This was my first time reading something by Kenneth Opel and I appreciated the opportunity.
So, here's my honest review of Best of All Worlds. First, I didn't hate it, but I didn't really like it either. It gave me Under the Dome vibes but with less people. The majority of the character got on my nerves I spent so much time rolling my eyes. Nia got on my nerves with herself righteousness, Calaeb was a spineless husband, and then there is Zay where to even began. I gave him grace at first because he had been ripped away from his mother and his brother, he had no clue if he would be alone for the rest of his life. Then the Jacksons show up and he does anything Mackenzie asks of him whether it is right or wrong. He also knows at times that she is using him, and he still follows her like a lost puppy. Riley was the typical psycho conspiracy theorist whose family was scared of him, but they really tried to downplay all of his issues. Overall, this would be a good read for middle to high school kids.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. What a fantastic read. I was really invested in these characters. This novel gave me the same vibe as when I first read The Hunger Games. Totally into the story and read it so fast. Hope to see more from this author. Highly recommended.

10/10!! I tore through this book so fast. I needed to know what was going to happen next and was pleased with the ending. I loved the suspense that was built, the evolving relationships (between family and strangers), and the whole concept of being abducted. The way that Oppel came up with this unique storyline will fascinate and grip readers from page 1. It will be one of my go-to recommendations for Sci-Fi lovers.

The plot of Best of All Worlds was interesting, which was why I was interested to read this story. Honestly, I assumed it would have some similarities to Under the Dome by Stephen King solely based on the description. Unfortunately, this story was lackluster. The story is solely told from Xavier's point, which may not have been a bad thing but Xavier lacked personality. From the onset of the story, it was boring and I almost quit reading it early on. The characters really lacked personality. To make matters worse, the stereotypes were rampant. You have a peace loving French Canadian family versus a family of aggressive, paranoid hillbilly Americans from Tennessee who are toting guns and crossbows while being overly disagreeable the whole time. I laughed so hard while rolling my eyes because it was so ludicrous. There was an abysmal amount of character growth and the pacing was terrible. The best thing about this book was the cover and the description. I truly wish it would have lived up to the excitement of the book's description.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an interesting plot told from a boy’s point of view. A science fiction tale of a family being in one place and then being in a different place without knowing how they got there or why they are there. At first, I was disappointed because this is not the type of book I like to read. I decided to keep reading and it didn’t take long to get hooked and want to read to see what happens. I liked that the plot was not completely predictable, and it was an easy read.

Started promising but then….? The Jacksons were such a mess of stereotypes it felt lazy and ruined any potential meaning. Points for the world building at the start but I feel like I wasted a night when I could have read something else.

This sci-fi story has as many layers as an onion! The reader is left with as many questions as answers; the parallels to other literature are carefully crafted. In a classroom setting, it would be a great paired read with novels like The Giver (Lowry) or as a lit circle choice book.

One of the worst reading experiences is a great introduction to a story that only loses itself immediately afterward, and BEST OF ALL WORLDS is the most recent example for me. We don't tread much new ground regarding the plot but the setup was still fun enough that I found myself engaged and eager to continue on, but as we continue on, I almost wish I was a person capable of DNFing. The story really suffers from two major elements:

1. Limiting the POV to Xavier;
2. The eye-rolling and cringeworthy "passive, liberal Canadian" vs. "Aggressive, bigoted American" stereotypes.

As for the first point, normally I'm the first to defend children in stories being "annoying", since they're hardly ever actually 'annoying' because they're just kids, but Xavier really is insufferable. I get that spending three years in a bubble isolated from society at critical development years is a hinderance but it doesn't excuse a lot of his behavior from the moment the second family is introduced. His immediate and unrelenting sexualization of Mackenzie before they even meet, and the story's insistence on indulging this and effectively reducing her to love interest is a really odd and detrimental choice. This book tries to delve into social and political topics but it mishandles most of them, and the dynamics of sex and gender is near the top of the list. None of the women feel like real characters at all, but rather accessories for the men they're paired to, and none ever display any real depth; as stated, Mackenzie is essentially a love interest for Xavier, though he is very incel-adjacent about her past relationships and promiscuity; Charleze, her mother, is cardboard, vaguely displaying her own opinions but always acquiescing to her husband; Nia, Xavier's stepmom, is constantly disrespected by Xavier and mostly limited to her role as Stepmom To Xavier and Birth Mom To Noah; even Alyssa, the four year old girl, isn't exempt from discussions 'pairing' her with Noah, the three year old boy (there is some pushback in the narrative from the toddlers, who insist they don't want to get married, but the issue is with the immediate and unflinching cisheteronormativity on display. It's essentially stated it's a 'given' that all present are cishet, even the actual toddlers, and it's weird). The complete lack of discussions about gender and sexuality is such a missed opportunity, especially given the isolated setting, and there are stories with similar premises that actually handle these topics in a much better way, so it's really disappointing that a book published in 2025 that is going to dare to discuss politics doesn't touch on one of the most prominent and pressing issues of our current socio-political climate.

