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Escape
WESTWORLD meets CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY meets JURASSIC PARK, as kids win a chance to enter the place of their dreams -- and find that it quickly turns into a nightmare.
It's all anyone talks about, and it's all Cody dreams about. It's the biggest adventure park in the world, and it's more than mere rides and rollercoasters: At ESCAPE, you can do anything you want, be anyone you want, and there are no adults to tell you no.
Cody's a nobody, but for some reason he receives an invitation and the opportunity of a lifetime. At first, it's the most fun he's ever had. But after a few days, everything in the park starts to go haywire. One at a time, rides malfunction. Simulations turn deadly. His fantasy world glitches, and the games become races for survival. A voice comes over the intercoms, then-ESCAPE was never a theme park for the rich and famous. It was a place for punishment. They have less than a week to escape from the park before it floods. Only five kids will be allowed to leave.
It started out as a fight to get to the coolest rides. Now, they have to fight to survive.
It's all anyone talks about, and it's all Cody dreams about. It's the biggest adventure park in the world, and it's more than mere rides and rollercoasters: At ESCAPE, you can do anything you want, be anyone you want, and there are no adults to tell you no.
Cody's a nobody, but for some reason he receives an invitation and the opportunity of a lifetime. At first, it's the most fun he's ever had. But after a few days, everything in the park starts to go haywire. One at a time, rides malfunction. Simulations turn deadly. His fantasy world glitches, and the games become races for survival. A voice comes over the intercoms, then-ESCAPE was never a theme park for the rich and famous. It was a place for punishment. They have less than a week to escape from the park before it floods. Only five kids will be allowed to leave.
It started out as a fight to get to the coolest rides. Now, they have to fight to survive.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2022
64 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
K.R. Alexander
17 books605 followersK.R. Alexander is the pseudonym for fantasy author Alex R. Kahler. Under this guise, K.R. writes creepy middle grade horror, perfect for young readers looking for a scare! His first book, The Collector, debuted from Scholastic in the Fall of '18.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
March 20, 2022
A dream come true, turns nightmare for these 'lucky' kids.
Cody has wanted to go to the new amusement park known as ESCAPE since it first came out. Over 300 rides of high-tech quality. When he wins his place as one of the few who get to go. He thinks all his dreams have come true. But when the dangers start to become real, he realizes the trap he and the others have fallen into.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read. I can see it being a great book for middle-grade children who enjoy a thriller. It was quick. It wasn't really scary in my opinion, but maybe I would have found it spookier when I was a child, hard to say really.
Recommended age 10+
Cody has wanted to go to the new amusement park known as ESCAPE since it first came out. Over 300 rides of high-tech quality. When he wins his place as one of the few who get to go. He thinks all his dreams have come true. But when the dangers start to become real, he realizes the trap he and the others have fallen into.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read. I can see it being a great book for middle-grade children who enjoy a thriller. It was quick. It wasn't really scary in my opinion, but maybe I would have found it spookier when I was a child, hard to say really.
Recommended age 10+
April 8, 2025
So this one was a gift from my 10yr old daughter, and it was actually pretty good! I did find the cover slightly misleading though, as I was expecting zombies, and there's only a small part of the book with them, but ehh. I was looking forward to a fun zombie adventure 😅
This is a mid grade sci-fi sort of horror, and I loved the concept. pretty terrifying to imagine yourself in a place like this, especially as a child! It was a fun read and kind of made me want to read a goosebumps, since I've been seeing them around so much lately!
This is a mid grade sci-fi sort of horror, and I loved the concept. pretty terrifying to imagine yourself in a place like this, especially as a child! It was a fun read and kind of made me want to read a goosebumps, since I've been seeing them around so much lately!
February 17, 2023
Cody droomt ervan om naar de opening van Escape te gaan, het nieuwste en spannendste attractiepark ter wereld. Helaas is dat alleen weggelegd voor de rijke en coole kinderen, en daar hoort Cody niet bij. Als er een paar kaarten worden verloot, ontvangt hij tot zijn grote verbazing een van die uitnodigingen.
Eenmaal binnen, weet hij niet wat hij ziet! Het begint fantastisch, maar al gauw verandert zijn droom in een nachtmerrie. De attracties zijn levensgevaarlijk, kinderen verdwijnen en het spel wordt een gevecht op leven en dood. Kan Cody uit Escape ontsnappen?
Joehoe, daar is weer een nieuw verhaal van de Horrorland reeks verschenen en dit keer speelt het verhaal zich af in een vreemd, mysterieus attractiepark!
Het verhaal begint met de verloting van de laatste tickets voor het park. De rijken en influencers maken het meeste kans en Cody, een gigantische fan van pretparken, begint de moed bijna te verliezen. Maar dan is er eindelijk die laatste ticket... en hij valt op zijn naam!
Cody kan niet geloven dat hij heeft gewonnen en stiekem gaat hij naar het pretpark. Al gauw merk je dat er dingen niet kloppen, maar hee... alles klinkt geweldig! Het zal dus vast wel meevallen.
'Escape' begint redelijk onschuldig. Cody komt in contact met twee leeftijdsgenoten en samen gaan ze het avontuur aan. Het park heeft namelijk verschillende thema's en per thema zijn er verschillende games te spelen. De beschrijvingen van deze verschillende werelden en games zijn leuk en je ziet de spellen dan ook helemaal voor je.
Toch voel je dat het mis zal gaan, want er hangt een bepaalde sfeer die niet positief aanvoelt. Het duurt even voordat het plezier van de verschillende deelnemers omslaat in iets duisters en na een tijd moet iedereen zelfs vrezen voor zijn of haar leven.
De boeken van Horrorland doen mij steeds denken aan de Kippenvel serie van vroeger en dat was ook weer met dit deel. Ik denk dan ook dat de jeugdige lezer dit verhaal zeker weer kan waarderen. Het lijkt namelijk alsof je je écht in het gevaarlijke pretpark begeeft.
Ik wil @kluitman heel erg bedanken voor dit recensie-exemplaar!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
Eenmaal binnen, weet hij niet wat hij ziet! Het begint fantastisch, maar al gauw verandert zijn droom in een nachtmerrie. De attracties zijn levensgevaarlijk, kinderen verdwijnen en het spel wordt een gevecht op leven en dood. Kan Cody uit Escape ontsnappen?
Joehoe, daar is weer een nieuw verhaal van de Horrorland reeks verschenen en dit keer speelt het verhaal zich af in een vreemd, mysterieus attractiepark!
Het verhaal begint met de verloting van de laatste tickets voor het park. De rijken en influencers maken het meeste kans en Cody, een gigantische fan van pretparken, begint de moed bijna te verliezen. Maar dan is er eindelijk die laatste ticket... en hij valt op zijn naam!
Cody kan niet geloven dat hij heeft gewonnen en stiekem gaat hij naar het pretpark. Al gauw merk je dat er dingen niet kloppen, maar hee... alles klinkt geweldig! Het zal dus vast wel meevallen.
'Escape' begint redelijk onschuldig. Cody komt in contact met twee leeftijdsgenoten en samen gaan ze het avontuur aan. Het park heeft namelijk verschillende thema's en per thema zijn er verschillende games te spelen. De beschrijvingen van deze verschillende werelden en games zijn leuk en je ziet de spellen dan ook helemaal voor je.
Toch voel je dat het mis zal gaan, want er hangt een bepaalde sfeer die niet positief aanvoelt. Het duurt even voordat het plezier van de verschillende deelnemers omslaat in iets duisters en na een tijd moet iedereen zelfs vrezen voor zijn of haar leven.
De boeken van Horrorland doen mij steeds denken aan de Kippenvel serie van vroeger en dat was ook weer met dit deel. Ik denk dan ook dat de jeugdige lezer dit verhaal zeker weer kan waarderen. Het lijkt namelijk alsof je je écht in het gevaarlijke pretpark begeeft.
Ik wil @kluitman heel erg bedanken voor dit recensie-exemplaar!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
July 12, 2023
Cody droomt ervan om naar de opening van escape te gaan. Het nieuwste en spannendste attractiepark te wereld. Helaas is het alleen voor rijke en coole kinderen. En dan worden er kaarten verloot. En Cody kijkt vaak naar zijn E-mail of hij gewonnen heeft. Maar dan wordt hij uitgenodigd. Cody moet samen met andere kinderen ontsnappen uit het park. Ik vond het weer een heerlijk verhaal helaas niet eng genoeg hahaha bij het poppenhuis en verdronken kreeg ik kippenvel 😂 dit verhaal was vermakelijk en het achtste deel uit de horrorland serie. Wat Cody en 2 andere mee maakt in het verhaal vond ik wel grappig bedacht. Ik lees graag boeken van K.R. Alexander
⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
December 7, 2022
I know enough not to expect realism from Alexander or from any horror novel written for 8 to 12 year olds. Having read his previous work, it did expect this one to have a slightly different tone though. I was looking for more of a nostalgic horror theme park feel. But this one is definitely all tech-based. Which does give the book more freedom, but makes it infinitely less thrilling.
February 23, 2023
Ben jij een fan van pretparken? En zo ja, zou jij naar een pretpark gaan wat jou beloofd dat je kunt ontsnappen aan de werkelijkheid?
K.R. Alexander is zelf groot fan van pretparken en vond deze passie een perfecte basis voor zijn volgende verhaal.
In ‘Escape‘ volgen we Cody, die al zijn hele leven gek is op pretparken en die maar één droom heeft: als volwassene zijn eigen park bedenken en bouwen.
Samen met zijn beste vriend heeft hij zich ingeschreven om kans te maken om als één van de eerste honderd deelnemers een geheel nieuw pretpark te mogen bezoeken. Vooralsnog zijn alleen nog bekende tieners uitgeloot om te mogen gaan, maar dan valt Cody’s naam.
Met een thuissituatie waarin de spanning tussen zijn ouders een hoogtepunt bereikt, knijpt Cody er tussen uit om samen met de andere gelukkigen deel te nemen aan het ‘Escape‘ avontuur.
Hij wil eindelijk iets voorstellen. Eindelijk even aan het leven ontsnappen dat hij niet wil leiden.
‘Escape‘ is een droom die uitkomt. Of toch niet?
K.R. Alexander heeft met dit boek wederom een heerlijk spannend boek voor de jeugd geschreven.
Door de thuissituatie van Cody, spreekt hij zeker tieners aan die in vergelijkbare situaties verkeren of dezelfde soort gevoelens ervaren.
Het verhaal is geschreven vanuit Cody, en zijn emoties en gevoelens komen duidelijk over. Een tiener die geen goed zelfbeeld heeft, ruziënde ouders thuis en zichzelf afvraagt waar hij thuis hoort in de wereld.
Wanneer Cody in het park ‘Escape‘ twee nieuwe vrienden maakt, Inga en Jayson, doet hij zich in eerste instantie anders voor dan hij is.
Gelukkig heeft K.R. Alexander gezorgd voor een realistische ontwikkeling wat Cody betreft, door de lezer te laten zien welke gevolgen bepaalde keuzes hebben. En wat het met anderen doet als je je anders voor doet dan je bent. Hiermee geeft hij de jeugdige lezers ook een duidelijke boodschap mee.
Dit zelfde geldt voor de twee nieuwe vrienden van Cody, Inga en Jayson.
In het verhaal zijn zij twee beroemde tieners. K.R. Alexander maakt tussen de regels echter meer dan duidelijk, dat beroemd zijn helemaal niet zo zaligmakend is als we vaak denken.
Naast deze, naar mijn mening, belangrijke boodschappen tussen de regels door, is het verder een verhaal vol spanning en actie.
Dit keer een iets minder horrorachtig verhaal, maar een verhaal met actie waarin tieners hun eigen leven, maar ook dat van anderen, moeten zien te redden in een omgeving die bedreigender lijkt dan ze van tevoren hadden kunnen bedenken.
Dat gezegd hebbende, vond ik ook in dit boek de schrijfstijl weer heerlijk vlot en beeldend. K.R. Alexander heeft wederom een geweldige fantasie wereld geschapen met deze keer scifi elementen.
Want hoe gaaf is een pretpark waarin je letterlijk onderdeel kunt zijn van een verhaal en attracties kunt bezoeken waarin het gevaar heel dichtbij komt.
Maar net als de tieners in dit verhaal, ga je je toch afvragen wat echt is en wat niet.
De korte hoofdstukken, het avontuur en de spanning zorgen er in ieder geval voor dat je door dit boek heen vliegt. Absoluut weer een heerlijk verhaal in deze serie als je het mij vraagt!
Conclusie
‘Escape‘ is alweer het achtste boek in de Horrorland serie van uitgeverij Kluitman, en ik als volwassene, ben enorm fan.
Nog steeds geeft elk deel mij weer die nostalgische gevoelens van vroeger. Elk verhaal is weer uniek.
K.R. Alexander is in deze serie absoluut mijn favoriet.
En alhoewel ‘Escape‘ iets minder horror elementen bevat dan zijn andere verhalen, weet K.R. Alexander absoluut een goede dosis spanning in het verhaal te verwerken dat je op het puntje van je stoel laat zitten.
Ook de boodschappen in dit verhaal, zette zelfs mij als volwassene aan het denken. I love it!
Ik kijk in ieder geval alweer enorm uit naar het volgende boek in deze spannende serie!
K.R. Alexander is zelf groot fan van pretparken en vond deze passie een perfecte basis voor zijn volgende verhaal.
In ‘Escape‘ volgen we Cody, die al zijn hele leven gek is op pretparken en die maar één droom heeft: als volwassene zijn eigen park bedenken en bouwen.
Samen met zijn beste vriend heeft hij zich ingeschreven om kans te maken om als één van de eerste honderd deelnemers een geheel nieuw pretpark te mogen bezoeken. Vooralsnog zijn alleen nog bekende tieners uitgeloot om te mogen gaan, maar dan valt Cody’s naam.
Met een thuissituatie waarin de spanning tussen zijn ouders een hoogtepunt bereikt, knijpt Cody er tussen uit om samen met de andere gelukkigen deel te nemen aan het ‘Escape‘ avontuur.
