This book is out and ready to read - and what a fun read it is! Eleven year old Cam Walker lives with his parents in Futureland - a multi-world, mobile amusement park that brings the park, and access to your greatest dreams, right to your town. But when Cam's parents bring Futureland home to Atlanta for an extended stay (and perhaps some normalcy for Cam), things go off the rails and it's up to Cam to save the park, his friends and his family.

This book is exciting and engaging from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the format. It's written mostly as a standard book, with interview excerpts and graphic segments interwoven throughout.

For such an action-packed book, it's pretty character driven. Besides all the action, there's the underlying story of Cam trying to find his place in the "real" world as he attends public school and makes friends for the first time. Cam is instantly likeable and I found myself pulling for him throughout the story. While all of the other characters are secondary to Cam, they were all multi-faceted and interesting. That was key, because every character was essential to the progression of the story. (I do wish the author had fleshed out Grandma Eva's character a bit more, because she was a favorite.)

There were a couple of small things that kept this from being a five-star read for me. First I wish the worlds of Futureland had been drawn in more detail. There was so much potential for world-building, but it sometimes got lost in the action. I want to know more about what Futureland was like. The other thing that I would have changed is I wish the author had introduced the hourglass house at the beginning of the book, maybe as a prologue, rather than as a flashback at the end. I feel like that would have given readers an opportunity to solve the mystery themselves, rather than just presenting the reader with the solution at the end. But this was minor, and did not keep me from getting completely enmeshed in the world H.D. Hunter created. This middle-grade book is great for kids with big imaginations, kids who love action, kids who think they don't like to read - because H.D. Hunter may just prove them wrong.

Thank you Random House Children's and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

This book really shocked me! I typically am not one to read fantasy/syfy but this book sounded so good and it definitely delivered and was very good. It’s a quick easy read and had amazing themes throughout. I loved all the technology, the sense of friendship/family, and the detective aspects. All of those helped make this book so much better.

Futureland is just such a fun book about a young man who is trying to figure out where he fits in the world. Cam loves his family. They have created family rules that make him feel loved and included. Yet when Cam’s family arrives in Atlanta, he feels out of place. Most of his life he has lived with his family inside the amazing Futureland. It is a one-of-a-kind amusement park where his parents have imagined and dreamed up one-of-a-kind experiences. While Cam loves the park and his family, for the first time ever he is going to be able to go to school, and make real friends. Yet when mysterious things start to happen in the park, Cam has to figure out who he can trust and hope that he is able to save the park and his family in time.
This is a really fun fast paced book. Cam is able to develop as a character who at first is confused about his future to one who realizes that he doesn’t have to have his future totally figured out. He does need however the support of friends and family. With their support anything is possible and his future still is unwritten. You just learn to love the characters in this book. It is a bit obvious where things are going, however you get so swept up in the story that you don’t really care. I also love how the story has interviews, and graphics intertwined with the story. I have always enjoyed this type of story telling and I think it really helps growing readers feel more invested in what is going on, and gives them a small glimpse into the other side of the story’s point of view.
Thank you so much to Random House Children and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

What a ride! Cameron's family lives in the flying theme park, Futureland. When his parents decide to take Futureland back home to Atlanta, it means big changes for Cam. He has to go to school for the first time ever, his parents want him to stay with his Grandmother and not in the park and he has to be without his best friend and Rev, Dooley. I truly enjoyed the theme park; all the futuristic tech, revs that look like humans and even a space where time works differently, the descriptions were some of my favorite parts. I loved the layers of the mystery behind the glitching tech, missing kids and funny acting family members. Cam learns lessons in friendship, loyalty and taking things in his own hands. Can't wait to read the next book! Great edition to any middle grade classroom library!
Thanks NetGalley!

Growing up in the world’s coolest amusement park—Futureland—has been great for eleven-year-old Cam. He has had the opportunity to see much of the world all while residing within the protective shell of his parents’ groundbreaking creation. Everything changes, though, when Futureland ports in Atlanta for an entire year to give Cam the opportunity to attend real school for the first time. Despite his trepidations, Cam bravely engages with his human peers and he begins to find a place in a world that somehow seems to exist in a different time. But when elements of Futureland begin behaving strangely and Cam’s parents are caught up in the mess, Cam must lean on both his new friends and his detective skills to sass out the culprit before it is too late.

This action-packed, STEM-centered middle grade novel is the perfect blend of a futuristic reality and the familiar patterns of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Family is everything to Cam, and when that begins to fall apart, Cam must learn to stand on his own two feet and rely upon all the knowledge he has gained during his relatively short life. The narrative incorporates a variety of textual media, including written interview transcripts, text messages, graphic novels, and play scripts in addition to the traditional narrative. This choice enhances the novel and sets it apart from others in its genre, serving to immerse readers in Cam’s reality from the book’s first moments. This book is expertly designed to launch into a sequel, and readers will look forward to jumping back in with Cam when the next installment is released. Fast-paced, engaging, and filled with mystery and heart, this story is an exciting and multifaceted addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

Thank you to # NetGalley, H.D. Hunter, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
A futuristic theme park arrives in Atlanta and is extremely popular! What to go into your favorite video game? Want to be a pro in your favorite sports arena? You can do that at Futureland! The hottest ticket in town.
Soon the park is not as exciting as everyone thought it would be. The programs are flitching and kids are going missing. Soon it's up to Cam, the son of the park creators to find out what's going on before it is too late.

This was an action packed thriller that I really enjoyed. I cannot wait to purchase a copy for my classroom. I simply couldn't put it down.

Cam has always thought of Futureland as home, but Futureland is so much more. Futureland can make your wildest dreams come true, at least for a little while. But when kids start to go missing, his Uncle is missing too, then things with Cam and his parents (owners and creators of Futureland) get really weird, Cam knows it is time to do some investigating and his new friends want to help as well. What they find out may be beyond them but they have to at least try to save Futureland and Cam’s family.
This was a wonderful book with the excitement of this futuristic theme park and the suspense of the mystery of the missing, the odd people/robots and what is with this weird guy from Atlanta. But don’t forget the action of Cam and his friends stopping the weird man from stealing their tech and taking over the city, state, country, world? I believe this awesome book will keep even the most reluctant of readers engaged.

**Slight Spoiler in Weaknesses**
Cam Walker is considered lucky by some; in 2048, his parents own the flying amusement park Futureland, and the family lives on site! Futureland travels around to various locations to dock, and Cam's parents have decided to visit Atlanta, Georgia for a year in order for Cam to attend a public school and spend time with his grandmother. His uncle, Trey, also works at the park. Cam is apprehensive about starting school, but also a little excited. His only friend has been Dooley, a "rev" (Biomechanical Fabric-revelation) who has been engineered to look like his sister and is similar to an android. He meets some nice kids at school, Yusuf, Rich, Angel, Earl, and they later come to the park. The roll out hasn't gone smoothly, though; there are gorilla revs that are malfunctioning, and a girl goes missing after the park's opening. Things get stranger and stranger as Cam's parents don't seem like themselves at all, and even Dooley begins to exhibit unusual behavior. The safe mode for the entire park seems to have been disabled! There's a developer in Atlanta, Blaise Southmore, who is trying to work with the Atlanta Disuse and Redevelopment Corporation (not a real life organizaion), but he seems evil, especially after Cam has seen his name on suspicious papers in his parents office. One of Cam's favorite parts of Futureland is the Obsidian Imaginarium, that reads people's minds and uses this information to create a world where they can act out their innermost dreams. Cam doesn't want to run Futureland when he grows up; he wants to be a detective, so there are some graphic novel type pages that show him as a film noir, trench coated detective, and he practices his skills trying to figure out what is going wrong with the park. His grandmother doesn't quite believe him, but since she's about my age, she's seen Westworld and knows that having robots at a theme park is a bad idea! When his uncle is implicated in the disappearance of not one but two Atlanta area girls, Cam steps up his efforts to find out what has happened to his parents and the park. It seems likely that the girls are also hidden at the park, and finding them might give him more insight into what has happened to Dooley. Will he and his new friends, who immediately support him when things go wrong, be able to save the day?
Strengths: Amusements parks are usually very appealing to young people, most of whom have either been to one or heard about them. Here in Ohio, we have both Cedar Point and King's Island within a couple of hours drive. Futureland had the same kind of vibe that Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena had; tweens don't have to save the whole world, but they do have to save a very cool, smaller bit of it. Cam manages to fit into his new school well even though his fellow students are very interested in his connection to the park, and it's good that he has allies for his fight. His grandmother is a fun character, and I rather wished she could have been more involved in helping him investigate. The best thing about the book is the 2048 setting and a really, really cool theme park. The inclusion of the illustrated pages is fun.
Weaknesses: After Dooley meets a bad end, there is a new logo for Futureland of her silhouette. Since she has two Afro puffs, wouldn't this look like... Mickey Mouse? Also, I need more information about the docking. Is Futureland above the city? Parked in a field outside? I just couldn't envision it. Perhaps the description is there and I missed it.
What I really think: This will be a big hit with fans of Mancusi's Dragon Ops and Zhao's Last Gamer Standing and is a great way to introduce readers who love video games to science fiction!

This was a fun book to read. I was obsessed with the cover. A great story for middle grades I would definitely encourage teachers to add to their libraries in the classroom. Excellent story

I had a lot of fun reading this one. I liked the concept of the floating amusement park with its various "destinies" and technology. Cam was a likeable main character and his relationships with his family and friends were very positive and supportive. It definitely seems like this book set ups for a sequel or other books in a series. i look forward to reading more of Cam's adventures. This would be a good choice for readers that enjoy sci-fi, fantasy and mystery.

Futureland is a story aimed a middle-grade students. It combines written and graphic portions as well as "interview excerpts" intended to move the story along.
The idea behind the story is interesting: a future amusement park that floats above the ground and moves from large city to large city so people all over the world can experience the excitement. One family runs the park and when they arrive in Atlanta they decide the son of the operators, Cameron, should attend regular school for the first time in his life (at age 12). Almost immediately, problems start that only Cameron can solve.
While the novel was interesting at the outset and had a commendable family positive message it missed the mark in other ways. The characters, technology, and, to an extent, personalities of the characters were inconsistent and the ending also left holes in the story. This made the reading a bit jarring.
Being rather older than the intended audience, maybe this wishful be as noticing to them, but I wish the story had lived up to its beginnings.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. #FuturelandBattleforthePark #NetGalley