Unplugged by Joe Barrett - PPPPP

On the cusp of building the most ultramodern daily-tech enabled apartment building known to man and moving into its penthouse with his impossibly gorgeous Ivy-league educated fiancé, multi-millionaire app entrepreneur Dan Johnson does what we all would do. He halts construction on his apartment, fills it up with dome tents and pillow forts, dumps his drop-dead gorgeous ladyfriend, renounces technology, and for all intents and purposes, unplugs from society.

Okay, none of us would do that. But that’s what makes the premise of Unplugged by Joe Barrett so intriguing. Why would Dan do this? Where’s it gonna take him? Where can I get some Tang around here?

As the story unfolds, Dan finds himself in quite the pickle thanks to his younger brother, an amusing yet surprisingly astute stoner scamp, who is one of the many unique, captivating characters that Barrett dreams up, who run the gamut from altruistic to zany.

As always, Barrett’s metaphors and analogies are insightful and entertaining. Sometimes funny, sometimes deep, always thought-provoking. Unplugged is also packed with inventive and amusing concepts, plenty of lol’s, and of course, a lot of heart. On several occasions, my eyes welled up on account of the feels. I apologize if that made me sound like AI. I’m in my mid-forties these days and can’t keep up with the cools.

Anyhoo, a subject that Unplugged delves into is the homelessness problem that currently plagues the States. And while one particular character gets a bit preachy, emitting serious Gavin Newsome vibes on the topic, Barrett does a nice job of explaining the many facets. This really hit home with me, because homelessness is my jam. Shortly after college, I distinctly remember seeing a homeless man lying on top of a NYC subway grate, trying to stay warm on a bitterly cold winter day. I thought to myself, ‘This day and age, no one should have to live like that. We need to eradicate homelessness not just here, but throughout the world, and we need to do it now.’ Other than producing that magnanimous sentiment, I’ve never actually done anything, but it’s nonetheless my lifelong cause. Any day now though, I’m gonna hit it big, and once I’ve achieved financial independence, it’s only a matter of time before I begin to start seriously thinking about potentially shifting my focus from myself, to homelessness. Prolly.

A final aspect of Unplugged that Barrett knocks out of the park is the way he builds momentum throughout the book. The plotlines continually surge forward snowballing toward an epic climax and a very satisfying conclusion. There is a palpable everything-happens-for-a-reason escalation, that keeps you wanting more all the way until the end.

Having said that, I’m forced to dock Barrett points for the preaching mentioned above and for not describing another character’s appearance, instead telling us to google it. #1) If you give a crap about Mother Earth, don’t be using Google no more, use Ecosia! #2) How dare you make me do your dirty work. I demand a written description. Or at least a link to your ecosia’ing of it. Minus 1 star.

But Barrett more than makes up for it by having a character mention that rather than trying to break up with his girlfriend, he should have been trying to get her to break up with him. This was a Revelation for me! It’s what I should have been doing my whole life instead of leaving town, and eventually country, each time I wanted to break up with someone. I am totally employing this method from now on. Plus half a star.

To sum up, Unplugged is a story about stepping back, taking account of your life, and searching for meaning in it. It’s a story of passion, packed with lol’s, insight, and heart. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

Incidentally, the last line of this book is very intriguing. Does Barrett see himself as more Bill than Dan? Is his bio just a weed-induced fantasy? Seriously, where can I get some god damn Tang around here?!

Bonus Quotes:

“Something about a pre-tween city kid making light of a serious issue like pedophilia makes me go all mushy inside, like maybe the world isn’t so screwed up after all.”

“Sometimes folks need to wear a mask in order ta be who they really are.”

“You’ve got all your basic human needs met. And you’re making yourself miserable trying to figure out how to make yourself happy.”