Hij wil eindelijk iets voorstellen. Eindelijk even aan het leven ontsnappen dat hij niet wil leiden.
‘Escape‘ is een droom die uitkomt. Of toch niet?
K.R. Alexander heeft met dit boek wederom een heerlijk spannend boek voor de jeugd geschreven.
Door de thuissituatie van Cody, spreekt hij zeker tieners aan die in vergelijkbare situaties verkeren of dezelfde soort gevoelens ervaren.
Het verhaal is geschreven vanuit Cody, en zijn emoties en gevoelens komen duidelijk over. Een tiener die geen goed zelfbeeld heeft, ruziënde ouders thuis en zichzelf afvraagt waar hij thuis hoort in de wereld.
Wanneer Cody in het park ‘Escape‘ twee nieuwe vrienden maakt, Inga en Jayson, doet hij zich in eerste instantie anders voor dan hij is.
Gelukkig heeft K.R. Alexander gezorgd voor een realistische ontwikkeling wat Cody betreft, door de lezer te laten zien welke gevolgen bepaalde keuzes hebben. En wat het met anderen doet als je je anders voor doet dan je bent. Hiermee geeft hij de jeugdige lezers ook een duidelijke boodschap mee.
Dit zelfde geldt voor de twee nieuwe vrienden van Cody, Inga en Jayson.
In het verhaal zijn zij twee beroemde tieners. K.R. Alexander maakt tussen de regels echter meer dan duidelijk, dat beroemd zijn helemaal niet zo zaligmakend is als we vaak denken.
Naast deze, naar mijn mening, belangrijke boodschappen tussen de regels door, is het verder een verhaal vol spanning en actie.
Dit keer een iets minder horrorachtig verhaal, maar een verhaal met actie waarin tieners hun eigen leven, maar ook dat van anderen, moeten zien te redden in een omgeving die bedreigender lijkt dan ze van tevoren hadden kunnen bedenken.
Dat gezegd hebbende, vond ik ook in dit boek de schrijfstijl weer heerlijk vlot en beeldend. K.R. Alexander heeft wederom een geweldige fantasie wereld geschapen met deze keer scifi elementen.
Want hoe gaaf is een pretpark waarin je letterlijk onderdeel kunt zijn van een verhaal en attracties kunt bezoeken waarin het gevaar heel dichtbij komt.
Maar net als de tieners in dit verhaal, ga je je toch afvragen wat echt is en wat niet.
De korte hoofdstukken, het avontuur en de spanning zorgen er in ieder geval voor dat je door dit boek heen vliegt. Absoluut weer een heerlijk verhaal in deze serie als je het mij vraagt!
Conclusie
‘Escape‘ is alweer het achtste boek in de Horrorland serie van uitgeverij Kluitman, en ik als volwassene, ben enorm fan.
Nog steeds geeft elk deel mij weer die nostalgische gevoelens van vroeger. Elk verhaal is weer uniek.
K.R. Alexander is in deze serie absoluut mijn favoriet.
En alhoewel ‘Escape‘ iets minder horror elementen bevat dan zijn andere verhalen, weet K.R. Alexander absoluut een goede dosis spanning in het verhaal te verwerken dat je op het puntje van je stoel laat zitten.
Ook de boodschappen in dit verhaal, zette zelfs mij als volwassene aan het denken. I love it!
Ik kijk in ieder geval alweer enorm uit naar het volgende boek in deze spannende serie!
April 2, 2023
Cody droomt ervan om naar de opening van Escape te gaan, het nieuwste en spannendste attractiepark ter wereld. Helaas is dat alleen weggelegd voor de rijke en coole kinderen, en daar hoort Cody niet bij. Als er een paar kaarten worden verloot, ontvangt hij tot zijn grote verbazing een van die uitnodigingen.
Eenmaal binnen, weet hij niet wat hij ziet! Het begint fantastisch, maar al gauw verandert zijn droom in een nachtmerrie. De attracties zijn levensgevaarlijk, kinderen verdwijnen en het spel wordt een gevecht op leven en dood. Kan Cody uit Escape ontsnappen?
'Jullie spelen niet meer voor de lol. Jullie spelen voor jullie leven.'
Attractieparken. Ik houd er wel van. Als kind kon het mij niet gek genoeg zijn.
Griezelige spookhuizen, achtbanen met dubbele loopings, G-krachten die mijn maag een sprongetje lieten maken. Heerlijk!
Het is alleen al een tijdje geleden dat ik naar een attractiepark geweest ben...
Tijden veranderen. Attractieparken ook. Dus ik ben héél benieuwd wat Escape mij brengen zal. *Muahahahahaaa* (een gemene lach)
In 'Escape' volgen we Cody, hij is 12 jaar en fan van attractieparken. Hij telt de dagen af tot Escape zijn deuren zal openen. Hij wil graag zijn thuissituatie ontvluchten. Zijn ouders maken vaak ruzie en hij voelt zich niet gezien. Escape klinkt als dé perfecte plek om even niet meer Cody te zijn.
Het verhaal las erg vlot. De schrijfstijl was beeldend en de hoofdstukken kort. Het was alsof ik ook in Escape was en ik kan je vertellen: dit is géén attractiepark waar ik zelf heen zou willen gaan. Het voelde voor mij nét iets te echt. Wat in feite heel positief is, want dat betekent dat ik écht door het verhaal meegenomen werd.
Al vond ik dat 'Escape' eigenlijk meer een dystopisch verhaal is. Een dystopisch verhaal met horror elementen. Het deed mij denken aan The Hunger Games, Jurassic Park en Pirates of the Caribbean. Een geweldige combinatie!
Het verhaal is meeslepend, spannend én zit boordevol actie. In Escape worden je diepste angsten werkelijkheid. Én het is een plek voor bezinning. Want het gras is écht niet groener bij de buren. En al zeker niet in Escape. ****
Eenmaal binnen, weet hij niet wat hij ziet! Het begint fantastisch, maar al gauw verandert zijn droom in een nachtmerrie. De attracties zijn levensgevaarlijk, kinderen verdwijnen en het spel wordt een gevecht op leven en dood. Kan Cody uit Escape ontsnappen?
'Jullie spelen niet meer voor de lol. Jullie spelen voor jullie leven.'
Attractieparken. Ik houd er wel van. Als kind kon het mij niet gek genoeg zijn.
Griezelige spookhuizen, achtbanen met dubbele loopings, G-krachten die mijn maag een sprongetje lieten maken. Heerlijk!
Het is alleen al een tijdje geleden dat ik naar een attractiepark geweest ben...
Tijden veranderen. Attractieparken ook. Dus ik ben héél benieuwd wat Escape mij brengen zal. *Muahahahahaaa* (een gemene lach)
In 'Escape' volgen we Cody, hij is 12 jaar en fan van attractieparken. Hij telt de dagen af tot Escape zijn deuren zal openen. Hij wil graag zijn thuissituatie ontvluchten. Zijn ouders maken vaak ruzie en hij voelt zich niet gezien. Escape klinkt als dé perfecte plek om even niet meer Cody te zijn.
