Restart
Gordon Korman (2017)
“What if you woke up and couldn't remember being a terrible person — would you still be one?”
Restart— Summary & Analysis
by Gordon Korman · published 2017 · 244 pages · Contemporary
A user-friendly study guide for Restart by Gordon Korman (2017): a high-level plot summary, full chapter-by-chapter analysis, theme breakdowns, character profiles, and 30 essay questions designed for middle-school readers. Unlike a stock summary, sumsumsum.com adds a diction analysis drawn from Gordon Korman’s actual text, and reading-difficulty guidance (Easy, 1/10) so students, teachers, and lifelong readers know what they are walking into.
“What if you woke up and couldn't remember being a terrible person — would you still be one?”
Short Summary
Chase Ambrose, a thirteen-year-old bully, falls off the roof of his house and loses all memory of who he was. When he returns to school, he discovers he was feared and hated by most students but idolized by his cruel friends. Without his memories to guide him, Chase must decide who he wants to be — and whether the person he was before deserves forgiveness or erasure.
Detailed Summary
Chase Ambrose wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of his life. He doesn't recognize his parents, his house, his room, or his reflection. The doctors call it amnesia — a clean sweep of autobiographical memory caused by a fall from his roof. He retains skills (he can ride a bike, do math, speak ...
Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis
If you liked Restart, read next
Start with The Crossover by Kwame Alexander — Another story about identity shaped by athletic ability and family pressure, told with the intensity of middle school emotional stakes. Then try Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick — An unlikely friendship between a large, feared boy and a smaller, vulnerable one — exploring whether people can transcend the identities others assign them. Or pivot to Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver — A YA novel about a popular, cruel teenager forced to relive her last day — same question of whether awareness of harm leads to change, but with higher stakes.
For comparative essays, pair Restart with
The strongest comparative pairing is Wonder (R.J. Palacio) — Both use multiple narrators to explore bullying from every perspective, but Wonder centers the victim while Restart centers the bully — together they form a complete picture. For a third angle, contrast with Ghost (Jason Reynolds) — Both feature boys using athletic talent to navigate identity and belonging, with sports as both escape and trap.
Each of these pairings opens a clean thesis path on shared themes, period diction, or formal influence — useful for AP Lit / IB / first-year college comparative essays.