Actual Rating 4.5★

Please Return to the Lands of Luxury by Jon Tilton is a heartwarming action-packed unapologetically Middle Grade adventure novel that tells a story of family, friendship, courage, and finding your place in the world.

This book was incredibly well written, absolutely perfect for its age group. The prose was inspiring, the descriptions lush, and the story itself was really solid. The characters were all unique with their distinct personality traits as well. Viewing a dystopian world through the eyes of a child was quite interesting to me as I haven’t really read anything like this but worked out really well. There were also a lot of beautiful lessons that would speak to a child and a lot of topics discussed would be an amazing point of discussion for a curious middle grader.

The adult in me felt a little put off when an old man approached one of the children and told them to accompany them (with all good intentions, but in real life how often is this true)– and our character not having a single Stranger Danger Bone in her body – but that’s probably me just being sensitive. It might be worth highlighting for parents of younger audiences.

Talon David as a narrator was an incredible surprise. She was an engaging and interesting storyteller. I enjoyed her a lot and I do think that even children who are interested in reading through audio would very much enjoy her as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blueberry Finch for gifting me an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful book that I flew through while enjoying the springtime sunshine! Best enjoyed by anyone with a glass of iced tea!

I typically really enjoy middle-grade and YA books, but I simply couldn’t get into this one. Around 24% in, I realized it wasn’t going to work out, but it was such a short book, I figured I’d finish it rather than DNF it. I’m not sure where it all went so wrong for me, but I think it might be that everything progressed so quickly, right from the beginning. It felt rushed. Although the characters were likeable, I wasn’t able to get to know the characters as much as I’d like to. Some of their own stories felt unfinished or nonexistent. Narration was okay…

I would consider giving another book by this author a second chance. This might just be a one off, because the story really did have potential if it were longer, among other reasons.

I could only recommend this book to youths of middle-grade level. Teens and adult, not so much.

(I received this audiobook ALC via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you.)

This is such a sweet and heartwarming book!

I listened to the Audiobook version and the narrator was truely fantastic. The cover was cute and I thought the story sounded interesting so I figured I'd give it ago and see if it was something my boys may like.

While I don't think this book is for them, there is some action scenes but not enough and it's a bit mushy for their personal taste. I thought it was amazing! And honestly pretty healing for my inner child who had a rough childhood. This book would be absolutely fantastic for so many young girls *spoiler here, it won't ruin the story but still fair warning* who are struggling with the loss of a loved one.

Definitely would make a great gift for those girls and would be a fabulous addition to middle school libraries!

This was a great audiobook at first. I thought that the book was too middle grade for me as I’m an adult and it wasn’t talked it for me, but I did actually get really into this book and invested in the characters on the world and the love between some of the characters and I absolutely adored the ending. The main character was absolutely amazing. I loved the progression of the story I loved how courageous the main character is as someone who is in the early 20s, I would actually recommend this book not just for middle grade. I rate this four out of five stars because I actually really enjoyed this book and I will be looking out for more books from this author because I just loved everything about it, it was a solid really good character driven book with a great plot a call back story emotional investment and I just love the writing style. It just hit me off and I just consumed this book in one day.

A great release for Earth Day with a middle-grade dystopia that is also very sweet, with humans celebrating friendship, adoption, and the fear of forgetting lost loved ones.

Jane lives on an island of trash and discovered a doll with a tag that says to return her to a specific address and person. This becomes very important to her associated with her fear of forgetting her parents. She embarks on a fast-paced journey to return the doll, something that becomes more important than her safety.

We get access to other points of view and follow her friends' actions as well as other characters. Everything happens fast, but the author builds tension when it comes to a clock ticking (about forgetting memories or even concentration day aimed to burn the trash (homes).

Although it is a fast and light read and doesn't go deep into developing the world and characters, we get caught in this quick journey and accept the solutions to the problem well (towards a happy ending) We get the sweetness and gentleness of their relationship, the thrill of her journey discovering a new world and the uneasiness of all the garbage dealt with by the machines.

The message gets through. Our children deserve loving families and a home that is not a junkyard.

Great cover and I had the chance to sample the audiobook. I loved the narrates voice. It agreed with the mood of the book. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this chance to give my honest opinion.

Adventure story with kindness, family and friendship at its heart.

