Restart by Gordon Korman, is about Chase Ambrose who wakes up from a coma after falling off his roof to find he has amnesia. He doesn't remember anything about his past, not his friends, family or even himself. Chase was the star football player and one of the most popular guys in school, but he was also a notorious bully. As he starts to put his past into perspective he realizes why so many people don't get along with him due to the person he used to be. This wake up call forces Chase to confront who he used to be and decide if he wants to continue his previous life or change for the better.
Determined to remake himself, Chase tries to join in on various activities at school including the video club. But due to his past he gets confronted with suspicion and hostility. After being wrongly accused of hurting a classmate he gets banned from the club, further ruining his attempts to redeem himself. Chase also has to face the consequences of a previous prank where he and his friends put cherry bombs in a school piano which leads to community service in a nursing home. Chase hates it at first but ends up forming real connections with the elderly residents at the home. THis includes an old man who received the Medal of Honor. As he spends more time in the house he finds the medal gone, only to learn that he had it with him before the accident.
When the truth about the stolen medal is revealed again Chase is in big trouble. But due to the real changes that have occurred in him, many people come to his defense, understanding he is not the same person anymore. Chase has moved away from his old self, made real friends and learned the importance of kindness and responsibility by the end of the book.
I liked Restart because it teaches good lessons about second chances, self growth and how your past actions can shape people's opinions about you There are many different viewpoints in the book so you get to see how Chase's transformation affects those around him on a deeper level.The book is engaging, fast paced and makes you think so it's worth reading for teens or anyone who believes in redemption. It's a reminder that change is always within reach and people are not only defined by their past but by their willingness to change. I would rate it a ⅘. Not the most original but it was well done, has good characters and plot. The plot works and I liked the flow of the novel. If you like redemption and self discovery, Restart is a good read for entertainment and life lessons.
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