Title: Logging Off
Author: Nick Spalding
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
[Synopsis]
Andy Bellows is in a right state. Plagued with insomnia, anxiety and neckache, he’s convinced there’s something seriously wrong with him. And the worst thing is that his doctor agrees. The diagnosis: Andy is in the grip of a self-destructive addiction to technology—he just cannot put that bloody mobile phone down.
Texting, tweeting, gaming and online dating—technology rules Andy’s life. His phone even monitors his bowel movements. So how will he cope when he’s forced to follow doctor’s orders and step away from all of his beloved screens?
From having to leave the flat in search of food like some kind of Neanderthal to engaging in conversations with actual people, Andy’s about to discover just how bewildering—and scary—the analogue world can be.
And when his sixty-day detox hits the headlines—making him a hero to suffering technophiles everywhere—Andy is sorely tempted to pack it all in and escape in the nearest Uber.
Can he get himself out of this mess, and work out how to live a better, technologically balanced life…without consulting Google even once?
[My Review]
Logging Off is a fun, light-hearted read about the way technology has infiltrated almost every part of modern day life. Andy is spending far too much time on social media and using his phone, laptop etc, and it’s affecting his health. He decides to go on a 2 month technology detox, and realises just how hard it is to get rid of technology – but also how rewarding it can be!
I think a lot of us can reate to Andy, which makes this novel so engaging – I actively try to spend time away from screens after I’ve finished work, but I am aware that I could spend less time using social media and looking everything I need to know up online.
Andy is a likable character and his friends (existing and new) are similarly entertaining to read about. There are plenty of funny parts which made me smile, although there are also plenty of predictable moments, and after a while the humour felt quite same-y. However, this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book and I feel like, with a book like this, you expect there to be some parts where you can guess what will happen.
I realised afterwards that some parts of the story didn’t get resolved, but the ending felt right for this kind of book and it left my feeling uplifted.
I would recommend Logging Off to anyone who fancies a light, sweet read that will make you smile.
[Rating: 3/5]
Many thanks to the publisher, Amazon Publishing, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.