I received an E-ARC from NetGalley. The variety is characters and POV makes this text great for students working to understand a variety of perspectives.

this book was a bit too young for my liking. The author did a good job for his audience. A rich boy is looking for his parents love by lashing out. He has to find his way...

Another solid story by Gordon Korman. Told from various middle school aged characters viewpoints, the plot is typical Korman: a group of kids and the main protagonist discover a problem and then solve a mystery, with lighthearted and serious moments. I love that the kids personalities balance each other out—no single character is without strengths or flaws. I always appreciate that Korman allows the reader to see character growth and that even though some adults are the baddies, Korman also has adults who act and respond in age appropriate ways. It’s a good balance.

This was the first time I listened to a synthesized voice and I was super impressed. It didn’t negatively impact the stories, but I bet an actual human narrator will provide the nuances that AI missed. Still: I enjoyed the story AND the opportunity to listen to it. #Unplugged #NetGalley

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Interesting but eh not really something i cared much for

“When you’re gaming the system the only person you’re cheating is yourself.”

This funny well paced realistic middle grade fiction will be enjoyed by boys and girls like. I say 4th-6th grade is the ideal audience, but it’d make a fun read aloud in 3-6th grade.

Korman knows how to write fun stories w characters kids can relate to.

I am sorry but I could not listen to the synthetic voice used to read the story. I only made it through the first chapter. Not sure if it was the narration or the character, but I was not able to connect. The narrator's voice is critical, both for setting the right mood as well as creating character. I won't ask for an audio preview again.

What a wonderful read! Korman is a beloved author in my Media Center and this book will be beloved as well. It's a great middle read but one that also is sure to be in demand with my older elementary school students.
It's always interesting to me when an author can take a plot that is reminiscent of others and, yet, make their own book so original.
The plot takes into account modern times where our readers will be able to identify with modern technology and cell phones. Jett's father, the tech billionaire, is sure to conjure up images of the technological giants of today.
There is so much entertainment throughout the book along with suspense and good detective work by the young characters. The friendships that develop over time which no one thought possible, initially, all come together to create a message that will remain with the reader.
Korman, as always, has created a winning story!

This was a fun children’s book about becoming more than you think you are and learning to defy expectations. Jett really doesn’t want to be at the Oasis. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. Once he gets there and is stripped of all the technology that he has grown to depend on, he has to learn how to live again. Along the way, Jett finds new friends, new life, and what it means to be whole.

I liked getting the different perspectives from different characters throughout the book. It encompassed every range of person at the camp: the one who hated being there, the one who loved it, the one struggling through and deciding whether or not they liked it, and the adult perspective. It didn’t get too confusing going back and forth between characters and I liked getting the story from all different sides.

This story had a couple of basic plotlines that ended up coming together nicely and created a satisfying ending. Big surprises were pretty obvious, and I think could easily be figured out by young readers, but were still enjoyable to read. This story played along the boundaries of right and wrong and, although it seemed that that bad behavior was rewarded too much, most wrongs were made right.

I listened to this audiobook with a synthetic voice and I have to say that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the voice. I still could not speed up to 3x without the book skipping beyond readability, but that did not affect my enjoyment of the book.

This book is the story of a Tech giant’s son, Jett. Jett is sent to a camp that leaves him unplugged from technology. While there he learns about himself, how to be a friend to those around him, manages to solve a mystery and befriends a lizard.
Opinion
First and foremost, I recently rescued a lizard. The parts of the story that dealt with Needles made me chuckle while thinking of my Viktor. I found the description of Needles very endearing and realistic.
Poor Jett has been sent to the camp as punishment. I love that in the process of this he found himself and actually admitted in the end that he had a good time.
The other kids also grew. The more I read about each kid, the more I loved this story.
This book would be absolutely perfect for middle school kids who are so unsure of their place in the world. This book shows them that they can be important, not just to other people but to animals as well.

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!

I am so thankful to Netgalley for the early copy and for allowing me to review this book. It was a great middle school read and I loved it! Jett Baranov is the son of a rich tech billionaire, When Jett causes trouble, his dad sends him to a wellness camp to unplug since the camp does not allow technology.
As Jett adjusts, he starts making friends, but he also notices that the adults are acting weird. Can Jett get to the bottom of what's going on without causing massive amounts of trouble?

I can't wait to buy a physical copy of the book when it is released!

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.

Let me preface this review by first saying the same thing that everyone else did which is this is an arc. I received the book and was able to get through it in about 2 days. The book does not come out until I believe January of 2021. This is my first Arc, and I was pretty excited to receive it.

As this is my first Arc and I wanted to make sure to keep as many notes and as much information as possible to perhaps help out the author.

