Cover Image: Unplugged and Unpopular

Unplugged and Unpopular

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Member Reviews

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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I thought this book was great the way it talked about the importance of getting away from technology, but the book done this in a humorous way. I felt that this book is a great read for people of all ages, because we need to unplug sometimes so we don't miss the world around us! I thought the book was colorful and attracted its readers well.

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*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.

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Although the graphic novel itself is aim towards a younger audience, I still enjoyed reading the graphic novel.

It tackled issues that are quite common in today’s society. I think this is a good way to teach younger kids about different environmental issues and much more.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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I think overall it was okay. I don't think it fits into Tween Graphic novels, it seemed a little too childish. I liked some parts of the novel, but other parts were underdeveloped and a bit cringeworthy. I understand that this is a kids book, but I did not really care for the elder bashing early on, and Erin did come around to her grandmother in the end, but it irked me. The graphics were okay, but not my favorite.

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I really enjoyed this !

This story is about Erin, who, like everyone else, want to be popular.
After getting in trouble she's been punish by her parents, she's forbidden to use her cellphone or the internet for a month. That's when she started to realized something weird is happening in this town.

It was really a great plot and topic. Nowadays everyone over uses their phones and a lot of people are obessed by popularity. It has a great message at the end.

I really enjoyed the fact that old people are envolved in this stroy. It was really sweet !

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The style of this graphic novel was fantastic, I really enjoyed how it was colored, it seemed bright and fun. I liked the story too, it was intriguing, and it was executed really well.
It was enjoyable and entertaining, an afternoon well spent. If you're interested in picking it up, definitely do it.

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Unplugged and Unpopular follows Erin Song, a tweenager in the near future where everyone’s life revolves around their technology. Erin gets herself in to some trouble at school, resulting in the ultimate punishment- no technology for a month! While living “off the grid” so to speak, Erin discovers some things about her world that everyone else is too glued to their technology to notice. She soon find out it’s up to her to save the world!

I loved the message this graphic novel gives. I think this is a great middle grade read, and even though it’s aimed at tweens/older elementary, I thought it was a fun read! I sped right through this one. I saw myself in Erin when I was younger, but the twin librarians really made the whole novel for me (plus, we all know I’m a sucker for an alien story 👽). I’m hoping, based on the ending, that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Erin Song!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC of this book. This was a voluntary review.*

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This is about Erin Song, who doesn't understand why she's so unpopular. She would do anything to become more popular, including helping the most popular girl in class cheat on a test. When she was caught, her parents grounded her and banned all technology. Without the distraction of technology, Erin starts noticing strange things happening around her (like aliens running amok, and people going missing). It's up to Erin to get to the bottom of this mystery and possibly save the world!

Overall though, I wasn't too impressed with this book. The graphics were cute but the story moved at a choppy pace and the dialogue and transitions between different scenes didn't flow very well. I also found Erin to be extremely rude and unlikeable (it's no wonder she's unpopular!).

This is a middle-grade book but the characters were so two-dimensional and the dialogue was so simple and childish, it's probably more suitable being marketed as a children's book.

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Excellent read! I would recommend this book for tweens. The main character is your average girl with average girl problems in a world where everyone is intuned with their technology. But, when she suddenly finds herself grounded from all technology, she suddenly finds that there are aliens all around her, trying to take over the world! A fun graphic novel, this story shows the importance of unplugging sometimes to see what you're missing, as well as expressing the importance of seniors while exploring the bond between grandmother and grandchild.

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It's a short, fast paced read. The premise is really interesting and the protagonist is someone a lot of teens would relate to. I enjoyed it. Great for a light read. However, I would have preferred a little more information to get to know the character and to establish the amplitude of the threat they're facing before they go and do something about it. There wasn't enough time to connect or sympathize with her.

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This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about what is seen to be an issue in our current climate - people not being able to get off their devices.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and leaves a good message to young people.

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