Het verhaal las erg vlot. De schrijfstijl was beeldend en de hoofdstukken kort. Het was alsof ik ook in Escape was en ik kan je vertellen: dit is géén attractiepark waar ik zelf heen zou willen gaan. Het voelde voor mij nét iets te echt. Wat in feite heel positief is, want dat betekent dat ik écht door het verhaal meegenomen werd.
Al vond ik dat 'Escape' eigenlijk meer een dystopisch verhaal is. Een dystopisch verhaal met horror elementen. Het deed mij denken aan The Hunger Games, Jurassic Park en Pirates of the Caribbean. Een geweldige combinatie!
Het verhaal is meeslepend, spannend én zit boordevol actie. In Escape worden je diepste angsten werkelijkheid. Én het is een plek voor bezinning. Want het gras is écht niet groener bij de buren. En al zeker niet in Escape. ****
July 13, 2022
First sentence: Escape your troubles! Escape to adventure! It was the same tagline Cody had read a hundred times. But he still felt a thrill every time he read it. ESCAPE wasn't just a theme park. It was an Event. A Happening. It promised everything a kid could want, and more. Want to cast magical spells in cutting-edge VR? Done. Fly among dragons and dinosaurs on a real live hang glider? No problem. Eat all the junk food you can stomach and stay up until four in the morning? Go for it. ESCAPE was built to cater to dreams. Whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted it--the moment you stepped foot within the park's door, it was yours. And the best part? No. Adults. Allowed.
Premise/plot: A new theme park, ESCAPE, will be opening soon. And the tickets are quite exclusive--just a hundred tickets. Unless you are somebody who is SOMEBODY. The first seventy invites go to celebrities. But the last thirty tickets, well, anyone can enter the drawing. It will be completely random. But will Cody, our hero, be one of those thirty???? (Of course, or this would be a very, very, very short book). But will Cody want to escape from ESCAPE?
My thoughts: I thought this was a good action-packed mystery-thriller. Cody and his new (celebrity) friends will have to work as a team if they hope to survive what is supposed to be the greatest week of their lives. The focus is on the many aspects of the theme park--all the attractions, all the themed sections. There's a good bit of characterization of those three characters--Cody, Inga, and Jayson. The other 90 plus kids not so much. But I wouldn't expect there to be. This is Hunger Games + Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I liked it for the most part. It is definitely a premise-driven, plot-driven thriller. But I think it is entertaining.
Premise/plot: A new theme park, ESCAPE, will be opening soon. And the tickets are quite exclusive--just a hundred tickets. Unless you are somebody who is SOMEBODY. The first seventy invites go to celebrities. But the last thirty tickets, well, anyone can enter the drawing. It will be completely random. But will Cody, our hero, be one of those thirty???? (Of course, or this would be a very, very, very short book). But will Cody want to escape from ESCAPE?
My thoughts: I thought this was a good action-packed mystery-thriller. Cody and his new (celebrity) friends will have to work as a team if they hope to survive what is supposed to be the greatest week of their lives. The focus is on the many aspects of the theme park--all the attractions, all the themed sections. There's a good bit of characterization of those three characters--Cody, Inga, and Jayson. The other 90 plus kids not so much. But I wouldn't expect there to be. This is Hunger Games + Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I liked it for the most part. It is definitely a premise-driven, plot-driven thriller. But I think it is entertaining.
January 20, 2024
Cody droomt ervan om naar de opening van het nieuwste pretpark te gaan, Escape. Alleen er is één probleem, alleen rijke en beroemde kinderen mogen het park in. Als er een aantal kaarten worden verloot, ontvangt hij tot zijn verbazing een uitnodiging. Cody kan niet wachten! Maar eenmaal binnen blijkt zijn droom in een nachtmerrie te veranderen. Hij heeft nog maar één doel, namelijk ontspannen.
In het boek volg je Cody, een 12-jarige jongen met een passie voor pretparken. Zijn grote droom is ook om uiteindelijk zelf een pretpark te maken. Maar niet iedereen is het daarmee eens. Zijn ouders vinden dat hij meer op school moet focussen. De situatie thuis wordt steeds lastiger en Cody wilt graag ontsnappen naar Escape.
Het verhaal is beeldend geschreven en de hoofdstukken zijn kort. Hierdoor vlieg je door het verhaal heen.
Hoewel het verhaal makkelijk weg las, was het niet echt spannend. Het was eerder vermakelijk met wat actie. Wel zag ik alle attracties echt voor mij. Door de verschillende thema’s in het park was er ook genoeg afwisseling.
Het duurde wel even voordat de sfeer omsloeg. Dit had wat mij betreft wat eerder gemogen. Toch bleef ik wel geïnteresseerd in het verhaal. Hier en daar worden er nog wat leuke twists naar voren gebracht.
Een vermakelijk en snel boek. Zeker leuk voor de jongere lezers.
In het boek volg je Cody, een 12-jarige jongen met een passie voor pretparken. Zijn grote droom is ook om uiteindelijk zelf een pretpark te maken. Maar niet iedereen is het daarmee eens. Zijn ouders vinden dat hij meer op school moet focussen. De situatie thuis wordt steeds lastiger en Cody wilt graag ontsnappen naar Escape.
Het verhaal is beeldend geschreven en de hoofdstukken zijn kort. Hierdoor vlieg je door het verhaal heen.
Hoewel het verhaal makkelijk weg las, was het niet echt spannend. Het was eerder vermakelijk met wat actie. Wel zag ik alle attracties echt voor mij. Door de verschillende thema’s in het park was er ook genoeg afwisseling.
Het duurde wel even voordat de sfeer omsloeg. Dit had wat mij betreft wat eerder gemogen. Toch bleef ik wel geïnteresseerd in het verhaal. Hier en daar worden er nog wat leuke twists naar voren gebracht.
Een vermakelijk en snel boek. Zeker leuk voor de jongere lezers.
June 24, 2024
Every now and then it's nice to read a children's book for easy enjoyment. This one had a feel of nostalgia for me with similarities to Goosebumps, an absolute favorite book staple of mine when I was a kid. It was a little slow though at times and had some "flaws" throughout. I did like the work the author put into the settings throughout the book. That was definitely the highlight of the book. A wholesome message is always a plus to in kid's books. I'd recommend for upper elementary aged kids.
"I don't punish dreamers. Just make sure to drop in on reality once in a while."
"Because if nothing bad happens, you have no reason to escape."
"We talk about what we love. Even if we hate it at times."
"I don't punish dreamers. Just make sure to drop in on reality once in a while."
"Because if nothing bad happens, you have no reason to escape."
"We talk about what we love. Even if we hate it at times."
March 23, 2024
This book is an action-packed horror thriller set in the world’s largest theme park, with over 300 high-tech rides. Cody wins a chance to attend the opening along with some pretty famous social media stars. When the rides start malfunctioning and the simulations become deadly, the kids realize that the park is a trap.
The book is a fast read with lots of action that middle-grade readers will eat up.
The book is a fast read with lots of action that middle-grade readers will eat up.
August 27, 2022
This is a different type of book for this author and adds to his luster in being able to successfully expand on the genres he writes about. This is a very fast-paced book with the main character being a person any number of people can relate to. Dream big and fight for that dream regardless of your circumstances growing up.
