Unplugged
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unteachables, 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 Ungifted and the Masterminds series, as well as Carl Hiaasen’s eco mysteries.
As the son of the world’s most famous tech billionaire, spoiled Jett Baranov has always gotten what he wanted. So when his father’s private jet drops him in the middle of the Arkansas wilderness, at a place 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, who he has absolutely no interest in hanging out with.
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 everybody that he is no longer just a spoiled brat who is making trouble?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After one too many escapades, Jett Baranov, 12-year-old heir to a Silicon Valley empire, is shipped off to the Oasis of Mind and Body Wellness in Arkansas, where, stripped of technology and subjected to vegetarian food and yoga, he's expected to mend his ways. Jett isn't so easily thwarted, however: if he can't get kicked out, he'll bend every rule to breaking, even going into the candy-smuggling business to disrupt the program's routine. After fellow attendee Grace Atwater, who actually enjoys the retreat, finds a stray lizard, Jett joins her and others, including Brooklynne Feldman, resident girl of mystery, and allergic-to-everything Tyrell Karrigan, in caring for the illicit pet and sneaking out to a nearby town. When the group discovers inconsistencies in the Oasis's management style, Jett must overcome his own reputation as a troublemaker and expose a cunning mastermind. Korman injects his signature dry humor throughout, but Jett's persistent obnoxiousness can drown out the other alternating first-person narratives, and many of the story's twists are telegraphed early on, resulting in an entertaining if predictable arc. Ages 8 12.
