Unplugged

At the beginning of the novel, Jett Baranov is focused solely on himself. He has no friends or pets and rarely sees his parents. To a great extent, he enjoys his solitary existence because he has the financial resources to indulge every whim that pops into his head. Coming to the Oasis forces him to participate in group activities, and Jett loathes getting involved. Ironically, looking after the baby lizard tricks him into caring about something beyond his own needs and desires. Although Jett is the most extreme example of a character who leads an isolated life, he is far from unique in this respect.

All the members of Team Lizard are isolated to some degree. For example, Brooklynne has created a form of self-imposed exile to avoid the attention that would ordinarily be paid to Magnus’s daughter. She wanders the grounds just to keep herself occupied but rarely engages in group activities and makes no friends among the younger campers. Like Jett, she gets drawn into caring about others through Needles.

Though less obvious than the other two members of Team Lizard, Grace has created a different form of isolation for herself. She is the most judgmental member of the group.