March 16, 2023
2.5 stars
April 23, 2023
Just finished this book, Escape by KR Alexander. Always a wild ride. This was about a theme park where all your hopes and dreams come true… and then the nightmares come true, too. Check it out! 3.5/5 stars
May 18, 2024
Escape is an interesting case because it butts up against two conflicting mindsets that I have: that I should be free to judge a book as much as I want to as seriously as I feel vs my expectations should be tempered because this is a book for children. An author should be allowed to write whatever they want - within reason, of course, if it’s offensive or factually incorrect all bets are off - however, there are objective standards I feel a book should be able to meet.
There’s also the fact that sometimes regardless of the author feeling like their way is the best way the story could be told I disagree. On top of that there’s also also the fact that depending on the demographic for the book, say 6 to 8 compared to 9 to 12, I might be wanting too much; personal preference makes things extremely dicey when I’m trying to judge under these circumstances.
All of this is to say, Escape left me conflicted (up until the poor conclusion to Cody being abused, at that point I was very secure in my position)
It didn't have enough time to develop its themes or its characters as well as it could have, particularly in the setting. I think the setting was not explored nearly enough. A theme park gone wrong is a fantastic setting for creepy shenanigans. And I really took to heart the descriptions of this being a twisted Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
However, unlike Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Escape does not do anything to make the theme park feel fantastical or like this huge, bustling place a person would be desperate to visit. All of the locations are pretty generic: Ancient Egypt, Intergalactic Adventure, King Arthur’s Kingdom, Deep Sea Domain, and Prehistoric Paradise. I chalk some of this up to the writing. It’s very rote and functional. It was effective in communicating the story, but did not have any substance.
The whole ‘things going wrong’ part is completely limited to what is already stated in the synopsis. There are no other twists. There is a plot point about these famous kids needing Escape to break away from their famous lives, but I literally couldn't care less about any of the characters because of how paper thin they were. The bully rich kid literally is redeemed in like five pages after like 200 pages where they emphasized how awful she was.
Everything regarding Cody’s parents was downright harmful. Cody’s father literally destroys all of his theme park drawings and mockups and mocks him when he cries about it. His mother shrugs when he looks to her for help and lets the father do it. She indicates no disapproval whatsoever over his fathers’ actions. Did I mention his father goes on this wild rampage because Cody got his phone taken away at school and the teacher had a meeting about it?
The abuse is never addressed. His parents are established as being terrible to one another and neglectful already so presumably the author thought this was merely an extension of that. But, this escalated the behavior to irredeemable levels. It was bad enough that they were arguing all the time and ignoring him. While awful, it does still fall in the realms of normal middle grade parental deficiencies.
This fit of rage crosses the line into a bigger, uglier problem that will need far deeper, intensive resolution. But this book is utterly unconcerned with the repercussions of choosing to have his father inflict this kind of damage onto him.
Cody sneaks out of the house to essentially run away to Escape. He doesn’t talk to his parents ever again on-page. All we get is his father saying ‘I’m proud of you’ over the phone and Cody hugs him when he comes to pick him up. No apologies, no promises to do better, no discussion of therapy or divorce to break the toxic cycle the parents have fallen into. The mother isn’t involved in this moment at all. It not only doesn’t finish out the plot point it picked up, it also dismisses the impact of this abusive tactic.
A kid reading this who has abusive parents or parents displaying abusive behavior would not learn that it’s unacceptable. It would reinforce that it’s totally normal for a parent to fly off the handle, rug sweep then express a meaningless platitude as if that makes it okay.
Escape is probably my least favorite sunshine state book of the year. The way the abuse plotline played out I think the deciding board was remiss in recommending it at all.
There’s also the fact that sometimes regardless of the author feeling like their way is the best way the story could be told I disagree. On top of that there’s also also the fact that depending on the demographic for the book, say 6 to 8 compared to 9 to 12, I might be wanting too much; personal preference makes things extremely dicey when I’m trying to judge under these circumstances.
All of this is to say, Escape left me conflicted (up until the poor conclusion to Cody being abused, at that point I was very secure in my position)
It didn't have enough time to develop its themes or its characters as well as it could have, particularly in the setting. I think the setting was not explored nearly enough. A theme park gone wrong is a fantastic setting for creepy shenanigans. And I really took to heart the descriptions of this being a twisted Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
However, unlike Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Escape does not do anything to make the theme park feel fantastical or like this huge, bustling place a person would be desperate to visit. All of the locations are pretty generic: Ancient Egypt, Intergalactic Adventure, King Arthur’s Kingdom, Deep Sea Domain, and Prehistoric Paradise. I chalk some of this up to the writing. It’s very rote and functional. It was effective in communicating the story, but did not have any substance.
The whole ‘things going wrong’ part is completely limited to what is already stated in the synopsis. There are no other twists. There is a plot point about these famous kids needing Escape to break away from their famous lives, but I literally couldn't care less about any of the characters because of how paper thin they were. The bully rich kid literally is redeemed in like five pages after like 200 pages where they emphasized how awful she was.
Everything regarding Cody’s parents was downright harmful. Cody’s father literally destroys all of his theme park drawings and mockups and mocks him when he cries about it. His mother shrugs when he looks to her for help and lets the father do it. She indicates no disapproval whatsoever over his fathers’ actions. Did I mention his father goes on this wild rampage because Cody got his phone taken away at school and the teacher had a meeting about it?
The abuse is never addressed. His parents are established as being terrible to one another and neglectful already so presumably the author thought this was merely an extension of that. But, this escalated the behavior to irredeemable levels. It was bad enough that they were arguing all the time and ignoring him. While awful, it does still fall in the realms of normal middle grade parental deficiencies.
This fit of rage crosses the line into a bigger, uglier problem that will need far deeper, intensive resolution. But this book is utterly unconcerned with the repercussions of choosing to have his father inflict this kind of damage onto him.
Cody sneaks out of the house to essentially run away to Escape. He doesn’t talk to his parents ever again on-page. All we get is his father saying ‘I’m proud of you’ over the phone and Cody hugs him when he comes to pick him up. No apologies, no promises to do better, no discussion of therapy or divorce to break the toxic cycle the parents have fallen into. The mother isn’t involved in this moment at all. It not only doesn’t finish out the plot point it picked up, it also dismisses the impact of this abusive tactic.
A kid reading this who has abusive parents or parents displaying abusive behavior would not learn that it’s unacceptable. It would reinforce that it’s totally normal for a parent to fly off the handle, rug sweep then express a meaningless platitude as if that makes it okay.
Escape is probably my least favorite sunshine state book of the year. The way the abuse plotline played out I think the deciding board was remiss in recommending it at all.
October 26, 2024
A little more high-tech than I expected a theme park story to be, but still a fun story. This author does some pretty creative horror; I’m having fun with him.
September 24, 2024
This book reminded me of my younger brother, whose name is also Cody and who also happens to love amusement parks and video games. I love that K.R. Alexander took something that’s cool like virtual reality and made it into something horrifying!
