Restart
Gordon Korman (2017)
“What if you woke up and couldn't remember being a terrible person — would you still be one?”
About Gordon Korman
Gordon Korman (born 1963) published his first novel at age fourteen and has written over 100 books for young readers. A Canadian-American author, Korman is known for his ability to write comedy that carries emotional and moral weight without becoming didactic. He developed Restart from his longstanding interest in identity and behavior — specifically the question of whether a person is the sum of their choices or the sum of their circumstances. Korman has said in interviews that he wanted to write a book that took the bully's perspective seriously without excusing the bullying, a balance he considered the hardest challenge of his career.
Life → Text Connections
How Gordon Korman's real experiences shaped specific elements of Restart.
Korman published his first novel at 14, giving him an unusual perspective on how adolescents process identity and social pressure
The novel's psychological precision about middle school dynamics — the specific mechanics of how popularity works, how bullying operates, and how friendships form — reflects decades of observing and writing about this age group
Korman doesn't write about middle school from adult memory. He's been writing about it continuously since he was living it, giving his portrayal an immediacy that adult authors rarely achieve.
Korman has written over 100 books, primarily humorous fiction, and Restart represents a deliberate turn toward more serious themes
The novel maintains Korman's characteristic accessibility and readability while tackling moral questions about responsibility, forgiveness, and identity that are genuinely complex
Korman's comedic background means he never lets the moral weight crush the story. Restart is a serious book that remains readable and engaging, which is why it works for reluctant readers discussing difficult themes.
Korman has spoken about being bullied as a child and wanting to understand bullying from the perpetrator's side
Chase is neither demonized nor excused — he's rendered as a complex person who did terrible things and now has the chance to be different
The empathy Korman extends to Chase comes from genuine curiosity about why people become cruel, not from moral relativism. The novel takes bullying seriously precisely because it takes the bully seriously.
Historical Era
2010s suburban America — cyberbullying awareness, social media documentation, restorative justice movement in schools
How the Era Shapes the Book
The novel exists in a cultural moment when bullying is taken seriously as a systemic problem rather than a character-building experience. The YouTube video of Chase's bullying reflects the reality that modern cruelty leaves digital evidence — you can't deny what's on camera. The restorative justice themes align with contemporary educational approaches that ask whether punishment alone addresses the root causes of harmful behavior.