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bibliophilicjester's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
(also posted on gr)
yesssssssssssss to everything about this book!!!! 4.5 stars!! = )
i've had so many meh reads already this year, and this was just delightful. i need alllllllllll the scifi and fun future technology. idk if we'll have stuff this awesome by 2048, but i definitely need to visit a real life futureland. immediately. please and thank you.
some parts of this story were so unexpectedly creepy, which i absolutely adored. bc creepy things are happening! tension! (it's 1am okay, idk what i'm saying)
i loved these characters and all their interactions, and it was so nice to read dialogue that felt like things actual people would say in life. seriously, after coming off a pretentious-toned ya this afternoon, i really needed cam and his family and friends. i noticed the bio says the author is from atlanta before i started reading, but you can TELL. there's love and respect for the city, its people, and its history, but you also get to see the good and the bad. i really loved all the crazy future tech grounded by actual normal people. really, so much about this book is just perfectly balanced. i LOVED all the differently formatted things (interviews, comics, articles) - it was a fun way to play with the pacing and get you asking questions about what's *really* going on, you know?
there are always going to be awful people trying to ruin what's good, but people are also capable of creating amazing things! a lot goes wrong in this book, but there's so much hope. so much worth fighting for. and it makes me SO happy knowing a book like this exists to inspire kids to dream = ) that's my sappy adult moment for the day lol
yesssssssssssss to everything about this book!!!! 4.5 stars!! = )
i've had so many meh reads already this year, and this was just delightful. i need alllllllllll the scifi and fun future technology. idk if we'll have stuff this awesome by 2048, but i definitely need to visit a real life futureland. immediately. please and thank you.
some parts of this story were so unexpectedly creepy, which i absolutely adored. bc creepy things are happening! tension! (it's 1am okay, idk what i'm saying)
i loved these characters and all their interactions, and it was so nice to read dialogue that felt like things actual people would say in life. seriously, after coming off a pretentious-toned ya this afternoon, i really needed cam and his family and friends. i noticed the bio says the author is from atlanta before i started reading, but you can TELL. there's love and respect for the city, its people, and its history, but you also get to see the good and the bad. i really loved all the crazy future tech grounded by actual normal people. really, so much about this book is just perfectly balanced. i LOVED all the differently formatted things (interviews, comics, articles) - it was a fun way to play with the pacing and get you asking questions about what's *really* going on, you know?
there are always going to be awful people trying to ruin what's good, but people are also capable of creating amazing things! a lot goes wrong in this book, but there's so much hope. so much worth fighting for. and it makes me SO happy knowing a book like this exists to inspire kids to dream = ) that's my sappy adult moment for the day lol
ceallaighsbooks's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
“The Jet-Blur pod… passed through the entrance to the Word Locus. …the air filled with the scent of fresh paper and wet ink. We soared over trees made totally of books—from the trunks to the branches to the leaves, and winding trails that led to the Tree Tower—a giant library with hanging bookshelves swaying in the breeze… At the top, the tree divided into three different peaks, each one a library with different kinds of books inside. I looked up at three pulsing signs: ADVENTURE, FANTASY, and HORROR. All a guest had to do was open up their favorite book and be transported to a virtual-reality version of it.”
TITLE—Futureland: Battle for the Park
AUTHOR—HD Hunter
ILLUSTRATOR—Khadijah Khatib
PUBLISHED—2022
PUBLISHER—Random House
GENRE—middle grade sci-fi/speculative fiction
SETTING—Atlanta, GA, in the year 2048
MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—family, friendships & trust, following your dreams, Atlanta, futuristic amusement park, fun innovative technology & world-building, abolition & anti-capitalism, child-detective trope
WRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CHARACTERS—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STORY/PLOT—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
BONUS ELEMENT/S—I loved that it was set in Atlanta!
PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thoughts:
I don’t read a ton of middle grade but sometimes when I’m in a big reading slump like I was in January I’ll pick from a genre that I rarely read from in order to switch things up and detox my brain a little. I saw Hunter’s book being recommended around bookstagram and since it takes place in my home-state, I thought I’d check it out!