November 2, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Cody is obsessed with theme parks and virtual reality, so when there is a lottery for the new VR theme park, ESCAPE, he checks his phone constantly to see if his entry was accepted. His friends Laura and Patrick share his interests, but don't care as much about the park. Most of the teens who have been picked are famous social media influencers, but there are a few spaces left for ordinary kids. Cody really, really needs to get away from home and school. His parents aren't abusive, but they are very strict and never let him have any fun, and they also fight a lot. When he gets an e mail on his phone during school, he knows that it is from ESCAPE, but his teacher, who is actually pretty cool most of the time, not only takes away his phone but calls his parents! Cody is grounded, but manages to sneak a look at his phone and finds out that a driver will pick him up at 8:00 the next morning to take him to the park for a week. He packs, sneaks out, and is soon on his adventure. He meets the park's creator, the creepy Mr. Gould, and befriends two famous kids, Inga (on whom he has a little crush) and Jayson. They are very nice to him, and the three become a tight unit when it comes to striking out into the park. Everything is included, so all of the food and rides are free, and no adults are allowed. Jayson and Inga have their own reasons for wanting to escape, and the park seems to pick up on all of the kids' worst fears. Cody starts to suspect things are really wrong when the group visits the Egypt section, and he gets an actual scorpion bite, even through the special suit that the kids have to wear. There are several other thrilling rides, but each seems more dangerous than the last. Add in a competition with the evil Meg-A, and Cody and his friends start to fear for their lives. Will they have to escape ESCAPE?
Strengths: Horror is NOT my favorite genre, but my students love to read it, and we have a lot of conversations about the sort of books that interest them. While I'm not going to provide them with as much gory, human-on-human violence as they would like (still not convinced this is something that is good for eleven-year-olds!), I'm always looking for things that are scary. They also are ridiculously fond of video game books like Tor's Minecraft series, and Escape has a lot of moments that have the feel of video games. The inclusions of a variety of young social media influencers is fantastic, and something I haven't seen a whole lot of, even though many of my students are sure that that's what they will do when they grow up. (After 16 years and a mere 326 blog followers, I'm not going to bet my retirement on this course of action!) I appreciate that Alexander doesn't skimp on the plot or the character development, although the thrill ride of the theme park definitely is center stage. The best part of the story was the uncertainty of what was really going on with the theme park; we have an inkling, thanks to the Scooby-Doo-ish villain Mr. Gould who is practically muttering "You meddling kids!".
Weaknesses: The ending seemed a bit rushed and forced, but readers are going to pick this up for the National Treasure type action scenes, not the plot development.
What I really think: The creepy cover alone makes this worth buying three copies, but it's a shame that Scholastic won't publish this author in hard cover. If The Collector has sold half a million copies, surely there is a little money to be had in this format. Alexander is absolutely on fire right now, with three new releases coming up, including Darkroom (10/22), Speak for Me (11/22) and Possess Me (12/22)!
Cody is obsessed with theme parks and virtual reality, so when there is a lottery for the new VR theme park, ESCAPE, he checks his phone constantly to see if his entry was accepted. His friends Laura and Patrick share his interests, but don't care as much about the park. Most of the teens who have been picked are famous social media influencers, but there are a few spaces left for ordinary kids. Cody really, really needs to get away from home and school. His parents aren't abusive, but they are very strict and never let him have any fun, and they also fight a lot. When he gets an e mail on his phone during school, he knows that it is from ESCAPE, but his teacher, who is actually pretty cool most of the time, not only takes away his phone but calls his parents! Cody is grounded, but manages to sneak a look at his phone and finds out that a driver will pick him up at 8:00 the next morning to take him to the park for a week. He packs, sneaks out, and is soon on his adventure. He meets the park's creator, the creepy Mr. Gould, and befriends two famous kids, Inga (on whom he has a little crush) and Jayson. They are very nice to him, and the three become a tight unit when it comes to striking out into the park. Everything is included, so all of the food and rides are free, and no adults are allowed. Jayson and Inga have their own reasons for wanting to escape, and the park seems to pick up on all of the kids' worst fears. Cody starts to suspect things are really wrong when the group visits the Egypt section, and he gets an actual scorpion bite, even through the special suit that the kids have to wear. There are several other thrilling rides, but each seems more dangerous than the last. Add in a competition with the evil Meg-A, and Cody and his friends start to fear for their lives. Will they have to escape ESCAPE?
Strengths: Horror is NOT my favorite genre, but my students love to read it, and we have a lot of conversations about the sort of books that interest them. While I'm not going to provide them with as much gory, human-on-human violence as they would like (still not convinced this is something that is good for eleven-year-olds!), I'm always looking for things that are scary. They also are ridiculously fond of video game books like Tor's Minecraft series, and Escape has a lot of moments that have the feel of video games. The inclusions of a variety of young social media influencers is fantastic, and something I haven't seen a whole lot of, even though many of my students are sure that that's what they will do when they grow up. (After 16 years and a mere 326 blog followers, I'm not going to bet my retirement on this course of action!) I appreciate that Alexander doesn't skimp on the plot or the character development, although the thrill ride of the theme park definitely is center stage. The best part of the story was the uncertainty of what was really going on with the theme park; we have an inkling, thanks to the Scooby-Doo-ish villain Mr. Gould who is practically muttering "You meddling kids!".
Weaknesses: The ending seemed a bit rushed and forced, but readers are going to pick this up for the National Treasure type action scenes, not the plot development.
What I really think: The creepy cover alone makes this worth buying three copies, but it's a shame that Scholastic won't publish this author in hard cover. If The Collector has sold half a million copies, surely there is a little money to be had in this format. Alexander is absolutely on fire right now, with three new releases coming up, including Darkroom (10/22), Speak for Me (11/22) and Possess Me (12/22)!
July 15, 2023
Based on the cover, I was expecting something much scarier from this book. It's about a 1 on the scare scale.
Cody loves amusement parks. He dreams of winning a coveted ticket to the new ESCAPE theme park which promises to provide the richest, most authentic, thrill of any park to date. As expected, he gets the very last ticket. Things start off great. The special effects are amazing, his two celebrity teammates genuinely like him, and the rides are as real as it gets. As real as getting stung by a scorpion, with a welt to prove it. Every ride ends with someone getting hurt, or worse, dying. Cody is sure he and his friends will be next if they don't find a way out of there.
The theme park idea is a good one. Unfortunately, the lack of character development, unexplored plot fill-ins, and an anticlimactic ending leave much to be desired. What's the deal with Meg-A? I didn't understand her animosity toward Team Cody. Why is that? Because the author didn't give me much to go on, that's why. And what's the point of Cody's quarreling parents? To explain why Cody wants to "escape" to an amusement park so bad? Weak. It's an unnecessary distraction. Could it be that Cody just loves amusements parks? Then there's the ending. What a let down. This author can't really expect me to believe the park creator just wanted to teach kids a lesson about social media and their obsession with fame. Didn't buy it.
I could write pages and pages about where this book falls short. I don't enjoy being negative about books, but I guess I hope authors will take the criticism to heart and try a little harder next time. That said, kids will read this book, but it will never reach more than a small audience until the writing is better.
