Master KAF has written this review, MrsDTB helped a bit and done the typing.
There are three main characters in the book. Norbert Riddle a normal schoolboy who in a fit of rage does a hilarious impression of the country’s dictator. He gets sentenced to the “Astronuts Camp” on the planet Zorquat 3. Drew Weaver who is in the same class as Norbert in Middle School 1022 in Region 154. He too is arrested by the Truth Police for laughing at Norbert’s impression of the country’s dictator and for occasional doodling. Lastly, Sophie Singer who meets Norbert and Drew on the ship taking them to Zorquat 3 and its crazy farm. She is arrested for constantly having music on her mind and making lots of music.
The story takes place on Zorquat 3 which is a distant planet, according to Drew “Zorquat Three is a bleak planet covered with quick-sand pits and giant, man-eating lizards”.
Norbert tries to prove himself to be normal so he can be sent back home to carry on searching for his parents. His Dad was arrested when he was 5 years old by the Truth Police. His Mother made art after her husband was arrested and ended up being apprehended as well.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
At the climax of the book, he finds his mother who reveals that his father is on one of the planet’s two moons and forced to work in a labour camp.
***** END OF SPOILER ALERT*****
Norbert does not succeed in proving himself normal so he is stuck on Zorquat Three. He ends up working on a TV show called Astronuts, near the end of the book. The show is meant to entertain everyone on the planet who has a Truth Screen which is this universe’s TV.
Anyone between the age of 6 and 12 would surely enjoy this book. It has a lot of humour but also has some serious parts (but not too serious).
This book could be considered part of the dystopian genre, which in definition means not perfect. A lot of dystopian books have rebels fighting back but in this book, everyone on the planet who is capable of rebelling even slightly will be sent away, because “different is dangerous, creative is crazy and imagination is insanity”.