Jane's island home is where rubbish is sent from elsewhere. It's all she knows, her friends and memories of family are here. Nobody can leave. Life may not have a lot of luxuries, but Jane is happy enough.

A doll shows up one day, labelled with a 'please return to...' note. Jane knows she must try to take it back to the owner who must surely be missing a treasured possession. But can she make it off her island? And if she does, will she ever be able to find the doll's rightful owner?

I tried hard to picture both Jane's island and the Lands of Luxury she travels to. The Metal Men were quite menacing, there's a corporation behind it all (isn't there always?) that is touched upon at times with phone calls but doesn't make itself as omnipresent and threatening as I was expecting.

With a few coincidences pushing the plot along and an occasional uncomfortable moment (a couple who REALLY want Jane to be their daughter... was I the only one that found this a little worrisome? Though the storyline moves away from this to become lighter), this is a great adventure story with a brave heroine, background friends that display loyalty, a sci-fi plot that could have been developed more. Just why are people living on the island of trash? Why are they forced to stay there? What else does this corporation control? Oh well.

The audiobook gives Jane a vulnerable voice, making her actions all the more brave. Worked well as a Listen.

Readers aged 8-12 will enjoy this visual adventure, which would make a good series on TV.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.

4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blueberry Finch for an advanced copy of this book!

I didn't know about this book prior to reading it, but the cover was so stunning (shoutout to Sylvia Bi) that it caught my attention immediately. I saw that it was a middle grade book and the audiobook was only four hours long, which made me feel even more compelled to pick it up.

I truly had a good time reading this. This book has so much heart in it, from the very first page. I found the main character Jane and her friends very endearing, right from the start. Seeing how much they cared for each other and tried to protect one another in this book was so heartwarming. I really appreciate that while Jane, Timothy, and Rodney are clearly children, they are still shown to be very bright, capable, and brave. I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact that this was a multi-POV book. I liked the POVs that Jon Tilton chose to showcase and think that all of them felt natural and necessary.

I was expecting this to be a middle grade book that read a bit on the younger side, but there were some mature themes depicted, such as grief, the importance of protecting your community, and pushing back against corrupt systems. I think this is a middle grade that even older teens and adults could appreciate, as well as one that doesn't talk down to children in the target demographic.

I also want to point out that Talon David did an impeccable job narrating and portraying each characters' voice.

This was such an impressive debut. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book and I look forward to reading more from Jon Tilton in the future.

This was a great, little middle grade book. It has found family, adventure, and mystery all in one. The audio book was a great format for this one- i really enjoyed it.

This was such a fun story! I really loved the descriptive world building of the island of trash versus the land of luxury. Jane was the perfect main character and it was awesome to get her POV most of the time. I also loved getting Mark and Rodney’s POVs as well. The journey of growth that everyone had to go through was very inspiring. I didn’t want to put this book down because I just wanted to know what would happen next. This was such a heartwarming read that had loss, love, friendship, and found family. The narrator did a fantastic job with all the voices. I know my kids would absolutely LOVE this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced review copy of this audiobook!

A short, moderately fun listen. A lot happens for only 4 hours of listening time. I found the narrator to be very good and quality was great. It was the story line that felt only half-thought out and poorly executed. It's a classic trope of rich saviors rescuing poor people out of the goodness of their heart. The part that felt lacking was the "lesson." As The Moth always says in their tips for a good story, the character must be changed in some way. The characters were all pretty one-dimensional and were very cliche.

⚠️ Content Notes: robot monsters attack a doll and attempt to attack the children, death of adults is discussed, hunger, lack of resources, unhoused families, fertility challenges briefly mentioned.

🏳️‍🌈 Representation: all characters are white, cis, hetero. All families are heteronormative married male/female.

✍🏼 *I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Jane lives on an island of trash no one is allowed to leave guard by big robobots she calls metal men. Life on the island is hard and most adults have died of it. The story begins with her finding a doll with a tag asking whoever finds it to please return it. Jane decides to do just that and embarges on a dangerous journey to the land of luxuries where all the trash comes from.

The story is a heartwarming one about found family, loss and injustice. There is a mystery element in the book that kept me reading and I’m looking forward to the sequel in hopes to get my answers. Even though this is a middle grade book I think the story of sending off your trash to someone else's home is something that resonates with older readers as well.

The narrator enhanced the story telling with imaginative voices.