Cody loves amusement parks. He dreams of winning a coveted ticket to the new ESCAPE theme park which promises to provide the richest, most authentic, thrill of any park to date. As expected, he gets the very last ticket. Things start off great. The special effects are amazing, his two celebrity teammates genuinely like him, and the rides are as real as it gets. As real as getting stung by a scorpion, with a welt to prove it. Every ride ends with someone getting hurt, or worse, dying. Cody is sure he and his friends will be next if they don't find a way out of there.
The theme park idea is a good one. Unfortunately, the lack of character development, unexplored plot fill-ins, and an anticlimactic ending leave much to be desired. What's the deal with Meg-A? I didn't understand her animosity toward Team Cody. Why is that? Because the author didn't give me much to go on, that's why. And what's the point of Cody's quarreling parents? To explain why Cody wants to "escape" to an amusement park so bad? Weak. It's an unnecessary distraction. Could it be that Cody just loves amusements parks? Then there's the ending. What a let down. This author can't really expect me to believe the park creator just wanted to teach kids a lesson about social media and their obsession with fame. Didn't buy it.
I could write pages and pages about where this book falls short. I don't enjoy being negative about books, but I guess I hope authors will take the criticism to heart and try a little harder next time. That said, kids will read this book, but it will never reach more than a small audience until the writing is better.
August 16, 2023
I have already read a few books by Alexander, which were amazing. This one Escape did not disappoint either. I couldn't wait to get to the ending to see how everything ended up.
Cody, the main character, wants to get picked to go somewhere amazing. He has learned everything there is to know about this place called Escape. He even sacrificed his phone and his parents getting mad at him for the potential opportunity. What Cody doesn't know is that things don't always add up, and twists and turns can happen. Read the book to find out what Cody gets himself into.
I absolutely love how Alexander made Cody out to be what every typical kid wants to be famous. He wants to be known, and most people, even adults, can relate to that. This fact made it easy to relate to the main character about how some things work.
Alexander's descriptions of scenes were so detailed that I felt like I was actually experiencing what Cody and his friends were going through. What would be even more intriguing would be to see the perspectives of the other kids involved in the storyline, especially during the competition.
Alexander is an author of scary stories, and this one did not disappoint. Of course, it was at a YA level and not adult, so it couldn't be too scary. It did have me holding the book pretty tight at some scenes, though. The vividness of the descriptions helped with that.
I give this story a 5/5 star rating. I highly recommend anyone who likes to read a suspenseful twisted story to read this book. Again, it is YA, so it isn't as intense as some of the adult scary books.
Cody, the main character, wants to get picked to go somewhere amazing. He has learned everything there is to know about this place called Escape. He even sacrificed his phone and his parents getting mad at him for the potential opportunity. What Cody doesn't know is that things don't always add up, and twists and turns can happen. Read the book to find out what Cody gets himself into.
I absolutely love how Alexander made Cody out to be what every typical kid wants to be famous. He wants to be known, and most people, even adults, can relate to that. This fact made it easy to relate to the main character about how some things work.
Alexander's descriptions of scenes were so detailed that I felt like I was actually experiencing what Cody and his friends were going through. What would be even more intriguing would be to see the perspectives of the other kids involved in the storyline, especially during the competition.
Alexander is an author of scary stories, and this one did not disappoint. Of course, it was at a YA level and not adult, so it couldn't be too scary. It did have me holding the book pretty tight at some scenes, though. The vividness of the descriptions helped with that.
I give this story a 5/5 star rating. I highly recommend anyone who likes to read a suspenseful twisted story to read this book. Again, it is YA, so it isn't as intense as some of the adult scary books.
June 15, 2025
Ok so keep in mind i am out of the “ideal age range” for this book.
I read this book when i was younger and absolutely loved it but now that i’ve read it being older there were definitely some things in the book i now picked up on that i didn’t earlier. One of those things i noticed being Cody.
In my opinion Cody overstepped his boundaries quite a bit on multiple occasions and tbh was js not that likable of a character.
in the beiginnig when he asked Igna why she was there he could tell the question made her uncomfortable and that she didn’t want to talk about it and he just kept pushing it and proceded to bring it up multiple times throughout the book.
he also invited himself to go to Iceland with Jayson but that’s not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things it js irked me
near the end of the book he blows up on Igna and Jayson and then claims it to be “acting” to convince the audience he was only in for the game. i don’t believe that and i think that he meant it and just didn’t want to take responsibility for his actions.
I know this book is for elementary schoolers and as a eighth grader I’m probably way over analyzing it all but this is just my opinion and what I think so in conclusion I just did not like Cody and the book was really easy but it’s also because of the age I am compared to what age its written for
I read this book when i was younger and absolutely loved it but now that i’ve read it being older there were definitely some things in the book i now picked up on that i didn’t earlier. One of those things i noticed being Cody.
In my opinion Cody overstepped his boundaries quite a bit on multiple occasions and tbh was js not that likable of a character.
in the beiginnig when he asked Igna why she was there he could tell the question made her uncomfortable and that she didn’t want to talk about it and he just kept pushing it and proceded to bring it up multiple times throughout the book.
he also invited himself to go to Iceland with Jayson but that’s not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things it js irked me
near the end of the book he blows up on Igna and Jayson and then claims it to be “acting” to convince the audience he was only in for the game. i don’t believe that and i think that he meant it and just didn’t want to take responsibility for his actions.
I know this book is for elementary schoolers and as a eighth grader I’m probably way over analyzing it all but this is just my opinion and what I think so in conclusion I just did not like Cody and the book was really easy but it’s also because of the age I am compared to what age its written for
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2024
Each October I try to read a horror book from the school library, even though it's not my preferred genre, just so I can make recommendations for kiddos. While this book is from an author that writes a lot of horror stories, I managed to pick one that is not horror - the author mentions at the end that it is a departure from most of his other work. It is a techno-thriller, a bunch of tweens invited to a brand-new VR theme park with everything you can possibly imagine and NO ADULTS! There are lots of stereotypes and loose ends, some poorly written parts, but my now-13-year-old daughter remembers reading it when it first came out 2 years ago and liking it a lot. It will be a good fit for certain upper elementary and middle grade readers.
CW: No language, sexual content, or descriptive violence.
CW: No language, sexual content, or descriptive violence.
May 3, 2023
"ESCAPE" is tangible "click-bait" from the very cover. As a book that is listed as being "horror" it definitely isn't. I would consider this book an action/adventure thriller with some sci-fi elements. Don't judge a book by its cover, but I've had students actively avoiding this book based on the cover because they don't fair well with horror so I think the fake "draw" of the cover is a disservice.
For the first half of "ESCAPE", the book is an extremely slow exploration adventure. The second half of the novel truly picks up steam, but the entirety is narrated very well and has believable dialogue. The characters act their age (which sometimes is hard to come by in middle grade/YA fiction) and they're all fairly likeable, save for Meg-A for obvious reasons.
I would recommend to readers who enjoy video games/VR as a lead in for plot. I will be recommending this to all my students who read "Dragon Ops" by Mari Mancusi for their summer reading last year.
For the first half of "ESCAPE", the book is an extremely slow exploration adventure. The second half of the novel truly picks up steam, but the entirety is narrated very well and has believable dialogue. The characters act their age (which sometimes is hard to come by in middle grade/YA fiction) and they're all fairly likeable, save for Meg-A for obvious reasons.
