[Imogen]

Dear Gordan,
I am a 6th grade student at WAB and in English class my teacher gave us your book called RESTART. I loved the book cause it made it quite relitable which some books now days are so hard to relate and connect. The book made me think about how its easy to change, sometimes you might not realize but your hurting someones feelings but its easy to change. That book also helped my realize that you can hurt someone's feelings and body's, it might always be there but the best way to make things better is to apologize and pray for them to forgive.

I felt so relived when chase realized that he's been quite rude before and that he could change it with this restart in his life. Like now he's friends with Joel, Shoshanna, Brendan and many more. I am also so glad that those people forgiave him and understood the situation. I also guess that it was nice how he understood that he had to change, and he did change but in a good way.

I felt really relatable when chase was try to help his friends by stopping his old bestfriends/bullys from ruining a party. When chase tried to grab the fire extinguisher but ended up punching joel on accident, I relaited to that many times when I try to help but things just get worse. I thought it was all my fault but it isnt, then i thought it was my friends fault for not believing me but it wasn't, it was no ones fault and i get how it was hard to understand me and it was an accident. I think this story is very realistic and its kinda how i feel sometimes when i go to school.

I really enjoyed how you wrote each chapter about diffrent perspectives of diffrent characters. The diffrent chapter made it easier to understand all the characters, now I understand why Bear and Aronn was being mean. Bear and Aronn were mean cause the thought of Joel as the person who stole they're best friend (chase). I understand how Bear and Aronn were jealous but that can change if they changed too. Maybe because Chase left they could have followed his foot steps and it would be a happy ever after for everyone.

Thank you for writing a novel that is relatable and make it easier to understand that everyone has they're own perspective and I have to try and help them understand mine then I'll listen to them. RESTART is such a good book it shows so many people that you need to respect there feelings and opinions.

I hope you write more books like that,
Imogen Pearce

Hi, Imogen,

Thanks for posting. I'm pleased to hear that RESTART went over so well with you. Your analysis is bang-on, with the possible exception of Aaron and Bear. They were not sad because their best friend had been stolen away. They were bullies -- the kind that Chase was not, not at heart -- and they will probably never learn until they mature a whole lot. Yes, there is hope for everyone, but more for some, and much less for others.

The thing you noticed, and so many readers missed or just glossed over, was the universal need for respect, which would solve so many problems, not just of middle school, but of the world! Good for you!

                                                    Kindest regards,                                                -----Gordon Korman-----