Sometimes one choice can change the course of your life. But what if you got a do-over, a chance to right the wrongs you wish had never happened? Korman explores exactly this in this middle grade novel, prompting readers to consider how one moment can change everything.

just reviewed Operation Do-Over by Gordon Korman. #OperationDoOver #NetGalley and it was a quick, fun read for middle grade. If you could have the chance to go back and re-do a time in your life, would you? Mason gets that chance! Take a trip[ back in time with Mason and see what happens. Does he get the girl? Does he get the best friend back? Do his poarent stay together? So many things can happen.

I thought it was clever. Middle grade readers will enjoy a glimpse into the future 5 years. It makes you think about changing history and how big an impact can be from one little change. Can you imagine if everyone got a chance to live with a perspective of someone who has already been there? I think this book would appeal to many!

The narrator does a nice job. Easy to listen to.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher/producer for the early release audio version of the book.

Quick, fun, read filled with something for everyone: time travel, football, STEM, and a very G-rated love triangle. What's not to like? The characters were very authentic and I loved the relationship between Ty and Mason. A nice, light, fun read!

When Mason is given a chance at a do-over, he has the opportunity to get things right, but can he? Another homerun from Gordon Korman! If you enjoyed Restart, this book is for you!

Korman is one of the most "in demand" in my Media Center. This latest addition to his collection has all the trademarks of success. The story of Mason and Ty, friends from toddler exercise classes, is one that his fans will relate to once again.
Time travel fascinates elementary school readers and his incorporation of this theme into the book is right on. When Mason experiences time travel. he is confronted by issues that will make young readers ponder. The idea that, perhaps, life can be altered is so thought-provoking. Bullying, friendship, and romance, are examined and described so well that it is hard to put the book down. Korman is masterful at pacing and the story gains momentum until the end. Great read!

This book was received as an ARC from Harper Audio - Balzer + Bray through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Operation Do-Over is such a witty, enjoyable, and playful book that readers of all ages will enjoy. Gordon Korman delivers another Middle Grade Novel that will be flying off the shelves, and the talk of the libraries, bookstores, and home bookshelves. The friendship of Mason and Ty is beyond relatable and every child worldwide has had a friend similar to them. In the libraries, that is the first criteria of a well-circulated book, how relatable is the main characters. The book was also easy to read and listen to. Audiobooks became popular in the past several years, and this one will be perfect to listen to in the car, and/or even before bedtime. Readers will be satisfied with big smiles on their faces. This also will be a perfect nominee for battle of the books 2023.

A story of second chances that all readers can relate to and be inspired by. A well-conveyed middle grade novel that deserves 5 stars.

In true Gordon Korman fashion, Operation Do-Over opens the door to self-reflection in the best of ways! Mason and Ty were the absolute best of friends until they hit the universal rough patch known as adolescence. Girls, competition, and emotions set the stage for a devastating break of friendship that's beyond repair. Or is it? Throw in a little thing like time travel and all kinds of things could happen!
A master of middle grade fiction, Korman gives us yet another treasure to get into the hands of our kids.

** spoiler alert ** I love Gordon Korman, but this one didn't get me like they normally do. I kept waiting for our main character to go back in time again because he kept messing up the redo, or seemed to mess up his life even more, but no. He was stuck with the redo. Even so, there was a happy ending.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

I've read some of Gordon Korman's books before and this one seemed both meant for slightly older readers as well as not as good. In comparison to Ungifted, I found that the plot and the characters were not as fleshed out.

Operation Do-over
Gordon Korman

Korman’s narrative voice and pacing is, as always, spot-on for the middle-grade reader.
Mason is seventeen, and despite his excellent academic record, he is expelled after an accident injures a teacher. Following a car crash, he thinks he has died - but then wakes up as his 12-year-old self. Confused, he doesn’t know what has happened to the 5 years he remembers, but he realizes that he has an opportunity for a “do-over”. Mason tries to avoid some of the choices and situations that proved problematic in retrospect, in particular the circumstances that caused a rupture with his best friend, Ty when they were 12.
Mason and Ty have been best friends since early childhood and have much in common, especially science and a fascination with the idea of time travel. Ava, smart and beautiful, is a new 7th-grade student who improbably chooses these two “science nerds” to befriend, and they find they share the same interests. Ava is passionate about science and time travel too. The 3 become friends and work and study together, but the boys both have crushes, and are concerned that Ava may come between them, so they make a pact - neither will become her boyfriend. But Mason and Ava are together at the fair when he relates, “ I'm standing next to the bumper cars when the first bolt of lightning splits the sky and strikes the main transformer. The explosion is like a bomb blast. I almost jump out of my skin.” They are coincidentally caught in a published photograph after the explosion; Ty misreads the situation and their friendship never recovers.
In this fast-paced story, alternating between Mason at 12 and Mason at 17, the authenticity, consistency, and difference in maturity between their accounts keep the reader intrigued, entertained, and anxious to know what’s coming. Family, friendship and the long-term consequences of one’s actions, explored with great dialogue and humor, lend depth to this terrific tale of time travel and second chances.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review

The entertaining and thought-provoking tale of a boy named Mason who does the seemingly impossible: travels back in time to fix the biggest mistake of his life. Even the smallest of choices can impact the future…but some things are just inevitable. And as Mason realizes, some events are completely out of his hands no matter how hard he tries to keep them from happening.

