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Power Trip (a Wandering Koala tale)

by Jeff Thomason (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 10 ratings · 6 reviews

René thinks he’s hit the jackpot!

After six months of no luck following college, he finds the perfect job with excellent benefits at The Power Company doing what he graduated in.

But a newly hired manager has a mysterious agenda. Employees disappear with no warning, and René is caught in a massive explosion that leaves the city of 8 million without power during a record-brea...more

Paperback, 234 pages

Published August 24th 2011 by Createspace (first published August 1st 2011)

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Sep 07, 2011 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Straight to the point: I enjoyed this one so much that I could not put it down! It’s an adventure, technically speaking, but there was a wry half-smile in my lips all the time. Mr Thomason did pulp just as Terry Pratchett does fantasy: with a jaded, not-hidden-in-the-least streak of humor and criticism that added layers and layers of enjoyment to the whole experience.

Power trip is a novel well suited for young adults, but I think this time we should move closer to the “adult” part of the spectru...more Straight to the point: I enjoyed this one so much that I could not put it down! It’s an adventure, technically speaking, but there was a wry half-smile in my lips all the time. Mr Thomason did pulp just as Terry Pratchett does fantasy: with a jaded, not-hidden-in-the-least streak of humor and criticism that added layers and layers of enjoyment to the whole experience.

Power trip is a novel well suited for young adults, but I think this time we should move closer to the “adult” part of the spectrum: while the action itself would fit perfectly in a superhero novel, the rest of issues will resonate much better with a 20-year-old... or at least I felt I could relate to René in ways I wouldn’t have at fifteen. Might be because I’’ve been where he is, being taken advantage of as he is, and well, while I’ve not been pointed as the culprit I know I’ve acquired a fairly decent resemblance with a scapegoat at times.

And that is exactly why I’d recommend this book to you in a blink.

René is the new guy, in charge of Public Relations... a career he chose because it was easy. The Company he has –finally- found work at is a monopoly intent on making money without worrying for quality service. Qualified employees are fired (or... yeah, or read and find out) and their tasks fall on unqualified people because hiring someone with the skills would be too expensive. René has lots of free time because come on, who takes public relations with any seriousness? So... he suddenly becomes an engineer!

If you think there’s not enough wry amusement in his adventures at the new job, that’s okay: wait till you have to face the riots. This part was great as well, and touched a touchy (no pun intended) topic about freedom of expression and responsibility and the limits of each... all mixed up with the rather curious reactions of humans in the middle of a crisis!

And there’s more! There’s The Wandering Koala, a mute superhero who operates off a tree and comes in to save the day at the last minute! He offered all the great action you could wish for, and together with his second-man (who I suspect has another book that I need to read) they fight the villains (and show us their agendas... with some food for thought and laughs along for the ride) and toss in some nice comments about the nature of progress.

Or rather, how “villain-like” it can get when some big shots are trying to control the rhythm and direction of progress, not minding the morality of their choices.

It was like a portrayal of reality, of its bad and good aspects, told with enough style not to offend anyone and to make everyone think in between smiles. But it was not a “preaching” novel, because there were engaging characters and an action-filled plot that stood for themselves, beyond whatever criticism you could get out of the reading. A reading that flew by, by the way: it was so well-paced!

If I had to put it in a nutshell, I’d say just two things:

One, Jeff Thomason is like Terry Pratchett, if Pratchett wrote superheroes instead of wizards.

Two, buy this book. You won’t regret it. (less)

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Oct 15, 2011 Jennifer Hampton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jeff Thomason has created an enigma in the character of The Wandering Koala. He has seemingly unlimited power to do what he wishes. He has the skills of a ninja, incredible intelligence, and he goes around saving people. Is he human or alien? Unfortunately, he won’t ever say as he is mute. With his side kick, Brent, they rescue the hapless Rene and restore power to a city caught in panic.
This story starts with one of the clearest explanations of a market monopoly that I have ever seen. After thi...more

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Jan 28, 2012 ABookVacation rated it 3 of 5 stars

This novel is a social commentary on big business and politics, focusing mainly on the “little” guy in the midst of it all. Much of this novel centers around situations that those in the work force will recognize as true to life; though the exact events may not take place, the concepts surrounding them are everyday occurrences with which many readers will be able to connect. Rene’s character represents the working class, he’s easily likeable, has been searching for a job in a terrible economy, a...more This novel is a social commentary on big business and politics, focusing mainly on the “little” guy in the midst of it all. Much of this novel centers around situations that those in the work force will recognize as true to life; though the exact events may not take place, the concepts surrounding them are everyday occurrences with which many readers will be able to connect. Rene’s character represents the working class, he’s easily likeable, has been searching for a job in a terrible economy, and is extremely relieved to finally obtain a good job. Of course, he’ll do anything to keep it, even if it’s giving up some of his free time and working on projects he’s not certified to do—having been out of a job so long, he can’t quit or he may never get another job again. I really liked how similar the story was to so many people working in corporate America in today’s society, and the satiric nature of the story really made it a great read.

However, while this novel has a very interesting concept, and the synopsis makes it sounds like a real life drama, it actually lends itself to fantasy in that a mysterious superhero is in the mix. In retrospect, the title portion of the novel, A Wandering Koala Tale, might give readers a heads up that this story isn’t exactly a real life drama, but I was surprised nonetheless and a bit confused by the sudden appearance of a superhero. The Wandering Koala did show up in the very beginning of the story, creating a background for his character, but once the main story took over, I forgot all about the fantastical superhero and became completely focused on the main story at hand. While I did like the mute Wandering Koala with ninja assassin like skills, and he did add some spice to the story, I wasn’t expecting the novel to take on a fantasy-like feel. It’s a good read regardless, and Thomason is a great writer, but just be forewarned, there is a superhero within the pages.

To see my full review upon release (2/28/12):

http://wp.me/p1jhaj-1Oj (less)

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Jul 10, 2012 L.E.Olteano rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-review, reviewed, received-for-review

Fluttering Thoughts:

World Building: It's sort of contemporary, with the whole finishing school and not quite getting a job things and such. The charm of "you can never have enough layers of management" wasn't lost on me :D , that's the note in which this world is built.
Characters: Fun, though not quite deeply explored. They felt more like novella/short fiction fit then for a novel, to be honest.
Plot: The idea of the story is interesting and fun to follow, but I felt it was perhaps a bit dragged...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Jenny rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, sci-fi-fantasy

This is a free book from the Goodreads First Reads giveaways.
This was an "anime" type of novel featuring a mysterious do-gooder, The Wandering Koala. Although I found the plot a bit boring, I did enjoy the sarcasm about business politics/management.

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Jan 12, 2012 Chrislin rated it 3 of 5 stars

this book and the characters remind me of a supperhero novel this book is for people who are around there 20s I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads

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About Jeff Thomason

Jeff Thomason is the creator of the Cully Koala comic strip and the Wandering Koala tales. He has published two novels, illustrated two children's books, provided covers for over a dozen titles, and written and drawn numerous comic books. He recently published his second novel.

Jeff's dream has always been to be a rock star. Unfortunately, he can't sing, he can't dance, and he doesn't look good in...more

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Power Trip (a Wandering Koala tale)

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