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The Paradise Trap

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
Eleven year old Marcus loves video games and hates the beach. So he is not happy when his mum Holly drags him to Diamond Beach, the place she loved as a child. Once there, Holly meets Coco, her friend from her childhood. She is there with her electronics-obsessed husband, Sterling Huckstepp, and their kids, cool teenage Newt, pizza-loving Edison and the family robot, Prot. Opening a door into the basement of Holly's caravan, Edison discovers the most amazing amusement park. Whoever opens a door in the basement finds themselves in their very own dream vacation. But when the dream becomes impossible to escape from, it all begins to feel more like a nightmare: Marcus, Holly, and the Huckstepps find themselves trapped in a matrix of terrifyingly perfect dreamscapes peopled with strange characters that will allow them to do anything they want, except leave...A whirlwind adventure at a breakneck speed.
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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      From where would a modern siren lure travelers to their doom? From an Australian beachside trailer park in this story. While actress Chelsea Bruland doesn't have to sing a song that would entice one willingly to one's death, her performance is more than enough to lure one into this story. Its siren has lost her voice and now relies on new methods to ensnare victims like Marcus and his friends. The author pits Greek mythology against technological advances without sentimentality. Bruland's native Australian accent places the story's setting in high relief. Additionally, her characterizations and comedic timing keep the listener laughing as an inept robot tries to protect Marcus and his friends. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 13, 2012
      Jinks (the Evil Genius series) combines a plot filled with surreal twists and turns with a dash of Greek mythology in a novel that hits the mark on both the humor and horror fronts. Eleven-year-old Marcus has no interest in spending the summer at the beach with his mother, Holly, in the old trailer she buys—he’d rather play video games than deal with the obnoxious crowds. However, Marcus and his new friends, siblings Edison and Newt, discover that the trailer somehow has a secret cellar, which takes them to fantastic, too-good-to-be-true places that entice them to stay in the mysterious realm (for Edison, it’s an amusement park; for Newt, a rocking nightclub). Although several classic tropes appear (from the various dangerous paradises to Edison and Newt’s mad scientist–like father), Jinks keeps her material fresh, weaving in old myths and the occasional bit of social commentary; a sizable amount of the story is told from Holly’s point of view, in addition to Marcus’s. The result is a fast-paced adventure that’s easily as exciting as one of Marcus’s beloved video games. Ages 8–12.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 30, 2012
      When Holly rents a busted trailer from childhood friend Coco for a vacation at Diamond Beach, her 11-year-old son, Marcus—who would rather spend the summer playing video games—is less than thrilled. Adding to his displeasure is the fact that the beach (a prime vacation spot, as his mother recalls it) has gone to seed. But while playing in the trailer with Coco’s stepson, Edison, Marcus discovers a hidden stairwell that leads to a number of alternate universes. Chelsea Bruland’s narration is clean and engaging, if a little uninspired. She does little to differentiate the book’s characters, e.g., her rendering of Marcus is very similar to her narration of descriptive and expository passages. However, Bruland does deepen her voice for some of the male characters—and her rendition of the story will likely please fans of the book. Ages 8–12. An Egmont USA hardcover.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.5
  • Lexile® Measure:660
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:3

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