The Paradise Trap by Catherine Jinks

The Paradise Trap Reviews

• 
  Sina & Ilona Glimmerfee

  Inhalt: Anstatt seine Sommerferien mit Videospielen zu verbringen, muss Marcus mit seiner Mutter zum Diamond Beach fahren. Als wäre dies nicht schon schlimm genug, fahren sie mit einem uralten muffeligen Wohnwagen. Doch das von der Mutter so geliebte Urlaubsziel ist nicht mehr das, was es einmal war. Unter der Sitzbank verbirgt sich eine Treppe, die nicht nur Marcus in gefährliche Wohlfühlträume entführt.
  
  Art des Buches: Spannendes Abenteuerbuch mit Fantasyelementen
  
  Wie fand ich das Buch? Das Buch konnte mich ganz schnell begeistern. Die Handlung geht flott voran und bei mir kam keinerlei Langeweile auf. Catherine Jinx konnte mich schon mit 'Teuflisches Genie' begeistern, ihre Ideen sind interessant und gut überlegt.
  
  Gab es etwas zum Nachdenken und/oder Nachforschen? Wann wird aus einem Wunschtraum ein Albtraum? Ist der perfekte Urlaub oder der perfekte Tag ohne Missgeschicke, ein Grund misstrauisch zu werden?
  
  3 passende Wörter zum Buch? Wunschvorstellung - Urlaub - Abenteuer
  
  Wem empfehlen? Ein großer Trost für alle, deren Urlaub eher ein Reinfall als ein Glücksfall war. Ich würde es allen Kids empfehlen, die Geschichten lieben, in denen es turbulent, ein wenig gruselig und spannend zu geht.
• 
  Andy

  Was für ein niedliches Kinderbuch - aber man sollte sich nicht von dem putzigen Cover täuschen lassen, für jemanden im Alter von 9-12 Jahren kann es richtig gruselig werden. Als Kind wäre es definitiv zu meinem Lieblingsbuch geworden, so schön spannend.
• 
  Falina

  I was a bit bored at the beginning of this book and almost gave up. I'm glad I didn't, because it turned out to be a fun read with an interesting moral. Jinks wrote the kind of book I like best -- simple with a surprisingly deep intent. The use of simplicity to illuminate complex material is a fine art, and the children's section is a great place to find books like these.
• 
  Shaheen Vadpey

  This is a great fictional book that is surprisingly not very complex, yet gives you the current emotions being expressed in the story. Pretty good book, I would ONLY recommend it to those that enjoy long, fictional stories.
• 
  Tucker Almengor

  ~3.5 stars~
  
  Similar to Katherine Arden’s style, Paradise Trap is a creepy, unsettling ride of mystery and fantasy. Although a little more simple than I remember, this book was just as enjoyable this time as when I read it in elementary school.
• 
  Little Miss Sunshine

  i am so glad i picked this book from our library shelf because this book was absolutely amazing! im not just talking about the plot, the storyline, the characters, the setting. im talking about everything this book had to offer! this book made me finish reading it in just 2 days. i loved reading every second of this book because it was just so cleverly done and so well written that it actually felt quite real. by the time i had finished the book i i thought to myself, wow. this is one of the best books i have ever read! i told my friends about this master piece which some of them had read and others not. and so since i loved this book so much i am suggesting to you please read and enjoy the time of your life because every page, every sentence, every new chapter will make you sit, stand crouch on the edge of your seat.
• 
  Adele Broadbent

  Marcus and his mum are going on holiday to the Diamond Beach Holiday Park, but soon discover it’s nothing like his Mum remembers it when she holidayed as a child.
  It’s overcrowded, the water isn’t fit to swim in and the tiny caravan they’ve bought smells like smelly armpits.
  When they run into his mum’s childhood friend, she introduces them to her family and their flash caravan, Marcus begins to think it might not be so bad after all – until they discover a cellar in their own little caravan. But how is that possible?
  This cellar leads them to their dream holidays and as they rescue each other and try to escape – holidays of their nightmares.
  
  A fabulous, imaginative story, that races along within the character’s imaginations and dreams – but they should have been careful what they wished for….
  
• 
  Books Lucy King

  What a holiday magical adventure! I devoured the whole thing in two days. The concept of the paradise trap was very interesting. I like the characters very much, even though they were super classic characters, a rich family and a poor single mom with a son who cannot find friends and only wants to play games, a dog and well.... a robot. Prot was super cute. But in the end how they were helped them to figure out the trap and it turned out to be very funny and entertaining because the idea of the main plot was original. I really enjoyed this middle grade story.
• 
  Lyn Battersby

  Lyn is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Lyn herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
  
  Highly enjoyable book that actually includes parents in the adventure rather than pushing them out at the first opportunity. Good writing, excellent style, satisfying prose. Very good.
• 
  Stefani

  The cover on this one bothered me because it didn't match the characters.
  