I especially loved all of the characters and the worldbuilding of this story. The technology and the amusement park all sounded really cool. I thought that the villain was really scary and I was pleased to see some really heavy themes were treated without fear or hesitation but still honestly and gently.
“‘See. Shouldn’t have no park full of robots anyway,’ Grandma Ava shook her head, ‘that’s what’s bound to happen.’”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
CW // missing children, kidnapping, extortion, cops (Please feel free to DM me for more specifics!)
Further Reading—
- ROOT MAGIC, by Eden Royce
- Scooby Doo
- Spy Kids
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
readingwitherin's review against another edition
medium-paced
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
Cam Walker is the only child of the Walkers and because of that, he is their main focus outside of Futureland. He has grown up surrounded by the robots, his parents, and an Uncle as they create and expand the Futureland world. All of that changes though when the family takes Futureland to Atlanta, where Cam's parents are originally from. While his parents work on opening up the park and making it even better, Cam is supposed to be going to a real school for a change and staying with his grandma during the week so he can interact with kids his own age. Up until now, his best friend has been a robot that his parents created (she does look real, but at the end of the day she is still a robot).
With Cam only being at the park on the weekends it takes him a while to notice that things aren't going as they normally are. Park attractions keep glitching, as do the robots that are in each of the attractions.
While he doesn't think much of it at first, as time goes on and other things start happening at the park he realizes that things are far worse than he ever could have imagined.
Overall this book was such a fun read and I loved it! Cam was so smart and figured out what was happening while also juggling a social life and dealing with family problems. While he did get these friends involved in helping him figure out what was happening, at the end of the day he was the one in charge and had to come up with the plan and find ways to outsmart the robots and the person who was trying to destroy everything his parents had worked so hard for. The way everything unfolded had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next because just when you think he's figured it out something else happens that makes you question things again. In the end, the way this book ended was so good and was a nice conclusion to everything that had gone on. We had answers to the mystery, while also being able to look to the future and have the possibility for more books.
I can easily see this being a series and I cannot wait to see what happens next because it has so many possibilities. Futureland itself is a huge park and Cam's parents have so many ideas that this series could potentially go on for a very long time as Cam grows up.
Cam Walker is the only child of the Walkers and because of that, he is their main focus outside of Futureland. He has grown up surrounded by the robots, his parents, and an Uncle as they create and expand the Futureland world. All of that changes though when the family takes Futureland to Atlanta, where Cam's parents are originally from. While his parents work on opening up the park and making it even better, Cam is supposed to be going to a real school for a change and staying with his grandma during the week so he can interact with kids his own age. Up until now, his best friend has been a robot that his parents created (she does look real, but at the end of the day she is still a robot).
With Cam only being at the park on the weekends it takes him a while to notice that things aren't going as they normally are. Park attractions keep glitching, as do the robots that are in each of the attractions.
While he doesn't think much of it at first, as time goes on and other things start happening at the park he realizes that things are far worse than he ever could have imagined.
Overall this book was such a fun read and I loved it! Cam was so smart and figured out what was happening while also juggling a social life and dealing with family problems. While he did get these friends involved in helping him figure out what was happening, at the end of the day he was the one in charge and had to come up with the plan and find ways to outsmart the robots and the person who was trying to destroy everything his parents had worked so hard for. The way everything unfolded had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next because just when you think he's figured it out something else happens that makes you question things again. In the end, the way this book ended was so good and was a nice conclusion to everything that had gone on. We had answers to the mystery, while also being able to look to the future and have the possibility for more books.
I can easily see this being a series and I cannot wait to see what happens next because it has so many possibilities. Futureland itself is a huge park and Cam's parents have so many ideas that this series could potentially go on for a very long time as Cam grows up.
thewintersings's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cathy_acasefullofbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Such a fun sci-fi with an intriguing mystery! Definitely a great middle grade read.
