Unplugged was an interesting book that I ended up having to read with a third grade class while I was subbing for their teacher for a week. It's about a boy named Jett Baranov, whose father happens to be one of the world's richest tech billionaires. Jett is spoiled and used to a very comfortable life, but one day his world is turned upside down, when his private jet drops him in Oasis, a vast wilderness in Arkansas. Not only is Jett mortified by Oasis itself, but he becomes frantic when he realizes he has to hand over his cell phone. It gets even worse when all the luxuries Jett is used to (amazing food), technology, and hanging out with friends in his own socio-economic bracket, become nonexistent. Now, Jett is forced to eat gross food and hang out with kids that he finds "beneath" him. At first, Jett is a complete jerk about everything, but as the story goes on, he starts to realize that he's actually enjoying life "unplugged." He and his new friends also discover a baby lizard, which they all form a cute attachment to. The most interesting - and important - message in this story though, is the fact that when the kids aren't in their devices, they're paying more attention to the world around them. So much so, that Jett begins to realize that the adults in Oasis act incredibly strange, and he can't figure out why. This story teaches kids to literally "unplug" and to explore the world around them. The message is clear and definitely appropriate in today's time. ( )

An interesting one from Gordon Korman that got better as it went along. I did not warm to the main character at all until about three-quarters of the way through the book which did not help. This is the story of Jett who is the spoiled brat son of a Google-like inventor billionaire who is so starved for his parent's attention that he keeps acting out and breaking the rules and getting into all sorts of trouble. To set him on the straight and narrow, his father has his minder Matt drive him to the middle of Arkansas to a Wellness Retreat which has no internet and he must surrender all his electronic devices. To make matters worse, the food is all vegan and he must partake in yoga and meditation and everything he hates. Needless to say on Day 2, he breaks into the place where his Satellite phone was surrendered and uses it to order a hovercraft, a karaoke machine, a mountain of pizzas and burgers, fireworks and various other contraband stuff to be delivered to the Camp. The other young people in the camp either hate his guts or admire him. Tyrell is one of the latter. Grace on the other hand thinks he is pure evil and should embrace the spirit of the place. And then there is Brooklyne who seems to have secrets of her own to hide. The four of them discover a reptile they call Needles and even though pets aren't allowed, they decide to look after him secretly - Jett egging them on to steal a boat and go to the nearest town to use his credit card to buy meat for the creature ( and of course burgers for themselves.) Their dealings with Needles cause them to stumble across something not quite right with the Camp itself - the adults all seem to be under the spell of the second in charge meditation instructor Ivory. And when Jett ( ever the rule breaker) breaks into her cabin, he finds things not in line with the philosophy she is teaching. What is really going on at the camp? Who is Ivory? What sort of creature is Needles? Will Jett redeem himself? ( )

An entertaining romp full of action and kids being adventurous: the setting is a family summer camp in the wilds of the American southwest; the plot, while not quite hitting Vintage Korman, has engaging characters breaking the rules and making unexpected friendships.

The first quarter of the story really dragged on too long, with the main character (Jett) tediously moaning and revisiting all his previous pranks. However, the the fun and hilarity seeps in and the adventures take off to what I expect in the target audience will be great enjoyment. The final action is a satisfying dénouement even though the developments to this end felt very rushed. Despite these niggles, this is a a fine summer-holiday read for the middle school set. ( )

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! ( )

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. ( )