Andy Bellows is a 36 year old freelance graphic designer – and he is addicted to the internet. When his addiction leads to some physical problems, his doctor advises a digital detox…this means, no internet, no apps, no tech for 60 days (although he is allowed to use it solely for work purposes if necessary).

He quickly realises how much time he was spending on the internet and how different life is (in both good and bad ways) when you don’t use it. His best friend is a reporter who writes about Andy’s digital detox and suddenly Andy finds himself with loads of followers, all inspired to try a detox of their own.

If you have read any Nick Spalding books before, you will know that the initial set-up is a prelude to several absurd situations, and this story is no different. I won’t give away any spoilers but Nick Spalding writes comedy and that is exactly what this book is. I would say that some of the situations were possibly a little too over-the-top to be believable, but still made me laugh out loud on occasion.

It’s an undemanding read too but one that does actually have a serious message at its heart. How many times do you look around in a cafe, or on public transport, or just walking down the street and see the vast majority of people with their heads down, looking at their phones? People ARE addicted to their tech and to having the world at their fingertips. It’s so easy to lose a couple of hours a day just scrolling through Instagram or Facebook for example. On the other hand, it’s useful sometimes to have info as soon as you need it (e.g., I have a couple of days off work soon and thought I might head out to the cinema. It took less than a minute to find out what films were showing and at what times.)

Anyhow, I generally enjoyed the book a lot, although I did feel it maybe lost its way slightly towards the end. But I would recommend it and will definitely be looking out for more by this author. ( )

I really wanted to love this book. I’m a fan of NickSpalding’s other books, and the premise is really relatable and timely. It’s funny, and should have been an easy read...but I kept putting it aside. Finished it on this last go, and I think it didn’t really hit its stride until the second half of the book. (Oh, and I’m a bit of a 13yo boy at times, but I grew wearing of reading “poo”. ) ( )

Andy is a mess and he's desperate to get it together so he follows his doctor's advice to do an internet/digital detox. He goes off line and hijinks ensue.
This was a fun story. Not his best, but not his worst, either. Totally worth reading. ( )

Not too much to say, typical Spalding. Parts were really funny and parts of it were really draggy. I liked the overall premise, Andy is told by his doctor he needs a tech detox because of some medical issues he is having, and shenanigans occur.

I ultimately wish that the book had actually moved more into a direction of Andy's other interests (he started reading and walking more) instead of him acting like an ass because he couldn't look up what stars were up to via Instagram. I think that a lot of people take social media breaks. I have done so before and it honestly helps. When you read nothing but terrible news and people's perfect lives via social media it is going to skew your perspective. Spalding danced near that with Andy finding about a real life person he was following, but Spalding played it for laughs instead of actually pointing out how everyone does this.

Loved the Easter eggs to other books that he has written and I think this one's ending worked a lot better than the last book of his I read "Dumped, Actually." ( )

Nick Spalding’s wry humor sweetens a strong lesson in Logging Off, his most recent novel and thinly disguised cautionary tale. The book is the farcical account of first-person narrator, Andy, a graphic designer whose addiction to technology and social media has resulted in some serious physical and psychological side effects. When an important client meeting becomes disastrous due disturbing symptoms, Andy decides that he will embark on a 60-day “digital detox” to reset his health. His best friend is a reporter who composes a feature about Andy’s experiment—the publicity acting as a reinforcement to his endeavor. Andy soon discovers how completely obsessed with online activities he has become. The removal of these sources of security illuminate the life skills that have been underdeveloped and highlight his utter dependence on instant information and entertainment. The wacky “fish-out-of-water” misadventures and slapstick episodes that follow are entertaining, if a bit far-fetched. Along the way, a romance blooms and the protagonist finds himself the unwitting object of wide-spread admiration and attention. Despite being ambivalent about pursuing his “detox,” Andy feels compelled to continue by the pressure of his new “followers” and the irrepressible current of a movement he never intended to spark. As he struggles with feelings of hypocrisy and confusion, he also recognizes the benefits that the endeavor has brought. Logging Off is a bit too long and the humor at times is contrived and lowbrow, but the book remains a fun read despite its strong moralistic stance. Spalding’s attempt to preach moderation and life-balance is perhaps obvious and over-stated, but his amusing approach makes it a lesson that is easy to swallow.

Thanks to the author, Lake Union Publishing (Amazon) and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )