Restart by Gordon Korman Summary
Overview of Restart
When a notorious bully loses his memory, can he truly change? "Restart" explores redemption through 13-year-old Chase's amnesia journey, captivating over 43,000 readers and winning multiple youth-voted awards. What would you do with a clean slate?
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Key takeaways
When Memory Fails, Who Will You Become?
Imagine waking up in a hospital bed surrounded by strangers claiming to be your family. Your name is Chase Ambrose, and according to everyone around you, you're a thirteen-year-old football star. But you remember nothing - not your mother's worried face, not your little brother's cautious distance, not even the reason you're in the hospital. A fall from your roof has erased thirteen years of personal history while leaving your basic knowledge intact. This is the fascinating premise that drives "Restart," a story about identity, redemption, and the question we all occasionally wonder: if you could start over completely, who would you choose to become? Chase returns home to a bedroom filled with sports trophies and newspaper clippings celebrating athletic achievements he doesn't remember earning. His phone reveals disturbing selfies - including one where he's grinning while holding a smashed pumpkin on a baseball bat. More troubling are the reactions of those around him: his father treats him like a returning champion, his stepmother and half-sister seem oddly afraid of him, and a girl at an ice cream shop dumps frozen yogurt on his head when he smiles at her. The contrast between who everyone says he was and who he feels himself to be creates an immediate identity crisis. Without memories to anchor his sense of self, Chase must piece together his identity through others' reactions - and what he sees disturbs him deeply. This clean slate offers both opportunity and burden: the chance to redefine himself, but also the weight of a past he must either embrace or reject without fully understanding it.
The School Bully's Legacy and Unexpected Connections
The Moment of Truth and Identity Crisis
Confronting the Darkest Truth
The Path to Redemption
The Power of a Second Chance
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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