As for point two, it's just annoying to see Southern characters constantly stereotype as gun-crazed, Bible-thumping bigots, without any room for any kind of character work outside of that, especially when contrasted with the false notion of Canadian politeness, as if Canada is in any way exempt from Western ideology re: racism, sexism, etc. Being from Tennessee, it's even more frustrating that my home state is named and specifically brought up as a point 'against' them, before the main family has even met them. Are there bigots in Tennessee? Yes. But the South as a whole does not really have more of a problem with bigotry than anyone else in America, and I think choosing to have the caricature of Southern people in this book does such a disservice to the story because it's really lazy. It would have been much more interesting to subvert the trope and have them be from California or something and slowly reveal themselves to be conspiracy theorists* to confront the geographic stereotypes and actually have a discussion about bigotry and the assumption that just because someone is from a certain area that they're "safe".

*and something to note about the conspiracy theories in this book: there's all the big, common points, but there's an interesting point where it's "revealed" that the Jacksons (the Southern family) believe in a concept called "the Great Surge", which is essentially a fictionalized version of The Great Replacement Theory mixed with theories about "reptilian DNA". If everything else is essentially the same theories we deal with today, why change/combine these theories? Bringing up "reptilian DNA" and never discussing the antisemitism that drives it is a weird choice to me.

I think some of these issues could have been alleviated if we got more perspectives for the story - most notably Mackenzie. I would have loved for her to be a real character and not just an object of desire for Xavier, who kind of dehumanizes her at multiple points in the story, while still sexualizing her. And I get he's an isolated teen going through puberty (which is the excuse he gives on-page, too), but it's just really grating to have him and his entire family act holier-than-thou and more evolved because they don't like guns while he doesn't allow Mackenzie to be a real person because he doesn't like that she gets put into the dome and isn't immediately and wholly "his". She gets an attempt to push back against the concept of being a "breeding partner" for him (her phrasing), but she pretty much immediately goes back to being physically intimate with him, and it's just like, I would love for her to have some self respect too??? She's just denied any and all agency.

It's impossible to enjoy the core story when it relies on so much stereotyping and misogyny and it sucks because the start is SO good. It's a shame it goes downhill so quickly.

This was an interesting one. It felt very on the nose with our current climate a lot of the time, but also lacked in the sci-fi that drew me to it in the first place. The characters weren’t very likable, it drags on and doesn’t really answer some of the most important things.

Overall this book wasn’t that great for what it’s being marketed as which is a sci-fi survival thriller. I believe it would do better in the political space

Xavier Oaks isn’t exactly thrilled to spend a week in the woods with his dad and pregnant stepmom, Nia. He’d much rather be home with his mom, brother, and friends—including Cool Girl Serena, who’s probably waiting for their next D&D campaign. But family is family, so he heads to the cabin.

On day two, he wakes up ready to text Serena… and realizes something is deeply, cosmically wrong.

The lake is gone. The woods have changed. And outside the cabin? A goat.

As Xavier, his dad, and Nia begin to explore, they discover they’ve been trapped inside a mysterious dome—cut off from the world and totally alone. After the panic fades, they learn to survive. They grow food. They wait.

Three years pass. Then another family arrives.

And that’s when things really start to unravel.

The newcomers bring more than just fresh faces—they bring conspiracy theories, anti-government rhetoric, and a deeply different worldview. Making peace with them might be harder than surviving the dome itself.

Join this unforgettable journey—part sci-fi mystery, part psychological thriller—as one family grapples with freedom, truth, survival, and control.

#BestOfAllWorlds #KennethOppel #Scholastic

I didn’t think I would like this book at the beginning. But it turned out to be a good read. It is not as mind provoking as the foreword claims. However it is just a nice sci-fi story b

Whoa! I love the whole premise of this story. I enjoyed the discovery and the humanness that emerges within the story especially how we all can be so different in our understanding and interpretations of events. I would love to recommend this book to teens but felt that some of the 'boy' experiences in regards to sexual thinking and his first impressions of a female character were a bit crude and blunt. I was also slightly disappointed at the ending but I understand why the author chose to do what he did.

There is no way to describe this experience, for it was so much more than reading. It was a journey. It was a lesson. A delight. It was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. It surprised me and frustrated me and thrilled me and made me both cry and laugh. Just as I have often said about the book “Everyday,” written by the publisher/ editor of this book, David Levithan, it is sort of indescribable. So I won’t try. I will just recommend it all over the place. 💜💜💜💜💜📚

There are two stories being told here. One, Xavier Oak, a typical 13yr old, agrees to a camping trip with his Dad and pregnant step mother. There are so many other things he'd rather do, but he feels like he should go. The camping trip quickly turns into a lesson in survival when Xavier's family is confined to life under a dome in the wilds. After discovering no way out, the Oak family will spend three years making the best of a situation they do not understand. Three years with a baby/toddler added to the family as he leaves his teen dreams behind to become a young man shouldering responsibilities he'd never considered.
One day, another family joins them under the dome. The differences between the two family groups are magnified by the survival scenes. Differences in class, culture, values and conscience are just a few of the many challenges dividing the groups and bringing their survival into question. It's like pouring a complete city's conflicts into a world of a few and the compelling decisions made keep the story moving and the tension building to a peak. While not your typical thriller, Kenneth Oppel pours the conflicts into the group with a heavy hand that causes the characters and the readers to face topics ignored by so many. While the structure of the story may not be for everyone, it's a definite tale of what could happen if forced to face your worst idea of a neighbor.

Going to the cabin for a week with his dad and new pregnant wife was not Xavier Oaks idea of a great time. But his dad made him feel obligated so Xavier said goodbye to his mom his brother and friends to spend time at the lake.
The morning after they arrived Xavier wakes up, looks out the window only to find that the house is not in the same place. All he sees is a farm like setting including a barn. After they have explored the new surroundings they discover the house has been transported to a domed fake environment. As the story progresses they realize someone or something is holding them captive but by who and why? As the years roll by they learn to adapt until another family arrives. Can they all escape somehow or are they doomed to stay?
What a wonderful, entertaining, tension filled story! Scarifies and fear of the unknown pull the story along. I was completely drawn in and couldn’t wait to keep turning the pages. Definitely a book that invaded my mind and will not leave for some time.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

What happens when you and your family head to a cottage for the weekend but, when you wake up the next morning, everything has changed? Your car is gone, a barn has appeared, no wifi,...this is what happens to the Oaks family. The first half of the book does a great job of character and plot building; the story primarily focusing on Zachary, the 13 year old son.
At about the halfway point, a lot changes. Many of the changes are predictable, happening to keep the plot going. While I still enjoyed the novel, I felt a lot of the second half was forced and did not proceed in a way that held my interest. Predictability can be good or bad and, while I was glad to see some of the plot direction, I felt quite a bit was cliched.
My thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for the ARC.

Big thanks to NetGalley. Scholastic Press, and author Kenneth Oppel

The forward to us readers says, "clear your schedule to read", and that I did. This book sucked me right in (to outer space or a deep government)...
You wake up in your own house, everything how you left it going to bed the night before. But you know something is not right. You realize your home has been move to a well stock farm. You wander during to day to find you are in some kind of bubble/snow globe with an invisible wall that won't let you past. You learn to make do with your new environment, thinking this is it, this is all that your life will be. Until you finally get neighbors, that turn out to be conspiracy theorists. We all realize that there is always two sides to every coin. That I can say I'm holding a stone and you can argue it's a pebble. You don't know what's out there, you can never be sure because and you have to weigh your options and protect your family. Do good, do the right thing and you will be rewarded. 5 star, highly recommend.

Classified as YA but just as easily Adult, Oppels Best of All Worlds is a must read. I wouldn’t limit this book to one genre either.

Forced to go on a family weekend at their cabin with his dad and new stepmom, Xavier is astonished when he wakes up and instead of seeing their lake, he hears goats, and sees a new barn and fields. Everything at their house is the same except their location. There is an alien component when during his stepmom’s labor, the baby almost dies, they’re all put to sleep and the baby is then saved. They question everything but for the next three years they survive by learning how to farm. Xavier still misses his mom, brother and friends. Until 3 years later another family is plucked down in the same situation, completely unlike them, but there’s a girl his own age. Now not only must they teach this family to thrive, but learn to navigate their very different ideals.

For a young adult title, this book had so many deep and reflective moments. It is also quite genre-defying. Oppel gives us the perspective of being a sci-fi character without the bulk of heavy world-building so that we instead focus on the characters themselves and the issues they face. The relationships are at the front of the action, which makes it much easier to see the human, political, and even spiritual questions we all face. There also isn't a direct answer. Instead, Oppel has given us a moment to reflect: We can see ourselves in all of these characters from time to time. What I didn't love was the ending, not in how it ended, but in its swiftness. However, I could see this book being used as a great book club read or a sociology class read. I don't know that all readers will appreciate the lack of answers to what happens in the book, but I did not find that it took away from it in any way.

I feel like this should be the first in a series...because so many questions are left unanswered.

Also, this is definitely for an older YA audience.