But...what does the J stand for?! 😂
But...what does the J stand for?! 😂
bostonkatebooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
I wish this book had been around when I was 11. A middle grade sci-fi detective story. I would have loved it at that age. (Still fairly enjoyable now, but this is a great one for kids).
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Futureland: Battle for the Park
Author: H.D. Hunter, Khadijah Khatib
Book Series: Futureland Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black MC and characters, Hispanic character, Character in foster care
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, sci-fi, attacking robots, westworld
Publication Date: November 8, 2022
Genre: MG Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 10+ (bullying, grief, slight violence, some scary moments)
Explanation of Above: There are very short scenes involving some bullying towards the MC. There is some grief shown on page. There is some very slight violence against robots and there are some scary moments.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Welcome to the most spectacular theme park in the world.
Everyone wants a ticket to Futureland, where you can literally live out your wildest dreams. Want to step inside your favorite video game? Go pro in a sports arena? Perform at a real live concert? Grab your ticket and come right in.
Yet with all its attractions, Futureland has always just been home to Cam Walker, the son of the park's famous creators. And when Futureland arrives at its latest stop, Atlanta, Cam is thrilled for what promises to be the biggest opening ever. . . .
But things aren't quite right with the Atlanta opening. Park attractions are glitching. Kids go missing. And when his parents are blamed, Cam must find the missing kids and whoever's trying to take down his family . . . before it's too late.
Review: I loved this book so much! It was a fun Westworld-feel book and would be perfect for beginning sci-fi readers or older ones. I loved the concept of a park ran mostly by AI and I loved the world building that went into the book. The character development was superb and the writing was very well done. The book is also a mixed media format read, with comic portions and emails and such. The book is just a fun read and I’m intrigued to see what happens to the characters as the saga continues.
The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like the beginning was a bit rushed and it felt like I was being dropped into the middle of a saga instead of the start of one.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
Book: Futureland: Battle for the Park
Author: H.D. Hunter, Khadijah Khatib
Book Series: Futureland Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black MC and characters, Hispanic character, Character in foster care
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, sci-fi, attacking robots, westworld
Publication Date: November 8, 2022
Genre: MG Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 10+ (bullying, grief, slight violence, some scary moments)
Explanation of Above: There are very short scenes involving some bullying towards the MC. There is some grief shown on page. There is some very slight violence against robots and there are some scary moments.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Welcome to the most spectacular theme park in the world.
Everyone wants a ticket to Futureland, where you can literally live out your wildest dreams. Want to step inside your favorite video game? Go pro in a sports arena? Perform at a real live concert? Grab your ticket and come right in.
Yet with all its attractions, Futureland has always just been home to Cam Walker, the son of the park's famous creators. And when Futureland arrives at its latest stop, Atlanta, Cam is thrilled for what promises to be the biggest opening ever. . . .
But things aren't quite right with the Atlanta opening. Park attractions are glitching. Kids go missing. And when his parents are blamed, Cam must find the missing kids and whoever's trying to take down his family . . . before it's too late.
Review: I loved this book so much! It was a fun Westworld-feel book and would be perfect for beginning sci-fi readers or older ones. I loved the concept of a park ran mostly by AI and I loved the world building that went into the book. The character development was superb and the writing was very well done. The book is also a mixed media format read, with comic portions and emails and such. The book is just a fun read and I’m intrigued to see what happens to the characters as the saga continues.
The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like the beginning was a bit rushed and it felt like I was being dropped into the middle of a saga instead of the start of one.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
aliciakindlereads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was soooooo entertaining. A little kid who lives in a themed park, that’s an attention grabber right there. All of a sudden kids start disappearing and his parents start acting different. I enjoyed the roller coaster (pun intended) ride this book takes you through of Cameron first making friends then using those friends to discover what is going on in his park. They stop at Atlanta and that’s when things start going haywire. When kids are left to solve the world’s problems, it’s always funny, sad, and entertaining all at the same time. I like the friend dynamic of Cameron and Dooley and I like how the theme park was eloquently described.