shelbydong's review
4.0
Read this book with my 5th grade class. It has a good story line, my kids loved it. Some of the characters are a little annoying but you can see past it. I think it’s a great book to read with a pre-teen. My students really wanted to keep reading it.
kellyz628's review
5.0
I loved Wonder and this reminded me of it - not necessarily the story but the feelings that come with a story like Wonder. I am a teacher and think my students will love this book. It will be an option for book clubs later this year. If you an interested in Middle Grade books but aren't sure where to start, this would be a good one to try!
verydazedragon's review
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
madelinefmcguire's review
5.0
Chase doesn’t remember falling off his roof and when he wakes up in the hospital he doesn’t remember his mother either, in fact he doesn’t remember anything. Sure he knows how to walk and talk but all the people in his life, and the things he’s done are all gone. He doesn’t remember who he was before, but everyone else does. Chase wasn’t a nice guy, he was a bully along with his best friends Adam and Bear who are convinced Chase is faking it to get out of the community service they must do as a result of their behavior. But Chase really doesn’t remember and that becomes all the more clear to his friends and the rest of the student body when he joins the film club befriending the very kids he used to bully. While Chase is trying to figure out who he is now everyone else is trying to figure out if this new Chase is here to stay or if the old Chase will come back when his memory returns.
This book was such a fun read, I loved getting the different perspectives because it gave such a full picture of Chase's life before. It's fun and wacky and all around wonderful.
This book was such a fun read, I loved getting the different perspectives because it gave such a full picture of Chase's life before. It's fun and wacky and all around wonderful.
ajworkman77's review
3.0
Lovely middle grade read about an awful boy who loses his memory, and has a chance to restart his life. A bit predictable, a little unbelievable (no one cares about middle school football) but a good story all the same.
little_hapa_librarian's review
3.0
Restart isn’t a bad book. Not at all, I quite enjoyed it and I did think Gordon Korman did a good job creating pretty distinct voices for each of his characters. I also really like the concept of a story where a bully is able to change his life around and realize that “nerd” things and “jock” things can all be cool and don’t have to live in separate vacuums. That being said, does the world really need another “bad white boy changes to become a good white boy” story? Chase gets given a second chance, and the whole town shows up for him. That is wonderful. Good for him. But what about the Trayvon Martin’s of the world who never even did half of what Chase did, and they get no chance? None at all? When I look at the book again through that lens, it changes how I see it. The world isn’t fair and it’s sad how much books like this prove that to me.
karreaderwriter's review
5.0
You wake up from an injury and have no idea who you are. Kids at school are either afraid of you or worship you. You now get to determine your own future based on a new beginning. Full of heat. A reset on life. My favorite Gordon Kidman book.
samiamstew's review
4.0
Took forever for me to listen to, but it was a fun story. I kept forgetting that this kid was only supposed to be 13, it could have very easily been about a high schooler. I liked the plot, and I think this was one of the only audiobooks I've listened to with full cast narration. It was interesting to have the different perspectives since there are so many different opinions about the kid. Nice story of redemption and self-discovery.
pamelarope's review
4.0
I'm not much on youth books but I really likes this one. It had a nice lesson about bullying and second chances. I liked a lot of the characters and the writing was extremely funny in some places. Definitely recommend for a quick read!