Unplugged and Unpopular is a graphic novel written by Mat Heagerty and illustrated by Tintin Pantoja and Mike Amante. It is currently scheduled for release on October 15 2019.

Erin Song lives in a digital world. Everyone has a phone, a tablet, a computer—more screens than you can count. Even with a world of information at her fingertips, Erin can’t figure out the secret to popularity at her clique-y junior high school. So when uber-popular Wendy asks for help cheating on a test, Erin jumps at the opportunity. This could be her big break! Unfortunately, she gets caught, and her parents ban her from all her devices. Suddenly, Erin Song is the only girl in the world who’s not allowed to look at a screen. And that’s when Erin notices something funny: small, furry aliens making humans disappear with a weird device Erin’s never seen before. No one else notices them, though—except Erin’s grandmother and two old men who run the local library. They’ve discovered that the aliens are using screens to control the human race, tricking them into thinking they aren’t really there—and that anyone who’s been abducted never existed. Now it’s up to Erin and her grandmother to save the day! But without technology on their side, do they stand a chance?

Unplugged and Unpopular is a graphic novel for the tween set. Let's start with what I thought were the best aspects of the story. I thought the story was fun, and many readers will enjoy it. The desire popularity and discovering what is really important is a big part of Erin's story, andI thought that aspect was handle very well. Also, the way many people treat children and older adults was sadly a little too close to the truth for my peace of mind. I liked the art style a great deal, it capture the intent and mood of the story well and frankly was the high point of the story for me. It was similar in style to some of my favorite graphic novels, so it was familiar and comfortable to me. If I were reviewing only on the art the book would have gotten more stars.

Now, for the things that bothered me as I read. While I do think the dependence on technology is a good starting point, because it is clearly a large part of society right now, I thought it was a little heavy handed and frankly wrong on some aspects. I feel like the author has not been in a library for many years, because librarians tend to be on the forefront of tech- because patrons will have questions on how to use it and they need access to the more accurate and current information possible to do their jobs. Yes, there are librarians that are not well versed in tech, but I have yet to see a library with no computer screens or tech available for staff or patrons. Also, I found the no-screen thing extremely ironic as I was reading a digital galley rather than a paper one.

Unplugged and Unpopular is a well drawn graphic novel with a fun story. I did not love it, but think some readers will enjoy it more than I.

In the near future, people use their phones and technology for everything. Erin Song is no different. Her world revolves around her popularity rating and how to improve it, so when the most popular girl at school asks her to help her on a test, Erin agrees. If it boosts her popularity, it’ll be ok. Right? Well, her teacher and parents think differently when she’s busted. Her parents take away all her devices and it is pretty much the end of the world. Erin thinks she’s starting to see things because of the stress when a weird creature appears outside of the library. But soon the old librarians clue her in to the fact that that isn’t the case. There’s an alien invasion but the aliens are using devices to control what people see so only those who are unplugged know what is going on. Can a girl and some old dudes save the world from an alien invasion no one else believes is happening?

I like the clever way this book introduces the idea that perhaps we need to unplug a little bit more. Erin and the senior citizens are a most unconventional army, but they are lots of fun to follow around. I like the intergenerational bonds that form. The illustrations are done in bright colors and an attractive style. And I can see this being very popular with the middle grade and even young adult crowd (and perhaps it’ll make them think twice about how much they are on the internet). Recommended to anyone you know who likes graphic novels, scifi, or who might need a subtle nudge to think twice about how long they are spending online.

No content issues.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Seventh grader Erin Song lands herself in hot water with her parents after trying to help one of the popular girls cheat on a test. Erin's parents take the hyper-connected tween's phone away and revoke technology privileges, which - naturally - brings the pain; slowly but surely, though, Erin's unplugged life makes her aware that fuzzy little aliens are kidnapping humans, and transmitting fake news to keep the general populace blissfully unaware! Erin joins forces with her unexpectedly rebellious grandmother and her tech-averse group of resistors to fight off the aliens and save the planet. 

