Wow. This book took be by surprise. Which shouldn’t be surprising. I don’t know why I tend not to read Middle Grade books, every time I do I am overly impressed. This book was not an exception to that, I loved every moment of it! This dystopian story showcases what family is, especially found family. It highlights the fear of forgetting memories, especially of those we love once they pass away. I am so thankful I picked this book up. I was in a two week reading slump when I came across this book (and one other book) and between the two I am no longer in a slump! I can’t wait to read other novels by this author. Also, I did listen to the audiobook and it was phenomenal, the narrator did an amazing job depicting each character.

Thank you NetGally for this ALC!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this digital copy in exchange for an honest review. While, clearly, I’m not the target demographic I found this story very age appropriate for middle grade and compelling. The characters were lovable and the pacing was great.

I'm so excited that this is the first book in a series because I loved Jane and her friends' story and learning about this futuristic world. It's fast-paced and a quick read — it held a great story in under 200 pages. I loved the focus on the importance of sharing stories, and I think it handled the injustice of this dystopian world really well for a young audience.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Despite not being the target demographic for this children's book, I can honestly said that I enjoyed it. Please return to the Lands of Luxury is a dystopian novel about a girl who lives on an island of garbage and junk, while the people living in the luxurious city have no idea that there are people inhabiting this inhospitable place.

It is a very short novel and in its pages we follow Jane and her friends, Rodney and Tim, in an adventure that is very easy to read, fats paced and full of heartwarming moments and a beautiful friendship.

In Please return to the Lands of Luxury we learn about the treasures that can be found in the least expected places.

I recommend this book specially to the young readers, but also to anyone that is looking for a quick and heartwarming read.

This was a super cute middle grade story. It dealt with the desire for family, a helpful support of friends, and a subtle working in of environmental issues.

I really liked how Tilton worked the environmental issue of garbage disposal into his story without it being the focus.

His focus instead was on the characters: those from the garbage island along with those from the city. I loved seeing the differences in the lives led, and how things that seem so normal to some are considered luxurious by others.

Highly recommend!

Thanks so much to the publishers and the author for an advance copy of the audiobook in return for an honest review.

I'm looking forward to reading more from Jon Tilton!

A really fun and unique dystopian middle grade! This was exactly the kind of book I was in the mood for and it delivered! I wish it had been a tad longer, but overall the pacing was great and I couldn’t put it down!

Wow, what an incredible story! Adventurous, touching and truly inspiring. Jane is an admirable and brave main character, who sticks to her instincts and determined to help others, even when her friends disagree with her ideas.
I really loved this book, I was glued to the page the whole time so intrigued to find out what’s going to happen next. I enjoyed discovering this unique world through Jane’s eyes so much and all the adventures!
I highly recommend reading this adorable book to everyone!

Thank you to @netgalley for providing an AudioARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story happens on a fictional island called Yarborough Ridge, where people live in thrash burrows. Our protagonist is a young girl named Jane, who lives without her parents. Early on we find out she lost her parents in a terrible event at the docks. She spends most of her time with her friends Timothy and Rodney. One day Jane finds a doll in one of the trash piles. The doll has a tag that says 'Please return to Gloria Thatcher' with an address added. Jane becomes obsessed with traveling to the Lands of Luxury to return the doll. The rest of the story is about Jane escaping Yarborough, finding Gloria's house, and finding out Gloria doesn't live there anymore. I would not consider it a spoiler since it becomes apparent that had to happen for the sake of plot progression.

This is mostly a wholesome and happy book. The main themes explored are grief and memories. Since Jane lost her parents in a tragic event during which she was present, she suppressed her memories. Throughout the novel, she struggles with not being able to remember what happened while her friends do remember. She is concerned about not being able to remember her father's face. She is extremely attached to her home, which smells like scents from the candles her mother used to light. At first, she desperately wants to return to Yarborough because the thought of forgetting her home, parents, and friends terrifies her. Later, when all she encounters at the Lands of Luxury is kindness and gentleness from strangers, she begins to imagine life outside Yarborough. Jane's purple hoodie is a symbol of her attachment to her home, and the life she lived there. The hoodie is her anchor. Jane is both scared to remember and forget, which is a natural response to grief. Grief can be incredibly complex, especially for a child in development.

One of the few complaints I have is the brevity of the novel. I wanted more world-building and answers to some crucial questions. Why are there people on the island in the first place? Have they been banished, or have they escaped from something?

All in all, it's a sweet book with wonderful characters and great writing.

Please Return to the Lands of Luxury is a heartwarming action-packed Middle Grade and possibly younger adventure novel. It is a story of family, friendship, courage, and finding your place in the world.

I liked the uniqueness of the characters and the way Jon Tilton so deftly defined each character’s personality traits. He has penned a dystopian world through the eyes of a young girl.

Simply put, Jane lives on an island of trash. Literally they live on a giant mound of trash the continent uses as a garbage dump. It’s just a way of life as they scavenge through garbage, among sinister robots. But it’s home and Jane loves her home. After all what makes a home? It’s where most her cherished memories have been made, along with a foggy past that she can’t quite bring into focus. Jane, Timothy, and Rodney, the main characters, are very bright, capable, and brave. And dedicated to each other. Like the rest of their neighbors, the children spend their days scavenging for things they can use and eating out of the refuse. Robots that run the place provide a daily allowance of fresh water for each resident.

Things drastically change one day when she unearths a doll in the latest batch of garbage. Rather than being broken and dirty, the doll is in nearly pristine condition, bearing a tag that reads “Please return to Gloria Thatcher.” The tag even includes the address which is in Paradise City, and off the island.

Jane is convinced the doll was never meant to be thrown away, and vows to return the doll to its rightful owner, even though friends say you found it, it’s yours now. And here comes the problem. No-one has ever left the island before. Why? There are tyrannical robots guarding the Docks. The island is a dangerous place with a mysterious history.

Still Jane is bound and determined to find a way to the Lands of Luxury, even though it means risking her life to escape the island and make it to Paradise City. To Jane, it’s the right thing to do, and it really shouldn’t take that long. . She figures she can probably get it done and be back in time for the next water distribution.

Her friends try to talk her out of leaving until they suddenly realize she’s gone. Their strong camaraderie causes them to attempt to find and rescue their friend. They all end up in dangerous situations, both physically and emotionally and where they learn a lot about the world they live in.

Please Return to the Lands of Luxury is the first book in an exciting new series.
The narrator did a fine job portraying the voices of the children.
I highly recommend.

A fantastic middle grade book focused on a future where a major company runs the world and offloads its trash to an island inhabited by people. Jane a young girl who lost both her parents finds a doll and is overcome with the urge to return the doll to its owner in the land of Luxury. Jane would have to get past the metal men and across the sea to get to the little girl who lost her doll. It was a great book and I really enjoyed the journey of self discovery Jane took. A fab introduction to dystopian books.

Unfortunately, I could not get into this audiobook. I often read middle-grade and children's books, but this specific title isn't the sort of book I like.

I will not be posting this review elsewhere, as I only publish positive reviews.

I'm sure a younger audience would adore this story! Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

A fast-paced story with found family vibes that discusses such an important topic in layers of fiction, that I feel all of us need to read this. The book is over but I am still pondering on the thoughts of what are the dark sides of 100% automation.

The book has highlighted just 2 aspects and yet it's enough to get your grey cells on a train to 'What will happen when that really happens'.
Overall, simple language, great plot and pacing too.

Thanks @netgalley @jontilton and @ibpalovesindies for the beautiful Digital ARC

Genre: #middlegrade #fiction
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Please Return to the Lands of Luxury is a cute story about a girl who finds a doll in the trash heap her and her friends live among. She goes on a mission to return the doll to its original owner and finds so much more. This journey leads both her and her friends to discover new things that will impact their futures, family, and friendships. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

I really enjoyed the narrator.

This was a really well written book for ages 8-12 that I think will resonate with both parents and their children. The main message I took away from this is that children deserve clean, warm homes with loving families. I really enjoyed the beautiful cover and think it will appeal to children. I thought the narration was done really well and the narrators voice is wonderful.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love that Jane does not give up on trying to return the doll to the land of luxury. That one act of kindness leads to so many changes for Jane and her friends. I would love to find out what happens to everyone in the future, maybe a couple of years down the road. This was a quick book at 4 hours and 6 minutes. Talon David did a great job narrating this book. You could easily tell which character was speaking.

I thought this book was very interesting and I was able to listen to it with my kids. The imagery was amazing and I felt like I was right there with the characters for the entire book.

The dynamic with the main character and the family she meets later on in the book was not something I really enjoyed but I think that was the intention. It was unsettling and a bit confusing.

I would recommend this book to caregivers of kiddos who need an interesting book to listen to on a car drive.

It may seem weird but I almost felt like this was Wall-E except with people. It kind of had that same feel.

Jane lives on an island of trash run by sinister robots, but one day she finds a doll in good shape and a note attached to return to Gloria Thatcher and so begins Jane’s adventure to the Land of Luxury to find Gloria and return the doll that must be so very important. Jane’s adventure off of the island has some ramifications and the people she meets off island are shocked to discover people actually live there. Jane’s adventure has all kinds of twists and turns and lessons along the way.

I enjoyed this story very much and plan on buying it for our library.

Narration by Talon David was very well done she really brought the emotions and made me feel for Jane even more than the words on the page did.

Highly recommend this one!!

4 Stars

I received this audiobook from the publisher Blueberry Finch, (Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks) and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of new things, but maybe some wear is worth keeping. It shows our journey. Everything we experienced to this very moment and it's worth remembering. Even the parts that were hard." ⠀
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Jon Tilton, Please Return To The Lands of Luxury ⠀
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Please Return To The Lands of Luxury by Jon Tilton is a sweet midgrade book set in a dystopian futuristic land. Jane is a kind and curious main character who has lived in a trash island for her whole life. She finds a doll and decides to journey outside of her comfort zone to the Lands of Luxury to return the doll. Her friends Timothy and Rodney have a parallel adventure as they attempt to find their friend. This adventure is full of wonderful world building with likeable characters and tons of action. It has found family, friendship, and fast paced fight scenes that all weave together into a cozy midgrade fantasy. I enjoyed the narrator who brought the story to life with tons of energy!

I often enjoy listening to audio books. because of this my 6 year old wanted to try an audio book and I had requested this one. Jane lives on an island of trash. And even though she has to scavenge garbage and deal with sinister robots, she still loves her home. It’s all she’s ever experienced, from her most cherished memories to her foggy past that she can’t quite remember. She enjoyed it a lot.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of this novel with I received via NetGalley. The narrator did a wonderful job with it. The book contains wholesome themes such as friendship, forgiveness, trust, and courage. The main character, Jane, is on a journey to return a lost doll to its rightful owner. She faces many difficulties along the way, but she persists in her mission and is ultimately rewarded for it. I would have no difficulty recommending this book to any upper elementary or middle school student.