For readers in the middle-grade range who respond to character-driven fiction with genuine emotional stakes, Restart earns its reputation as a New York Times bestseller. The multi-narrator structure does real work — it prevents the novel from becoming a simple feel-good redemption story by keeping the experiences of Chase's victims, including characters like Shoshanna Weber and her brother Joel, fully in frame. The key caveat is for fans of Korman's typically comic work: the tone here is deliberately and noticeably more serious, which is a strength for readers who want depth but worth knowing in advance.

Best for readers ages 10 to 12, which aligns with the standard middle-grade range Scholastic designed the book for. The novel's themes of bullying, identity, and the consequences of past behavior are rendered with enough emotional complexity to reward readers who can engage with multiple competing perspectives — making it a good fit for confident readers at the upper end of that range as well.

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Gordon Korman

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Published

August 9, 2026

Read Time

7 min read

Reader rating

4.7

· 12,456 Amazon ratings

reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score

$5.58 on Amazon

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Restart by Gordon Korman Review: A Gripping Middle-Grade Tale of Redemption

Name: Restart by Gordon Korman
Author: Gordon Korman
ISBN: 1338053809

by Gordon Korman

Restart is a New York Times bestseller by Gordon Korman in which eighth-grade football star and school bully Chase Ambrose falls off a roof, wakes up with amnesia, and must piece together the person he was — while deciding whether that's the person he wants to be. Told through multiple first-person narrators, including Chase's former victims and his old cronies, it is a character-driven middle-grade novel built around identity, bullying, forgiveness, and the possibility of genuine change.

LuvemBooks Verdict

Best for

Middle-grade readers aged 10–12 — and their teachers or librarians — who want a character-driven story that tackles bullying and identity through multiple first-person perspectives, with enough emotional weight to fuel genuine classroom discussion.

Worth it if

You're drawn to ensemble narratives that hold a central character accountable while still leaving room for growth, and you appreciate anti-bullying fiction that goes deeper than a standard redemption arc.

Skip if

You're picking it up expecting Korman's trademark full-throttle comic energy — the tone here is deliberately more serious and reflective than most of his earlier work, which may catch fans off-guard.

What readers & critics say

Kirkus Reviews calls out "Korman's trademark humor" as part of the book's appeal while framing its central question — will a bully always be a bully? — as the engine driving Chase's return to school. Common Sense Media describes it as a "poignant, hilarious middle school classic" packed with relatable emotions, different points of view, and a strong anti-bullying message.

“Korman's trademark humor makes this an appealing read… Will a bully always be a bully? That's the question Chase has to answer for himself.”

— kirkusreviews.com

“Poignant, hilarious middle school classic — packed with laughs, relatable emotions, different points of view, and a strong anti-bullying message.”

— commonsensemedia.org

Sources: Kirkus Reviews, Common Sense Media

4.7from 12,456 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score

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Restart is a character-driven middle-grade novel by Gordon Korman in which eighth-grade bully Chase Ambrose falls off a roof, wakes with no memory of his past, and faces the question of whether he wants to reclaim the person he was. The book's multi-narrator structure — giving genuine voice to Chase's victims alongside Chase himself — elevates it above a standard redemption arc and has made it a natural classroom and school-library staple. Readers who prize Korman's purely comic work should know the tone here is notably more serious, but that shift is the source of the novel's emotional power.

Is it worth reading?: For readers in the middle-grade range who respond to character-driven fiction with genuine emotional stakes, Restart earns its reputation as a New York Times bestseller. The multi-narrator structure does real work — it prevents the novel from becoming a simple feel-good redemption story by keeping the experiences of Chase's victims, including characters like Shoshanna Weber and her brother Joel, fully in frame. The key caveat is for fans of Korman's typically comic work: the tone here is deliberately and noticeably more serious, which is a strength for readers who want depth but worth knowing in advance.
Similar books: Readers drawn to Restart's blend of character-driven middle-grade storytelling and meaningful anti-bullying themes often enjoy other books that explore identity, perspective, and social dynamics in middle school. Gordon Korman's own No More Dead Dogs shares a comparable spirit, though with a lighter register — Scholastic's synopsis for Restart explicitly positions it as a return to that book's energy. Beyond Korman, R.J. Palacio's Wonder tackles school social hierarchies and empathy from multiple viewpoints, making it a natural companion read. Jerry Spinelli's Loser and Andrew Clements' The Losers Club also occupy similar thematic territory for the middle-grade reader interested in outsider perspectives and school dynamics.
Who should read this?: Restart is designed for middle-grade readers roughly aged ten to twelve, and works well across both independent reading and guided classroom contexts. It is an especially strong fit for readers who respond to narrative structures that fragment and reassemble a character's identity — and for those who want their middle-grade fiction to have genuine emotional stakes rather than purely comic energy. Readers who have experienced bullying firsthand will likely find the novel's insistence that past behavior has lasting consequences for victims particularly meaningful.
What age is it for?: Best for readers ages 10 to 12, which aligns with the standard middle-grade range Scholastic designed the book for. The novel's themes of bullying, identity, and the consequences of past behavior are rendered with enough emotional complexity to reward readers who can engage with multiple competing perspectives — making it a good fit for confident readers at the upper end of that range as well.
What's the reading level?: Restart is written for the middle-grade range, targeting readers roughly aged ten to twelve, and its grade-level positioning means it works comfortably across both independent reading and guided classroom contexts. The novel's rotating first-person narrators require readers to track multiple voices and perspectives simultaneously, which makes it most rewarding for confident readers within that age band. Educators have noted its usefulness for teaching prediction and perspective-taking, further cementing its place as a classroom-ready text.
Is this a good book club pick?: Restart is a strong book club pick for middle-grade reading groups and classroom discussion circles. Its central question — can someone truly change who they are, or will old patterns reassert themselves? — is precisely the kind of open-ended moral question that generates substantive discussion. SuperSummary identifies four thematic strands that lend themselves to structured conversation: the possibility of change and growth, bullying in middle school, true friendship, and the courage to cope with fear. The multi-narrator structure also gives a group natural entry points for debating whose perspective they trust and why.