It took me a little time to get fully absorbed in this story. I'm not exactly sure why as it didn't have a slow start, but I was not invested in the story. The narrator is American and it took some time to get accustomed with their tone, which was quite high-pitched.

However, my recommendation is to not let these put you off finishing the book as it really is a wonderful story with wonderful character development. I can imagine it working very well as a class reader as there are so many themes to discuss: wealth and poverty; define home, friendship, family; futuristic worlds; recycling, bravery... and the list goes on. I think children would really respond well to the story and want to know how it ends.

Jane's adventure to return the doll which inadvertently finds its way to the rubbish tip is thrilling and inspiring. Her act of selflessness repays itself over and over. Such a wonderful, heart-warming story - do not miss this read!

I listened to an audio version but will definitely stock a copy of the physical book in my library for children to enjoy.

Entertaining audio version of this book. YR adventure story. A doll found in rubbish tip starts a journey to return it to its owner. A story of why family and memories are important. Thank you to Blueberry Finch publishers and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Definitely a fun, middle grade adventure story that kids would love and adults would appreciate.

I listened to the audiobook and I have to point out that I appreciate the acting the narrator did for the representatives over the phone. The voice she did was spectacular, I really was annoyed to the core.

Please Return to the Lands of Luxury is on a dystopian setting, and it does a good job of giving a very fun, enjoyable adventure with lovable characters while still giving you a picture of the dire situation. It's a very short and simple read but is still able to share its main themes. Of course with me being me, I'm also seeing some class commentary here somewhere.

Highly recommended for all ages.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This was cute and uplifting. My only complaint is that I wish there was more world building, like how did the people end up on the uninhabitable island of trash? This has a strong female protagonist who is facing both terrifying personal issues and the crazy world she lives in. I would highly recommend.

This book hooked me from the title, Please Return to the Lands of Luxury just oozes curiosity. This wholesome and whimsical adventure was a short and easy listen that was intriguing from start to finish. Even the cover itself conveyed a sense of whimsy, one of the best I've seen. The characters were distinct and easy to root for as they learn valuable life lessons and grow as people, especially our three main kids, Jane, Rodney, and Timothy, who live on an island full of trash guarded by robots. They consider their life of dumpster diving normal until a doll is tagged to return to the Lands of Luxury, starting a life changing journey for all three of them. There's lessons about family, friendship, bravery, and doing the right thing, as well as what home really is about. The world building was vivid and had just enough to be understandable for kids, but kept an adult like me intrigued and wondering how things got to be this way. With short chapters, the fast pacing kept me wanting to listen to another chapter, as many of them kept me at the edge of my seat, with a few emotional gripping parts near the end. Despite the heart warming and satisfying ending, the author has noted that this is the start of a series, and await the expanded world building and answers to come. This middle grade book will appeal to all ages for sure.

I am shocked to read that this is a debut novel. The story is incredible. I really enjoyed discovering this new universe. The characters are all, without exception, likeable.
I didn't expect this much from a middle grade's story but here I am.

We are immediately immersed in the plot, which takes a rather serious direction as soon as Jane leaves on her own and starts interacting with other characters.

The narrator did an excellent job and now I really want to read this book again, to fully grasp what I couldn't with the first listening.

Thank you to Jon Tilton, Blueberry Finch and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely precious! The audio was fantastic and certainly something I would play for my kids! This is perfect for a road trip. The characters are so sweet and heartwarming. Teaches the concept of gratitude to children in a way that is relatable and simple.

Please Return to the Lands of Luxury was such a pleasant surprise of a book! Jane lives on a trash island, but when she finds a lost doll with a note to "Please return to Gloria Thatcher" she goes on a wild adventure to the Lands of Luxury. First she must escape the island and the tyrannical robots that guard it. From there, adventure and lots of life lessons ensue.

Middle grade authors always blow me away with their stories and the emotions that they build into them, and Jon Tilton was no exception. "Found family" is my favorite in books. There was so much heart and humor in this book, and it just made me really happy. This is the type of book that you can go back and read over and over again, because it is such a cozy read. The world-building was fantastic and the characters were complicated, but lovable.

I listened to the audio version, and the narrator did such an excellent job. They really brought you into the world and represented each POV in their own, unique way. This would be a great and short car ride listen!

This book was phenomenal! I will be rereading it and looking for other books by this author. I was left feeling so fulfilled by this book and could have stayed with these characters forever.