This book does suffer from some of the tropes of the genre but I believe there in lies the beauty of this book. It is a group of ragtag Misfits who have to work together in order to survive being put in camp called "oasis" which doesn't allow electronics. it kind of reminded me a little bit of holes and even to some degree The Goonies.

Second chapter should describe the night before instead of just jumping into the next pov. I feel as though "I could hear that spoiled Rich kid roaming around trying to get into some of the Cabin's maybe he isn't used to the Amish style mattress we have here or the thread count isn't as high as he's used to" etc.

In chapter 4 it rains, but there is very little in the way of description other than the fact that it rains. I know this may seem like such a trivial thing but I wanted to point out the fact that you have the ability to express how something smells outside in nature.

The book follows a few different characters perspectives on the camp, which I loved. At times it almost felt like I was reading the plot to a movie rather than a novel. You can almost see a situation where actor would playing jet, or this actress would be playing Brooklyn.

The more I try and critique this book the more one sentence just keeps coming into my head "this book was good and I really enjoyed it" I can tell you it's because of this character or the multiple pov's but honestly when I sit back, I just enjoyed knowing the twist, having ideas for what is coming and just felt as though this book closed up enough with certain characters at the end but left enough wiggle room for another!

I can't wait to see the finished product and I am excited to read the finished product.

I got this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

4/5 ⭐️
Super cute story about life with no phones at a camp and that you can actually have a life when you’re not attached to your phone 24/7.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Do you ever get so excited to read a book that is coming out next year? Yes, next year! I don't know about you but I really do get excited. It honestly doesn't even matter what kind of genre it is, I'm in. That being said, Unplugged was a pretty good book to dive into.

First off, that cover is just all kinds of adorable. Second, a retreat where people unplug and connect with other people - Gasp! I mean it sounds kind of fake since we are currently living through this pandemic. Yet, in this world there's no such thing as COVID-19. So, in a way, I was all for it because that just means more times for me and my books.. and less time for distractions and people.

Long story short, sign me up for some peace and quiet.

Besides that, the characters were okay. A bit predictable and cliché at times but I still enjoyed everything that was happening. I would've enjoyed a bit more personal growth but I can be satisfied with what was done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook to listen to and review.

For the audiobook I reviewed a synthetic voice was used so I am unable to comment on the narrator.

This was a great book and would be an awesome read aloud for grades 5-7. I really like how the story was told from the perspectives of multiple characters. It allows the reader to better understand their motives and actions. There was a pretty cool mystery as well, which actually kept me engaged.

I will definitely be adding a print copy of this to my library.

What a thrilling action-packed adventure! Jett has been voted the most spoiled brat in all of Silicon Valley and enjoys spending chunks of his father's endless fortune. He's therefore resentful when he finds himself in a no-technology wellness and meditation center. Although he rails against the morning yoga, veggie burgers and outdoor activities, it slowly becomes apparent that something's not quite right at the Oasis. Can Jett conquer his churlish attitude and summon the loyalty of the other kids to solve the mystery and save their forbidden pet lizard?
This novel had me hooked from the very beginning. There's something compelling about getting a look at the inner workings of a rich kid's mind. It's not always easy to like Jett, but you've got to admire his ingenuity and determination to save the things he cares about. With themes like friendship, conflict-resolution and crime-solving, this is a compelling read for anyone from elementary and up.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio version (the arc audio states this is not the final voice and is just a synthetic voice). Once you get past the bland voice it is a great book.

I’m reviewing this from a middle grade perspective (which I love this genre anyway). I think anyone who likes Gordon Korman books will love this.

I think 5th-8th graders would love this book even if they just saw the cover and didn’t know who the author was. 5th grade book club will probably use this for a book when it releases.

Jett is a spoiled rich kid who is sent to an Oasis to “better himself”. He hates it, but he has to be there. There are no electronics and only vegan food. He becomes “friends” with some of the camp kids and they find a little reptile whom they name Nibbles. They are breaking all kinds of camp rules by taking care of this reptile. Secrets are exposed and friendships are made.

This was the best YA book that I have read in a while. I would definitely use this book as a read a loud in the classroom. Jett is a famous billionaires son. He has once again done something that it hard for his dad to clean up with money. Him and his "caretaker" are shipped to a Wellness Center. Phones are taken away right when you walk in. The beginning Jett tries everything to be kicked out. Once he realizes that something fishy is going on at the center, he begins to make friends. What will happen when he realizes the truth and no one believes him?

I loved this one! A group of kids trying to expose the truth,, a crazy teacher, and a little creature named Needles..what a great story! Loved the ways they worked together to get the truth finally out there in the end.