Summarize this book

Is it worth reading?

Who should read this?

What age is it for?

What's the reading level?

Is this a good book club pick?

Summarize this book

Restart centers on Chase Ambrose, an eighth-grade football star and confirmed bully who falls off a roof and wakes in a hospital with no memory of who he is. As he reconstructs his past through the reactions of the people around him — old cronies who want the former bad boy back, and classmates he once tormented who are reluctant to trust the person now in front of them — he must decide whether to reclaim that identity or become someone new. Korman tells the story through rotating first-person narrators, including Shoshanna Weber, whose twin brother Joel was bullied by Chase and his associates Aaron and Bear, giving the novel a structural accountability that keeps Chase's victims at the center of the story.

Follow up

Who are the different narrators?

Does Chase fully change by the end?

Is this part of a series?

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Age & Reading Level

Recommended age

Ages 8–12

Reading level

Middle grade

Browse all 8–12 books

Content to know about

bullying and its emotional aftermath

Best for: Ages 10+ — the rotating narrator structure and moral complexity around bullying and identity suit confident readers in the middle-grade range.

Skip if you're looking for Gordon Korman's trademark comic lightness throughout — the tone here is deliberately and notably more serious.

Our Review

This review is based on the book's contents and published reception; it does not reflect hands-on use or reading.

Restart by Gordon Korman front cover

What the Book Is and What It Does

Restart centers on Chase Ambrose, an eighth-grade football star who falls off a roof and wakes up in a hospital with no memory of his past. The premise is as simple as it is effective: a confirmed bully gets a genuine blank slate. Chase must reconstruct who he was through the reactions of everyone around him — the old friends who want the former bad boy back, and the classmates he once tormented who are struggling to trust the person now standing in front of them. According to the publisher, the novel is a standalone title, and Scholastic Press published the print edition on March 27, 2018. SuperSummary notes that Korman — best known for his comic sensibility — deliberately takes a more serious tone here than readers may expect from him, using the amnesia premise to examine conflicts and relationships that are central to the middle-school experience.

Significance and Reception

The print edition became a New York Times bestseller, and the audiobook won the Audible Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance — a notable distinction given the novel's ensemble narrative structure. The Scholastic synopsis draws a direct line to Korman's earlier No More Dead Dogs, describing Restart as a return to that book's spirit but with a notably weightier register. SuperSummary describes Korman as one of the best-selling authors in children's and young adult fiction, and the combination of mainstream commercial success with a meaningful anti-bullying message has made Restart a frequent classroom and school-library pick.

Craft and Structure

One of the book's most discussed structural choices is its rotating cast of first-person narrators. Rather than staying inside Chase's amnesiac perspective alone, Korman frequently shifts the point of view — including to Shoshanna Weber, whose twin brother Joel was bullied by Chase and his associates Aaron and Bear. As Common Sense Media notes, the novel is "packed with laughs, relatable emotions, different points of view, life lessons — and in this case, a strong anti-bullying message." This multi-voice approach lets readers understand the full weight of Chase's past behavior from the people who lived through it, while also tracking his present-tense attempts at change. One passage Common Sense Media surfaces captures the emotional register well: "There's something about being bullied that you could never explain to someone who hasn't had it happen to them." The design intent of the structure is clearly to hold Chase accountable even as the narrative allows him room to grow.

Themes and Classroom Fit

The novel's central thematic question — can someone truly change who they are, or will old patterns reassert themselves? — gives it natural purchase in middle-grade classrooms. SuperSummary identifies four core thematic strands: the possibility of change and growth, bullying in middle school, true friendship, and the courage to cope with fear. Educators and librarians have noted the novel's usefulness for teaching prediction and perspective-taking. The sisandchrys.com review also observes that Korman's frequent use of idioms may present a challenge in read-aloud settings with English-as-a-second-language students — a concrete, practical consideration for classroom use.

Who This Book Is Best For

Restart is designed for readers aged roughly ten to twelve, and its grade-level range reflects a book that works across both independent reading and guided classroom contexts. Readers who enjoy character-driven middle-grade fiction with genuine emotional stakes — and who respond to narrative structures that deliberately fragment and reassemble a character's identity — are the natural audience. Fans of Korman's earlier work will find the humor present but tempered by a more serious undercurrent. For readers who have experienced bullying firsthand, the novel's insistence that past behavior has lasting consequences for its victims gives it an emotional honesty that goes beyond the standard redemption arc.

Sources & Further Reading

The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.

1
A Book Review on "Restart” by Gordon Korman
sisandchrys.com
2
Restart by Gordon Korman | Scholastic Education
shop.scholastic.com
3
Restart - Parents' Guide & Book Review | Common Sense Media
commonsensemedia.org
4
Restart Summary and Key Themes | Gordon Korman
booksthatslay.com
5
Restart, Gordon Korman (Book Review)
readingmiddlegrade.com
6
Restart Book Review | Teen Ink
teenink.com
7
[Restart]: A Review – greenish bookshelf
greenishbookshelf.com
8
Restart by Gordon Korman | Summary, Audio, Analysis, FAQ
sobrief.com