Restart by Gordan Korman

Title: Restart

Author: Gordon Korman

Published: 2017

Genre: Contemporary

Grade Level: 3^rd-5^th Grade

-Features: Amnesia

 

Audiobook:

Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross, Laura Knight Keating, and others

Length: 6hrs 51min

Recommend: Yes

 

Blurb (from goodreads):

Chase's memory just went out the window.

Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again . . . starting with his own name.

He knows he's Chase. But who is Chase? When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return.

Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him.

One girl in particular is so angry with him that she pours her frozen yogurt on his head the first chance she gets.

Pretty soon, it's not only a question of who Chase is--it's a question of who he was . . . and who he's going to be.

My Scores:

Writing Style: Solid

This novel has a rather straight-forward, easy-to-read type of writing style, which of course works really well for his target audience. 

I scored it solid because each character in this multi-perspective novel was given a unique enough voice that I could tell who the ‘I’ persona had I not been told.

 

Characters: Memorable

I really enjoyed the dialogue sequences between the characters. It really helped build suspense and entailed a lot of comic relief.

I enjoyed the complex social dynamics presented in this novel. There are so many situations that bring up questions about identity, forgiveness, responsivity, and redemption.

The relationships created in this novel really shows the impact we have on one another, especially when it comes to parent-child relationships. The adult figures are really well-crafted in that they are so incredibly flawed. They don’t always have the best advice or represent the best example. What’s a kid to make of that?

 

Plot: Absolute Page-Tuner

I can always trust Korman’s book to have an engaging plot. This book is extremely well-paced to the point of causing envy. Despite the simple plotline, I was completely sucked in. I thoroughly enjoyed the messaging, the themes, and the emotional impact of the ending.

 

Overall: Enjoyable

There’s nothing like an inspirational middle-grade novel to restore one’s faith in humanity. Restart was funny, original, and thought-provoking.

 

Goodreads Rating: 4 out of 5 stars