Reboot

A Novel

By: Justin Taylor

Narrated by: Justin Taylor

A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR • A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

A raucous and wickedly smart satire of Hollywood, toxic fandom, and our chronically online culture, following a washed-up actor on his quest to revive the cult TV show that catapulted him to teenage fame

"A performance of wit and rigor"—New York Times Book Review

David Crader is a has-been. A former child actor from the hit teen drama Rev Beach, he now rotates between his new roles as deadbeat dad, recovering alcoholic, and occasional videogame voice actor. But when David is summoned to Los Angeles by Grace, his ex-wife and former co-star, he suddenly sees an opportunity for a reboot—not just of the show that made him famous, but also of his listless existence.

Hollywood, the Internet, and a fractured nation have other plans, however, and David soon drinks himself to a realization: This seemingly innocuous revival of an old Buffy rip-off could be the spark that sets ablaze a nation gripped by far-right conspiracy, climate catastrophe, and mass violence.

Reboot is a madcap speculative comedy for our era of glass-eyed doom-scrolling and Millennial nostalgia—and yet it’s still full of heart. It’s a tale of former teen heartthrobs, striving parents, internet edgelords, and fish-faced cryptids, for anyone who has looked back on their life and wanted—even if but for a moment—to hit “reset.”

©2024 Justin Taylor (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[Taylor’s] book is, in part, a performance of culture, a mirror America with complete with its own highly imagined myths . . . . It’s a performance of wit and rigor freed of the familiar polarizing semantics, making legible . . . just how much conspiracy theory and pop culture have fused. Not just QAnon and Russiagate, but Kate Middleton and Birds Aren’t Real.”—New York Times Book Review

“Taylor also demonstrates the broader public costs of living inside narratives, especially the most polluted ones—antisemitism, QAnon, lizard people. . . . Though ‘funnier than Don DeLillo’ may seem like faint praise, Reboot wrings brilliant laughs from the absurdity of David’s predicament, and the way Hollywood and internet language can seem like foreign tongues, something human-adjacent but not quite human . . . . What are we missing while we marinate in this nonsense? That’s Taylor’s sharpest joke.”—Washington Post

“Justin Taylor has a knack for depicting our modern moment with a wisdom that often only comes from hindsight....David's situation asks big questions about who we are as a culture, what we value, and the things that bring us together and tear us apart. You know, like teen soaps.”—Town and Country Magazine

Lyrical Ninjitsu

Not sure how to write this up. There is so much to enjoy in this story, it’s hard to pick any one element. But the alliteration and creative ability of the author leaves one’s ears and mind in a state of awe.

There were a few twists and turns that caught me off guard and made me chuckle. Its heartwarming theme is one that resonated with me, especially the parts about my own glory days. Parts of the story hit really close to home, making me consider my own Reboot.

Definitely worth the read.