Unplugged and Unpopular is a comedic commentary on how wrapped up we are in our phones and other screens these days, with a a wink to the whole "fake news" travesty. A middle grade take on They Live (1988) (remember that one? Go watch it!), we have a society under siege by aliens, right under our noses, but if the news tells us everything is okay, there's nothing to worry about. Once Erin gets out from behind the screens and starts seeing the world with her own two eyes, that's when she understands that things aren't what they seem, and that something is very wrong in her community. It's a wacky, out-there story, but kids will get a kick out of it, and who knows - maybe it'll get them to look up from their screens once in a while. The artwork is colorful and bold, and Erin is a biracial main character living in a diverse community. 

This one's an additional add; if you have heavy graphic novel circ, put it in - kids will read it.

When I found out that a bartender spent his free time making this I just had to see what the big deal is all about. With him seeing everybody on their cellphones all the time, they seem so distracted. Thank god my Crosstek has a locking feature. The problem is with so many people and places using their devices, to the point of schools and justice systems making use of them it's difficult to look away and see the world for what it really is. (Sure that's got problems too but pay attention.) Now high school is the worst place to try to be popular. Erin's practically a walking stereotype as the wannabe popular kid. In her first appearances she's kind of toxic in regards to her behavior. That's what happens when you try to fit in with narcissists. When she is defended, the popular kids just get more popular. Erin's parents in a more introspective context should've tried to convince her that trying to fit in with bad influences is a horrible thing to do.

For that matter, that could easily have lead Erin to her Grandma and the rest of the old people. Yet that's the only reason this isn't a five-out-of-five. Okay that and a few repetitive lines and pages. The rest of the graphic novel is pretty good. Thankfully the seniors are not preachy about the "good old days". The nutty gadgets are great for kids. The emotional beats however can genuinely hit hard, especially on the feeling of being isolated. Man I wish there were more GNs like this. This really brings up the idea of being family oriented. Sure the ending is kind of a downer, but that's supposed to be a metaphor for the overall conflict.

Follow your passions in the most effective way people.

Interesting look at tech dominated life with sci-fi twist

Imaging a world, where people use tech devices all the times, screens wherever you look - phones, tablets, computer. Wait, we are already there. And so is Erin Song, she just love being online and tries to fit into the popular crowd as many kids do these days. When she cheats in a test for that, her parents ban her from all the devices, and she must live offline from now on. Problematic enough, she starts seeing aliens soon who are making humans appear with weird devices. But why are people not listening to her. A dramatic search for the truth and the survival of mankind begins.
 
This book is an amazing look at current mankind and how technology already dictates our lives. With a lovely sci-fi twist, it is entertaining and modern language it truly speaks to the right audience. The illustrations are fun and detailed. Erin as main character is loveable and sure as many kinds are these days. She shows her strengths and fights for her opinion. The aliens are fun to see - small, furry and still so mean. The detailed and amazing colored art helps to deliver the story in a cool way.
 
Fast to read and with a great message to live more in the real world over the digital, this book is a great pick for tweens and other interested.

I really just didn’t like this book. Maybe it was because I’m beyond the age range for it, but I thought the plot was messy at best, the art was inconsistent and unpolished, and the main character, Erin, was just a brat. Again, I’m possibly being way too harsh because the book wasn’t meant to appeal to me at 19, but I really didn’t like it. It had some cute moments hear and there, but the ending felt rushed and anticlimactic. I think some more character development for Erin would be very helpful to the story overall.

A cute art style with an okay story. I would have happily read 100 more pages to get more detail and backstory from this. A super quick enjoyable read.

