Review: Unplugged

Unplugged by Gordon Korman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Publisher's Description

From New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a hilarious middle grade novel about a group of kids forced to “unplug” at a wellness camp—where they instead find intrigue, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos. Perfect for fans of Korman’s The Unteachables, the Masterminds series, and Carl Hiaasen’s eco mysteries.

As the son of the world’s most famous tech billionaire, Jett Baranov has always gotten exactly what he wanted. So, when his father’s private jet drops him in the middle of Little Rock, Arkansas, at a wellness camp called the Oasis, Jett can’t believe it. He’s forced to hand over his cell phone, eat grainy veggie patties, and participate in wholesome activities with the other kids.

At the Oasis, he meets Grace, who is his polar opposite. She thrives in the wellness atmosphere and resents Jett’s terrible attitude. Then there’s Tyrell, who suffers from a dizzying list of food allergies that render him constantly itchy. And also Brooklynne, a girl who definitely seems to be hiding something.

As the weeks go on, Jett starts to get used to the unplugged life and even bonds with the other kids over their discovery of a baby lizard-turned-pet, Needles. But he can’t help noticing that the adults at the Oasis are acting really strange…

Jett is determined to get to the bottom of things, but can he convince the other kids that he is no longer just a spoiled brat making trouble?

My Thoughts

I received eARCs courtesy of Balzer + Bray/Harper Audio via NetGalley (audiobook) & Edelweiss (print) in exchange for my honest review.

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.

Publication Date: 5 January 2021