  That aside, this is a very fun book to read/listen to. It is, however, rather long. Great for those young readers who read above their grade level, or even readers who just want something fun but that you can dive into. Definitely some mind games going on, but the narrator keeps a level head and explains as he goes.
• 
  Bayla

  Buzzwords:Families, dreams &nightmares, the lie of perfection, siren, robots, love
  
  Loved that kids and adults are working together to solve the problems, that the adults are just as quirky and individual as the kids.
• 
  Kevin

  I found the How to Catch a Bogle series to be a fun read, so I wanted to give this book a try to see what this Australian author could do with a modern setting. This book isn’t as spooky or exciting as the other three, so it’s safe for younger kids. There are still elements of danger in it that might connect with young adult readers, and there’s a flavor of nostalgia associated with the older characters’ fond recollections of their childhood vacations which leads to the book's overall message of not trying to make good times last too long and not clinging too tightly to the past. In that previous sense, the story should be at least somewhat relevant to readers of all ages. There are also a few rather funny scenes involving the most amusing characters. Among the latter, in my opinion, are the teenage girl, the upper-class mother, the oddball inventor, and the robot he created.
• 
  Lydia Mills

  This book is an easy read, suitable for tweens, young adult onwards. Its a fast moving adventure and the story I found to be a real page turner! This author really kept my interest the whole way through.
• 
  Kim

  Fun read
• 
  Jeanne

  A twisted magic place. Different. I listened to the audio so it took a while but was worth it.
• 
  David

  𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂
• 
  Susanna

  The paradise trap is the interesting story of 2 families and a... Trailer. The author does an interesting job spinning the tale of false reality, mazes, and questions. Marcus is a boy who's parents are divorced. He desperately misses his father, and he has no interest in public crowded locations. His mother feels sorry that all he finds interesting are games, so she buys an old trailer! They set off to diamond beach, where Marcus' mother went to as a child. They meet friends and try to enjoy the now crowded shore. However, the trailer holds a dark secret: a cavern of desirable illusions that are nearly impossible to get out of! What keys to history does it hold? What is really going on? Will they ever get Back? I really enjoyed the author's writing style, because it captured the character's personalities very well. However, some of the chapters leave questions unanswered. Overall, this book was better than three stars, but it was rather similar to Coraline. I recommend this book to 10-12 year olds who enjoy an action packed story!
• 
  Heather

  I read this book because my son asked me to. He is a voracious reader and usually has good taste, or, at least, he has taste the often aligns with mine. I finished this book in a matter of hours because it was an easy and enjoyable read. Don't expect too much from the writing here, but do expect a romp through a wonderful plot. Magic, mystery, and characters who come in all shapes and sizes, including dogs and robots! One thing I truly liked about this book was that Jinks included the parents on this adventure. So often, YA and MG books leave the adults out of the story - side characters who know nothing - but not here. All the adults are along for the ride, and they are not idiotic caricatures there only to make the children look brilliant. I would give this 3 1/2 stars if I could. It was truly enjoyable and worth a Sunday afternoon of reading.
• 
  Brock Stonebraker

  the book is about a boy named Marcus that is a computer geek and never does stuff outside. his mother takes him to a lake and take his electronics away to good some outdoors time and what not. they take a trailer and its really old and small. his mother meets up with an old friend and they are rich and have a big trailer and she has kids. Marcus becomes friends with one of the kids. he and the boy go to Marcus's trailer and they find and cellar and it has doors that leads to there paradise dreams that's why its called paradise trap. Marcus cant seem to get anybody that goes in the doors to come out because they are have to much of good time and are trapped. also the switch on Marcus so he doesn't know which doors is which.
• 
  Karen Arendt

  Marcus and his mom, Holly, return to Diamond Beach, a place his mom visited every summer as a child. The place has changed a lot since his mom was a child. Holly buys a used camper trailer for the trip. Marcus discovers a virtual world below the trailer in the basement. He, along with his mom, and a family they befriend on the beach get stuck in this other world. They become trapped by Miss Molpe, some magical siren/witch from Holly's childhood visits to the beach. As they try to escape each virtual reality, they are thrown into another. This book reminds be a little bit of No Passengers Beyond This Point. Fun, adventure/ virtual reality story.
• 
  Kathy

  I very much enjoyed this book. Every time you thought things were going to slip into a standard, tried and true format, Jinks rang in a change. For once the adults actually get caught up in the "magic", even though they are hardly ready to call it that. Special effects and holograms, anyone? The whole "if it's too good to be true it probably isn't, thing has been done many times, but never better. The set up is well done, the characters are great, and the paradises are very convincing. So are the difficulties our intrepid band has in escaping once they've all agreed that's what they want to do. A great summer read. You'll think twice about that perfect vacation!
• 
  Carmine

  Much creepier than the cover had me expecting. Marcus' mom drags him on vacation to a beach she adored as a child only to find that it is not the paradise she remembers. To make matters worse they are in a smelly, used travel trailer of dubious origin. It turns out the previous owner is a witch, perhaps a siren of greek mythology, who lured children into the trailer to eat them. One of the storage compartments opens to reveal a stairway to a 'basement' where the unsuspecting walk into their dream vacations never to leave. It is up to Marcus to save friends and family. Lots of twists and turns in this creepy middle grade page turner.
• 
  Nekokit

  I thought this book was alright compared to other books I have read in the past.
  I like how Catherine Jinks has made up a story that is quiet unique.
  The start of the book is a bit slow, but gradually the story moves on.
  when the characters reach the plot the book is really good and I could not take it out of my hands!
  But I was a bit disappointed about the end. The last 2 pages just tell you about all about Marcus and his mum and new step dad Jake and what he did after the plot.Maybe Jinks could of done more detail, but I think it was still OK.
  If you like fantasy and new worlds I think this book might be a book you might want to read.
  Catherine Jinks has made another good book.
• 
  Kaethe

  Once again I was just looking over the new books in the kids' section, when something caught my eye: in this case, a middle grade book by an author whose work for older readers,
  Evil Genius, really appealed. And it seems like something Tash might like, too.
  
  ***
  
  This is the literary equivalent of Honey, I Shrank the Kids. That's a good thing. Two families have a dangerous and crazy adventure, and everything works out in the end. Fun stuff.
  
  Library copy.