Maybe I am too old for this. But somehow I still enjoy preschool books too now and then. The comic was fun to read but the main character was a bit over the top and she was just everywhere. The plot is fun with all the fantasy and the world she gets put into. I was expecting something else from the blurb. So I got disappointed when I got something else. I was expecting a normal teen life with no technology but yes, things get a bit crazy. Hope the actual teens or the right audience get to enjoy this read more than I did. Thank you #Netgalley for the book #Unpluggedandunpopular

*Received via NetGalley for review*

Pretty serviceable art, and a fairly interesting storyline: aliens have invaded and managed to control our screens in order to brainwash humans into ignoring them. When Erin is grounded and banned from screens, she begins to see them, and realizes they've been abducting humans and running experiments for longer than she ever thought.

Unfortunately, Erin is incredibly annoying (though I suppose she's a normal teenager - obsessed with screens, obsessed with becoming popular, and rude to her grandmother and other elderly people), which really hampers my enjoyment of the book.

There are also two repeated pages that should be edited out.

Sigh. This just wasn't for me.

Erin Song is grounded from using electronic devices after cheating on a test in a wild attempt at becoming popular in school, and while that's pretty nope, turns out aliens are kidnapping people by using electronic mind-control. Cue Erin having to save the world.

The idea is great, but the execution was lacking a bit.

Review to come in October on blog/Goodreads.

I received this graphic novel from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I have had this one on my Netgalley list for a while and decided that today, while I am still sick and having a high fever, is the right day. Meet Erin, a girl who lives in a world full of technology but gets unplugged when she does something stupid. From that moment on she sees aliens and discovers that people (including her brother and grandma) are missing and no one remembers them. The aliens are planning to take over, domination over everything is their goal.

This was a delightful and fun book, though I wasn't always happy with Erin's decisions. For instance just grabbing a giant rock and breaking the window/door of the library. Or going along with what Wendy wants.
But besides that I still liked her and how strong she was, how when she found out what happened and got to terms with it she decided to kick some ass and try to save the world. Along with her grandma and other old people who aren't plugged into the net (as that is one of the important things if you want to see the aliens).

We find out more about the aliens and what their plans are. I have to say it was a dastardly plan and perfectly executed. If Erin hadn't lost the privileges to her phone they may have gotten away with it. But I do think that Erin's grandma would have done something to make her grandchild see the light, that grandma was so kickass I can't imagine she will let her granddaughter be blind to what is going on.

I did think it was funny no one saw the aliens or people who have gone missing but returned (for instance grandma). It did look funny to see people fighting air while we know they are fighting aliens.

I was a bit sad to see the library in such disrepair and sadness. I wonder why the brothers didn't at least try to keep it neat and clean, given their inventions they shouldn't have problems with keeping up with repairs for the library.

The ending was terrific and very exciting, though there was one thing that I found a tad too magical and easily solved. Something involving tea and an eye.

The art was pretty colourful and fun, though at times I wasn't a fan of it (perspectives wonky, characters a bit weirdly drawn).

All in all though, I did have fun reading this one and I am glad Netgalley/publisher gave me a chance to try it out.

An interesting and cute story about what we can miss when so distracted by technology. Simplistic and predictable but still a cute story

My daughter enjoyed the book and read it very quickly. she said she would like to read more books from these series. She says she would recommend the book to her friends.

A thrilling, graphic novel on aliens, invasion and an unpopular school girl! Owen Song lives in a gadget world all about mobiles, tablets, laptops, and internet. She's unpopular in school always teased and bullied. On a particular day, she's bullied and goes to the Principals office and later gets grounded for a month without gadgets and internet at home.

She sees aliens, and strange things happen around her. She along with her grandma and grandpa twins has to save this world, from aliens. An alien invasion, granddaughter grandma duo ... a public library with twins! Exciting, super adorable graphic novel to enjoy!

Loved the illustrations! So detailed and colorful. Pick the book for a cool read.

Thanks to Netgally I was able to receive this ARC for an honest review!!!

Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐* (4.4)

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.0)
I loved the premise throughout this whole book. It was easy to follow and the pacing really helped. However the only issue I had with the plot was the beginning, I totally understand that Erin needed to do something really bad in order for her to get technology taken away from her, but I believe what she did is just a personal preference of why I wouldn’t do what she did, otherwise it flowed really well!

Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐* (4.5)
All of the main characters are so CUTE! I also really appreciated Erin’s character development throughout the novel and how it changed her in the end.

Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐* (4.5)
As I said before, I love the premise and I love how well it was executed because I wondered how people were getting brainwashed by the technology. The characters were cute and worked well together!

Setting/World: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.0)
The world building was done really good as well! A lot of the important questions regarding about the world itself were answered.

Art Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5.0)
Absolutely ADORABLE!! I especially love Erin’s outfit and her little hat!!

This was an ok read. Seemed a bit thin on plot and maybe a bit too unrealistic or maybe unrelatable is a better way to describe it. Younger middle grade readers will likely enjoy this more than older or advanced readers.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Unplugged and Unpopular is a fun, sci-fi comic that follows the story of a teenager named Erin Song. She's your average girl - she loves the Internet and wants to be popular and all that jazz. Things take a turn however, when Erin gets grounded for some shit she pulls at school and her parents take away her gadgets from her. She begins noticing these tiny aliens around town and that leads to her discovering this whole conspiracy where the aliens are abducting people and are mind-controlling humans through technology and all that. It all eventually comes down to Erin and a bunch of old people to save the world from this invasion.

I thought this graphic novel was a really fun and quick read. I think there was some commentary that the authors wanted to include with respect to how we "let the glowing screens rule us", but I think it didn't come through as it was intended. I wasn't particularly moved or impacted by anything that happened in the novel. It was just something that I read, and it was fun, and then it was over. And that's that.

I gave it a three stars because, like I said, fun, but not special. I would totally recommend it if you're just passing time and would love a light read for an hour or two!

I was given this free review copy graphic novel at my request and have voluntarily left this review. I loved this so much! I loved Erin. She was a fun and lovable character. The artwork was fabulous. I would definitely read something else by Mat Heagerty! The story was different and unique. I loved the concept. When you first meet Erin she is just like every young teen, but she grows so much in this graphic novel!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2946550999

This book is about Erin Song and the technology dependent world that she lives in. After she gets in trouble at school, Erin's parents take away all of her technology! She must travel to the local library in order to do research for a school paper. Outside of the library she sees a weird pink creature capture a human and make him disappear. She goes inside and is stunned to learn that the librarians know what's going on! It's an alien invasion! Now Erin and some new friends will have to try and thwart the alien invasion before it's to late.

This was an adorable book. I think this will fit into the juvenile graphic novel section of any library. The story moved along nicely and I liked the message that the book is sending. The artwork is really cute too.

Digital Arc copy provided by netgalley.

Unplugged and unpopular is a cute hilarious graphic novel with a deep underlying message. It tells a story from a preteens p.o.v where technology literally took over the world, thanks to aliens. Everyone around her is so stuck on their phones/tv screens to actually notice the real world around them. The world that's now infested with little purple aliens trying to splice their genes together and create one giant super army. Luckily enough the preteen Erin gets in trouble which gives her time away from the screens in time breaking their hold on her and giving her a chance to really see what's going on around her. Essential she has to team up with the most unlikely and underappreciated group, the elders. Because in a world full of technology no one wants to listen to elders speak anymore and elders want nothing to do with this fast pace technological world this gives Erin a chance a glimpse of hope at making things right. Erin ends up saving the world with a group of retired senior citizens and a handful of everyday objects transformed by the genius minds of her grandma's boyfriend and his twin. In the end Erin realizes how much cooler her life really was before she became obsessed with the technology & others opinions. She finds the happiness in her life she thought she was missing. However it ended a bit open and I would love to see where else it would go with a spliced human/alien army.

4.5 stars Great read for middle schoolers! Beautiful color scheme and I loved the style very entertaining read.