I would recommend to readers who enjoy video games/VR as a lead in for plot. I will be recommending this to all my students who read "Dragon Ops" by Mari Mancusi for their summer reading last year.
August 20, 2024
Rollercoaster-obsessed Cody wins a raffle for a free ticket to a virtual reality theme park that's opening soon. On the morning of the grand opening, he sneaks out of his house to the limo waiting for him. Once he gets to the park, he meets two celebrities he idolizes, Jayson and Inga. They become friends and do some rides together, but they quickly become concerned as it looks like the rides aren't all a simulation. Cody gets stung by a scorpion in the "game" but the welt remains on his ankle after they finish. The games start to glitch more and more and kids start disappearing. Soon after it's revealed that only the top three scorers will make it out alive, so Cody, Jayson, and Inga are on a mission to make sure they win. They start to play the highest-scoring games, including one that Cody saw a video about, in which there was what looked like an exit from the park. Cody manages to find this exit, escape, shut the park down, and save everyone there.
September 22, 2023
Ohh wat zou ik hier vroeger fan van zijn geweest! Thrillerserie/RL Stine… heerlijk! Maar ik moet toegeven dat ik misschien toch wel zou zijn afgehaakt door de cover. Ik hou namelijk niet van horror… en de covers van deze serie zijn wel écht heel creepy. Toch viel het verhaal me qua horrorgehalte erg mee. Ik moest regelmatig denken aan Marcel van Driel’s ‘Superhelden.nl’. Dat was ook een heel spannende serie. Daar had dit verhaal wel wat van weg.
Leeftijdsadvies 10+ kan ik, nu ik het verhaal ken, mee inkomen. Maar ik had mijn twijfels toen ik begon. (Don’t judge a book by its cover!) Het boek leest vlot, zit vol actie en zal zelfs een niet lezer nog wel weten te pakken denk ik. Pretparken/Virtual Reality games én zombies! Wat willen ze nog meer?
En dan zit er ook nog een mediawijsheid-sausje overheen!
Leeftijdsadvies 10+ kan ik, nu ik het verhaal ken, mee inkomen. Maar ik had mijn twijfels toen ik begon. (Don’t judge a book by its cover!) Het boek leest vlot, zit vol actie en zal zelfs een niet lezer nog wel weten te pakken denk ik. Pretparken/Virtual Reality games én zombies! Wat willen ze nog meer?
En dan zit er ook nog een mediawijsheid-sausje overheen!
March 21, 2024
I was not a fan of this one at all. I understand that it’s a book for reluctant readers, and that the plot won’t be super complicated and the prose will be simpler, but stars above.
If you make a kid who doesn’t like to read read this book, that kid will probably never ever want to read again.
That’s probably an exaggeration, but gosh, I hated this book. The plot was so messy, it didn’t make any sense at all. The characters were incredibly bland and forgettable. And the writing and grammar.
If you are writing a book for kids who struggle with reading, why, of all things, would you write it with grammar so bad that I could have filled up a notebook with all of the mistakes?
Yeah. I didn’t like this one. If you want to get a book for your reluctant reader, pick something else. Goosebumps, Percy Jackson, any of it, just not this one.
If you make a kid who doesn’t like to read read this book, that kid will probably never ever want to read again.
That’s probably an exaggeration, but gosh, I hated this book. The plot was so messy, it didn’t make any sense at all. The characters were incredibly bland and forgettable. And the writing and grammar.
If you are writing a book for kids who struggle with reading, why, of all things, would you write it with grammar so bad that I could have filled up a notebook with all of the mistakes?
Yeah. I didn’t like this one. If you want to get a book for your reluctant reader, pick something else. Goosebumps, Percy Jackson, any of it, just not this one.
January 22, 2025
I think that this book is very good for starting readers, because its short, has a good development, and how Cody, the main character, has its development as a character, this because, at the beggining of the story, he was a little bit introverted, but at the ending and through the development we see how Cody talk without difficulty with other people. The mentality of Cody at the beggining, he just wanted to escape from reality, but at the end he reflected that he must overcome himself.
From this book I learned that I should not pretend to be who I am, like Cody did at the beginning of the story, because the friends he made during development loved him for who he was and not for the lies he told, because they were famous and Cody was afraid of being rejected. Page by page they became closer, making Cody able to be himself, which was good.
From this book I learned that I should not pretend to be who I am, like Cody did at the beginning of the story, because the friends he made during development loved him for who he was and not for the lies he told, because they were famous and Cody was afraid of being rejected. Page by page they became closer, making Cody able to be himself, which was good.
January 1, 2024
So in a description I saw it said this was Westworld meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Jurassic Park. Personally I would call it closer to being Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Squid Games with kids.
The book was fairly fast paced. It took me a while to get into it, perhaps because it is not really my genre of book, I read it because it was a Sunshine State Young Reader Award nominee. When I did finally get into it though I read it quite quickly. The characters are okay, though I feel the main character is really the only one who had proper growth. There was an attempt to make supporting characters dynamic. The ending felt a little anticlimactic.
Not awful but not amazing.
The book was fairly fast paced. It took me a while to get into it, perhaps because it is not really my genre of book, I read it because it was a Sunshine State Young Reader Award nominee. When I did finally get into it though I read it quite quickly. The characters are okay, though I feel the main character is really the only one who had proper growth. There was an attempt to make supporting characters dynamic. The ending felt a little anticlimactic.
Not awful but not amazing.
July 31, 2023
Escape by K. R. Alexander
***
“I got the golden ticket!” This is very much a Willy Wonka story. When the latest and greatest theme park has a soft opening, it is rolled out for teenage celebrities and influencers. And then a break, when our protagonist finds that thirty regular teenagers will be chosen for the soft opening. Every day for thirty days, one name will be chosen, and Cody is desperate to be one of the chosen. Cody does not have the best family life and his parents are always fighting. When they are not fighting they are teaming up to fight him. Cody has a dream of owning, operating and designing his own theme park rides.
***
“I got the golden ticket!” This is very much a Willy Wonka story. When the latest and greatest theme park has a soft opening, it is rolled out for teenage celebrities and influencers. And then a break, when our protagonist finds that thirty regular teenagers will be chosen for the soft opening. Every day for thirty days, one name will be chosen, and Cody is desperate to be one of the chosen. Cody does not have the best family life and his parents are always fighting. When they are not fighting they are teaming up to fight him. Cody has a dream of owning, operating and designing his own theme park rides.
March 3, 2022
This is a nice book for kids who like adventure and horror stories. I feel like this could fit for a lot of boys and there are important lessons about friendship, too. It was pretty well written, however I believe that the author could have elaborated when
(SORT OF SPOILER ALERT!!)
Cody finally deactivated the entire park. That final part of the story was rushed, as well as the part where they help Meg-A (who was actually their enemy). Other than that, 3-5 grade would enjoy. Nice book 4.1/5 would recommend.
(SORT OF SPOILER ALERT!!)
Cody finally deactivated the entire park. That final part of the story was rushed, as well as the part where they help Meg-A (who was actually their enemy). Other than that, 3-5 grade would enjoy. Nice book 4.1/5 would recommend.
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