I listened to a computer generated version of "Operation Do-Over" and it did not disappoint. I wasn't familiar with the book but I do love Gordon Korman's juvenile fiction.

Suitable for any age or gender, this story is a reminder of all of the awkwardness the preteen and teen years bring to us all.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to this audiobook. in exchange for an honest review. I knew from my students that Gordon Korman was a terrific writer, but this is actually the first one of his books that I have had the pleasure of reading.

Gordon Korman is right on the money with how their actions aren't always on track with what they actually meant to do. Sometimes, they're just lucky to make it through the day. Giving kids a "Do-over" is genius! Thanks for making this book fun and friendly! The repetitive narrative had me speaking along and you know how kids like to talk...I bet they'll be doing it, too.

Mason and Ty are best friends until a girl comes along. They end their friendship over a disagreement over her. Five years later, they have a run in and Mason ends up in trouble. When he has a car accident later that day, he is transported back in time to right before the girl shows up. Mason tries to change things so that he and Ty remain friends.
Opinion
This book was super fun to read. Time travel is such a cool concept and using it to fix a broken relationship lets students focus on what they would like to do over. I can see this having a lot of reach with students.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for providing me with an ARC of this book.

“I’m standing next to the bumper cars when the first bolt of lightning splits the sky and strikes the main transformer.” - first line
Gordon Korman never disappoints. Mason and Ty are best friends, more than that, they can practically read each other’s minds and are always together. Until… Ava comes to their school in 7th grade. The boys make a pact - that they compare to one made by the Klingons and the Federation - that neither of them will pursue Ava. They are both interested in her and don’t want to ruin their friendship. But, Ava is interested in Mason and after he breaks the pact, their friendship falls apart.
Fast forward to senior year where Mason and Ty barely speak to each other but both do a science project on time travel. After a bizarre series of events, Mason wakes up in his 7th-grade body. He doesn’t know how it happened, but he intends to avoid Ava and the friendship ending event at all costs. As a 17-year mind old in a 7th-grade body, he has a lot to adjust to. And he starts doing things differently. Will he be able to save his friendship, his dog, or his parent’s marriage? And will he ever get back to his “real time” or will he have to live all those years over again?? Or is he stuck in a loop repeating the years between 7th grade to 12th grade forever?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mason is a likable character and his struggles are relatable. I found myself rooting for him even as I cringed at the way he treated Ava in his desire to push her away and save his friendship with Ty. His rudeness to Ava and his newfound interest in football threatens to drive a wedge between him and Ty anyway. I started to wonder if this friendship is destined to fall apart no matter what Mason does. The end is satisfying and fun even though it doesn’t explain how or why everything happened. I highly recommend this book to fans of realistic time travel, friendship stories, school stories, and Gordon Korman in general. It will surely be a hit in our middle school library!

In true Gordon Korman fashion, this book leaves you wanting more! A fun "what if" scenario: what if you could go back a few years and do over part of your life. What would you do differently? Would your whole life change because of the new decisions you made? Would you be proud of the new person you've become? A fun, thought-provoking MG read! I'd definitely recommend this book to fifth-graders and beyond. Middle school kids would likely enjoy it most, but readers of all ages will get a lot out of it!

This audiobook was a voicegalley so I cannot comment on the narration of the finished product.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommend it to young readers and adults that enjoy a quick paced, sci-fi novel. I love that Mason tried to make things right with Ty, the second time around and the Mason realized that not all events in life can be changed. I also thought that it was great how introspective Mason was the second time around and that he realized he could be a better person.

Highly recommend and I can't wait to read another Gordon Korman novel.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Gordon Korman... need we say more?
This novel takes us on a journey through time and what could happen if we were to get a do-over in life.

Our main characters, Mason and Ty, (self-described geeks/nerds) discovered each other pretty early on and have been best friends since forever. They are the smartest kids in the class and do everthing together, including the Science Fair. But along comes 7th grade and a new girl. A twist... of course there had to be a twist. As a result of the new girl things change between our 2 best friends, never to be the same again.
But... events happen and Mason is thrown back in time, where he is given the chance to have a d0-over to see if he can reclaim his friendship.


As always, Gordon doesn't disappoint. We have a fast-paced story with memorable characters. We have lessons to learn and we have a chance to make our world a better place.

I love the books Gordon Korman writes for YA and those young at heart! In this tale, we have a “nerd” who throws himself back in time 5 years to middle school again. It is trying to fix a friendship he has lost. As he tried to heal some things he is concerned about how he could change the future forever. I love the writing, the characters, and lessons taught!

Is there anything you would want to change?

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio and Gordon Korman for the opportunity to preview this audiobook!