrators. I love the onions addition of Needles. The ending was completely unexpected and I think this will be another middle grade winner that will be highly requested!

Jet is a spoiled rich kid who gets sent to a specialized camp, The Oasis, in an attempt to adjust his self-absorbed, problematic attitude. Everyone at The Oasis is living a wholistic, peaceful lifestyle and Jet starts to settle in, even forming friendships with some of the other children at the camp. However, when Jet becomes convinced something shady is happening, he has a hard time getting others to see his side.

UNPLUGGED is an entertaining middle grade novel, with many elements that its intended audience will enjoy. I found it a touch superficial and overall predictable (not necessarily the details though). Overall, a solid work of fiction worth including in libraries serving grades 4-6.

NOTE: This was my first experience with a computer generated narrator and it took me a while to get used to it. It highlighted how much depth a good narrator adds to the story.

This was a cute story. Great for middle grades. The characters were very likable. I liked hearing the story from different perspectives. While parts of the story seem a little far fetched, you can also see how it could happen. It was a fun, quick story to read that I think kids will enjoy.

Jett is a privileged son of a tech billionaire used to getting his way. When he is forced to unplug at a wellness camp, he becomes determined to make trouble in order to get sent home. When his plans backfire, he ends up helping care for a rogue lizard, Needles, and making friends. When Jett begins to suspect that everything at the camp is not what it seems, he and his friends work together to solve the mystery.

Part mystery, part adventure, and part friendship story, the twists, turns, and humor will appeal to many middle grade readers. I look forward to recommending this to my middle school library students.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.