Title: Restart
Author: Gordon Korman
Major Themes: Amnesia, Bullying, Sports, School
Synopsis: Chase woke up in the hospital with no memory of who he was or who anyone else was, but when he started learning what he was like, how would he remake himself?
Last year, I bought about a dozen books designated as fifth-grade readers by Sonlight Curriculum. We have read almost half of them now, and all have been winners. We hadn’t gotten around to reading Restart yet when my Mom scanned our shelves looking for a book with a particular color cover for a reading challenge. She found this one, read it and loved it, and told us we really ought to read it. We started it, and were quickly hooked.
This book is written, all the way through, in first person, present tense. Each chapter, however, is from a different person’s perspective! The first chapter is from the point of view of Chase Ambrose, the main character of the book. He is just waking up, in the hospital, with no idea who the person is who is talking to him—who says she is his mother. Moreover, he can’t remember anything that happened before the moment he woke up. When he goes home from the hospital, he finds himself baffled by the reactions of various people to him. Why does his little half-sister act terrified of him?
Next, we see events through Shoshanna Weber’s eyes, as she tells her brother Joel about “Alpha Rat’s” accident and wishes it would have been worse. Brendan Espinoza appears behind a video camera and we learn more about Chase’s past. As Chase himself learns more bits and pieces about what he used to be like, he is horrified. Now, though, he has the opportunity to start over and remake his life. Will he do that, or will he slip back into his former mode of life?
Restart is an amazing story. Amnesia, of course, is a fascinating thing to think about. This author has done a masterful job of showing us, gradually, what Chase used to be like and how others perceived him. Watching him figure things out while trying to navigate life and school with two friends who wanted him to be just like he used to be made for a story we looked forward to every day. And then, the surprise twist at the end.… Go get a copy of this book and read it yourself!
WARNING: Chapter 2: stupid roof, stupid head. Chapter 4: Oh my God. Chapter 6: I swear. Chapter 9: Yikes. Chapter 14: God, no; a string of obscenities, stupid family, son of a gun. Chapter 15: romance between 6th graders. Chapter 18: I’d swear. Chapter 21: Gee, I swore. Chapter 24: a heck of a lot. Chapter 25: man doing yoga. Chapter 26: girl fantasizing about putting someone through a wood splitter. Chapter 28: punching fight.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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