e-ARC received from NetGalley

Unplugged and Unpopular is a children's graphic novel about a young girl in the near future dealing with popularity, social media, and aliens. I picked it up mostly out of interest at how the topic of social media is being handled in fiction for young children today - being a young millennial, I just missed out on being part of the generation that was born into the social media era, and the differences between Gen Y and Z fascinate me. Interestingly this read just like a book or comic I might have read when I was younger, though with the focus being on social media instead of television or video games. It was just on the right side of being preachy, but I do think that even for middle grade the overall message of the story could have been a little more nuanced. Like television and video games, social media is here to stay and can indeed be used for good. I think it would have been worth exploring healthy ways in which young people can utilise it. Also, as a library assistant I would like to point out that libraries are very much so embracing technology - we have an entire ebook department at the academic library where I work, and public libraries provide many people (especially poorer people) with vital internet access for job-hunting and the like. The idea of libraries as a technophobic space as presented in this book feels a little outdated to me.

My favourite part of the story was the relationship between the main character and her grandmother. Having lost a few loved ones myself, and finding myself wishing I spent more time with them, recording their stories, I do appreciate the gentle way in which this story reminds its young readers of the value of listening to the stories of older relatives.

This graphic novel is very much for children aged 6-12, with little cross-over appeal, but to my surprise (because I disliked the cover) I did enjoy the art style a lot!

Erin Song lives in Culver City, California, with her parents. She hasn’t managed to crack the popularity code yet.

While her best friend Cody doesn’t care about popularity, Erin does. This results in her going against her better judgement and helping the most popular girl in school cheat off her during an exam. When they get caught Erin’s parents ground her. Her punishment? No access to anything with a screen, so basically her entire existence.

When she’s no longer attached to her phone Erin begins to notice things she never has before, like aliens! It quickly becomes clear that the aliens haven’t come in peace and it’s up to Erin, her grandmother and twin librarians, Joe and Charlie, to save the world.

I enjoyed the illustrations and use of colour in this graphic novel. I particularly liked it when a noise was mentioned and words to describe it lined up with what was happening, for example, “breaking glass” was spelled with shards of broken glass.

This story takes place in the near future; Erin’s grandmother is pictured as a young woman in the 1980’s and her parents grew up sans internet. While I love that the majority of the heroes live in retirement homes, this story also perpetuates the myth that older people and technology don’t mix. Besides Erin, who’s not using technology because she’s grounded, the only other people in the story who aren’t glued to their devices are elderly.

I don’t think librarians will particularly like the comment about how the internet has resulted in libraries no longer being used. This is certainly not my experience as a frequent library user. All of the librarians I know are very tech savvy and I see people of all ages in my local library.

There are clues early on in the story about what’s really happening if you pay attention to what’s being said and details in the pictures. I loved that the president in this near future version of America is female and I had fun picking up on the background details, like the movie poster advertising ‘Jaws 26’. This naturally reminded me of when Doc’s Delorean arrived in 2015 and Marty McFly encountered the hologram shark from ‘Jaws 19’.

I really liked the points this story makes about popularity and how invaluable grandparents are in kids’ lives. This graphic novel also includes not so subtle commentary about the overuse of technology, with people so focused on the screen in front of them that they miss out on the reality that’s happening all around them. Considering that this story’s target audience are growing up surrounded by the glow of screens, it makes a good point.

My childhood would have been vastly different if I’d had access to the technology kids have on hand today and while I know I would have loved the internet as a kid I’m consistently grateful that social media didn’t exist back in the Dark Ages of my childhood.

While the majority of the story flowed well for me, I couldn’t figure out how Erin’s grandmother’s retirement home suddenly became an electronics store. Was this somehow part of the mind control? I reread this story to try to make sense of this but I’m still not clear about it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

When Erin gets caught cheating on a quiz in her quest to be popular, she gets grounded from her phone. She soon discovers the world isn't as it seems and that aliens are using technology to mind control people so they can abduct humans. When no one will believe her, she has to rely on her grandma and an army of anti-technology retirees to defeat the aliens and save the abducted humans.

This was a cute story that deals with popular topics like wanting to be popular and how much time people spend on their electronic devices. It is zany at times in ways I can see appealing to kids as well as the way Erin helps save the world. This book is basically a "quit spending so much time looking at screens" message wrapped up in a sci-fi veneer.

Erin gets in trouble and is grounded from all technology. This is when she learns that aliens are taking over the planet and using tech to mind control the population of LA and hide the abductions.

The story is geared towards middle grade readers, but it was fun and as an adult I still enjoyed it. I can see this being a big hit with my students.

The art is great I love the little touches that are added. If you are paying attention to the backgrounds small hints of what is going to happen are there. Which I absolutely love.

It's a fast paced, fun, and silly story that I will definitely be adding to both my personal and classroom library.

Really cute and fun book to read. I kind of wish the book to be a bit longer for more character development. It is a very brief story and plot but I enjoyed reading it.

3.5 Stars

This definitely had a unique premise. It sends a good message about how much we rely on our devices and how disconnected from people we are. I didn't like the representation of the Library in this town but I suppose it helps push the message even more regarding phones and television. There were some moments with the drawings that pulled me out of the story, such as duplicate panels (which given that this was an ARC will likely be fixed for the final product). The ending also seemed very simplistic. I do think that kids will enjoy this overall though.

I received an eARC via Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

When her parents ground her from electronics for a month, Erin Song realizes how much she’s missing. Soon she starts seeing purple, fuzzy aliens, but everyone with screens thinks she’s crazy. In addition, no one with screens seems to remember who has been abducted. Can Erin and an unlikely group of heroes save Los Angeles from a group of fuzzy invaders? The plot is quirky, humorous, and engaging. The illustrations are colorful and harmonize with the text. The characters are unique and charming. This humorous science fiction graphic novel will appeal to fans of Bone and Doug TenNapel.

This graphic novel tells the story of a young girl who gets in trouble at school and is grounded from all electronics and the internet for a month. She begins seeing strange things, like an alien outside the library. She learns that aliens have been controlling people using technology, which a lot of humans just haven't noticed. She and her grandmother, and an army of off-line inventors, must save the world from the alien invasion.

This book was not what I thought it was going to be, but it was a fun story, and I would definitely recommend it to middle grade readers.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this graphic novel. Erin Song isn't exactly unpopular, but she'd not in the popular group at school either. She has the chance to level up when popular girl Wendy asks her to help her cheat on an exam. However, they get caught and Erin's parents ban her from all electronic devices for a month - no smart phone, no lap top, no internet. This is Erin's worst nightmare until she makes a startling discovery. In her now 'unplugged' world she can see that aliens are abducting humans in a plan to take over the world. They're controlling everyone through their devices. No one believes her except for some similarly 'unplugged' seniors. Can Erin and the oldies save the human race?

This was a great story. Most teenagers would share Erin's angst at being separated from social media and the internet, but the sci-fi element gives it an interesting twist. The writing and illustrations are engaging and there's a lot of humour in addition to deeper themes (e.g. the advantage of turning off the devices every now and then and actually talking to people and noticing what's around you; and also the fact that seniors still have a lot to offer and shouldn't be written off because of their age). The message isn't heavy-handed, but comes across in an interesting way.

I got a little confused at one point as to why Erin and her parents had different views about what had happened to Grandma even before Erin was 'unplugged'. That didn't make sense to me, though I may have missed something. However, apart from a couple of slightly confusing bits, the overall story was good.

It would probably best suit age groups of around 10-14, though there's also a lot for older teens and adults to enjoy. If you're looking for something fun, but with some depth, this graphic novel fits the bill.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Okay, so <i>Unplugged and Unpopular</i> by Mat Heagerty, illustrated by Tintin Pantoja and Mike Amante, was a hilarious and adorable, if slightly exaggerated, story about a young girl who loses access to all her technology when she is grounded for helping a popular girl cheat on a test. While Erin quickly sees this punishment as the fastest path to making her exceedingly unpopular, she's not quite prepared for what the break from her screens opens her eyes to. All of a sudden she can see the aliens who have been brainwashing everyone with technology.

One of the funnier aspects of this story is the fact that those who don't spend a lot of time with technology--e.g. the elderly--can see the aliens and Erin's grandmother happens to be one of them. But of course she and her parents, who are constantly looking at phones and computers, just think grandma is a bit crazy when she goes on about the aliens that live among them and are slowly abducting people.

As Erin becomes more aware about the truths of the world, she visits a library where two older men have been preparing to fight against the aliens for quite a while now, one of which happens to be her grandmother's boyfriend. And thus begins their quest to save everyone who has been abducted and to get rid of the aliens once and for all. With Erin at the front and everyone else from the retirement home behind her, surely they can manage to fend of the creatures and save their family and friends.

It's a fun and intriguing story with a decent commentary about the obsessive need people have developed for their phones and computers. I would definitely agree that it's nice to step away from it all every once in a while. Of course, there are a few inaccuracies and stereotypes presented, mainly with libraries and the elderly, but overall nothing too problematic as far as I was able to tell. I enjoyed this graphic novel overall, though I did certainly find it to be somewhat silly.

I think it's definitely a fun read for any middle school kid and would definitely recommend it.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

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I expected this graphic novel to be contemporary, but there were aliens, which surprised me! But it was fun. It is about this alien species that are brainwashing humans through their electronic devices, in this way they hope to take over the world. Of course our main character finds out, and she has to save the world, together with three elderly people. It was fun, the drawings were nice, but the story was quite simple.

This was such a cute novel that I finished in one sitting. The illustrations fit perfectly with the story and I love the underlying message of sometimes people should put their phones down and listen to what people are saying! This is a message that anyone can relate to and should hear- especially tweens/teens- get the message in them early! Loved the graphics throughout. Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Aw, how cute was this? I loved the plot and the underlying messages. The artwork was super cute and the writing was just funny enough. Solid read.

So this graphic novel was so much fun to read and I ended up finishing it in one sitting because of how cute the art was and how entertaining the story was.
I highly recommend it if you are looking for a light and fluffy read that still has a message.

*thank you to Netgalley, Oni Press and Mike Amante for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

I really enjoyed this! I thought it sounded like a really good idea for a story and I was right. It's about a girl named Erin who ends up getting banned of using her technology such as her Phone, Tablet and Laptop. Now, I grew up as one of those where these items weren't as they are now, until I was a teenager. (I'm 34) And even then it was a big deal for an older teen to have her own phone. Now, I'm seeing toddlers with devices! It's nuts. Anyway, Erin didn't grow up like me, she probably had Instagram the day she was born. (Ok, so a slight exaggeration....but only slight) For Erin, this would have felt like losing a body part. But really what it did was open her eyes to what's really going on in her hometown (and apparently the rest of the world). 

There were a couple of surprises along the way and I really liked how they showed that technology is like a drug. Now I'm not anti-technology but I do think people spend more than needed time on their devices. 

I think Middle Grade readers will enjoy this the most but it's really for any age group. It's was fun, witty and I really liked the illustrations. The book has an overall good feel to it and I would definitely recommend it.

A brightly colourful and entertaining novel that I think younger readers will find very engaging. It takes a current issue - the obsession with technology, especially in the youngest generation, and turns it into a fun story about aliens, making it easier to process and understand.

I think the art style and story will be a hit with younger readers.

This story follows Erin Song, a girl who lives in a technology driven world and who is not popular, but is also not the most unpopular person at school. After she makes a mistake and gets in trouble, her parents ground her and take away ALL screens and technology. It's then that the story really gets started and Erin starts to realize that some weird things are going on, things that she is only aware of now that she isn't staring at screens all day.

This story was super fun and perfectly tells some great truths about technology and relationships. Through her adventure a lot of things come into focus for Erin and she realizes that some of the things that were super important to her aren't really that essential or integral to life. Through her actions she learns some lessons and gets closer to deciding what type of person she wants to be. Shout out to her grandma, who was one of my favorite characters in the story.

The art style and illustrations are full of bright colors and convey a young person's view of the world around them. It was super easy to read and understand, with humor woven in that perfectly fit the story and would definitely appeal to the audience it's targeted for.

This was lighthearted and way more fun than I first anticipated! I loved it. The story was well paced and fun, the characters were interesting, and I generally liked everything about it!

This was an okay read. I liked the concept behind it and I can see this being popular amongst the younger readers. As an adult, I find it a little disrespectful.

What a brilliant graphic novel! Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Vera Brogsol.

I will definitely be buying a copy for my school library as I know the pupils will love it. I think it I is aimed at late primary/early secondary school (pre-teen) audiences.
There are themes of technology dependency, friendship, popularity (and being a social outcast) that will resonate with that audience.
The illustrations are bright, engaging and fun. The story is far fetched but humorous and engaging.

My only grumble is the old boring librarians, and useless libraries, stereotype. However, making the librarians into warriors who know the truth helps redeem this somewhat!