Andy is a graphic designer, and like all of us is relying on his phone to do everything in his life. He's spent an entire month working on a presentation for Fluidity, in the hope to get the job for designing their spring promotion. But Everything went south when Andy lost the battle to a locked jaw and explosive diarrhea. Fearing the worst, he's reluctant to consult a doctor. But when his condition doesn't get better, he finally gives up and books an appointment with his GP. Andy is in shock when Dr. Hu announces that his sickness doesn't have any physical basis, and is primarily stress-related, coming mostly from his tech addiction. Thus the only way out is to quit everything.
Andy is all of us when it comes to tech addiction. He managed to put his entire everyday life at the mercy of phone apps. So when it comes to quitting it's not the easiest thing.
The story is definitely original and contemporary.
I myself had many "internet fasting" attempts, and I admit it wasn't as dramatic as Andy's experience. And it can be beneficial when it comes to reducing brain fogginess and bettering your sleep. But quitting everything seems impossible. I've tried being a new place without Google Maps, and it's definitely not the most enjoyable experience ( even with a physical map). I would surely recommend a social media detox.
It was an easy fun read. Nick Spalding's writing is enjoyable, witty, and humorous. I mostly enjoyed the physical comedy scenes. I would recommend it if you are looking for a sweet and funny story. I rate it 4 stars because in some parts I couldn't like Andy all the way, and had to agree with Grace in finding him a little bit rude.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my review copy

The message in this book is very relevant in this day and age, and I'd say a must read for most people these days, spending so much time looking at a screen.
A nice funny read and something to think about.

This was an eye-opening story for me, mainly because it shows the technological plague in a light that some people need to see, but don't want to. This book is something everyone needs to read and has definitely opened me up to author Nick Spalding, an author I haven't read before until now. I think everyone could benefit from reading this book AND from their own detox.

I found this book light hearted but at places I urged it to “get going”. I found it slow paced and at times a bit too much information!
That being said, it was a good book to read during “lockdown”, a time where the majority of people are turning to technology for entertainment. It did spur me on to read the book rather than sit playing games and just before bed, put my phone down rather than get lost in the world of tik tok.
I know Nick Spalding doesn’t really do sequels but I would be interested in getting to know Fergus more.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Logging off was a fun, light read that had me laughing quite a bit as I followed Andrew, a man struggling with addiction to the Internet, social media, and video games. Andrew Bellows is prescribed a digital detox by his doctor, and hilarity ensues as he tries to navigate the world off-line. Overall, I actually found myself contemplating my own screen time as I read this book. Spalding certainly has crafted a lovable and relatable character, and I look forward to reading more of his books in the future.

This was the first book I've read by this author. I thought the storyline was good - I think we could all do with a digital detox from time to time! It has some very funny moments in it but I didn't like the toilet humour at all.

5 hysterical stars!

This book is hilarious. If content largely focused on a poop and tracking it on poop app bothers you, don't despair, it's just the first chapter or 2 and then just sprinkled sporadically throughout.

Andy is addicted to technology, he literally had an app for everything. As we all know, phone addiction is real and can negatively impact your life. For Andy, the problems go beyond the mental state and manifest themselves as physical ailments. It's time for Andy to do a digital detox. And that's when the slapstick comedy really begins. Andy's inner dialog is hilarious. The situations he finds himself in are completely unbelievable. I found this laugh out loud funny. I tend to read mysteries/thrillers or women's lit and I've clearly been missing out on humor.

This is the perfect light read, a great distraction, and who can't benefit from some laughter?

Thank you Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A story that is not only about disconnecting from the internet/online but also a journey to find balance in life. I definitely laughed at some points while reading this but also felt like it had substance and wasn’t just a light hearted story. I definitely recommend picking this up if you get a chance.

From the opening lines describing a poo app, you know this guy is far too involved with his technology. It only gets worse before over stimulated Andy Bellows has to face the fact that backing away from the screen is really his only rational option. -But how does a media junky cope without Instagram, Twitter, TridAdvisor, and Facebook? Not well. Not well at all. The poor fellow is a total mess until he finds a fan to help him through. Does that mean a hundred fans will be better? Not by a long shot. I enjoyed this romp through the frustrations of Andy's withdrawal and all the benefits that eventually surfaced. Even his poo improved! Nick Spaulding has done an excellent job at putting us in the skin of someone into internet depths far past appropriate levels and the horror felt having to climb out.

This is my first Nick Spalding book. The plotline really intrigued me as I have quite a few times gone through the process of "online" burnout and had to take a break from social media. Nick writes with humour, the main character, a graphic designer lives as so many do from waking to fretfully sleeping - still using apps and keeping well plugged in. How many apps on your phone?

Waking and checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, emails and all before breakfast! Let's be honest a lot of people live like this right? Seeing couples over dinner with their smart phones in their hands, not saying a word to each other. It's gone all a bit mad. Nick's novel takes a character who really could be a lot of people I know and steps him into the unthinkable....logging off. Everything. Brave move.

I really enjoyed the book at the start but the humour quickly became really predictable and dare I say it somewhat "naff". I found the same with the storyline. It became very easy to know where it was heading which kind of removed that feeling of being hooked in, eager to see what came next. It is a VERY light-hearted read but I have read funny novels that do make me laugh out loud and this one didn't hit the mark.

I do like the plot concept overall, a message about what life is like when technology is put away and we have to interact with life and the world like in the olden days. Lots of positives there. With a smattering of romance, some eye-rolling unrealistic moments it was okay. One thing I did notice was a lot of small plot directions were not wrapped up, not followed up and as to what actually happened after the event. I could name a few but that would be spoilers.

It hasn't enticed me to read any of Nick's other novels despite the fact I do love a funny book. I know he has his fan base however. Three stars from me for Logging Off.

This book is absolutely in the British humor & satire category.
I was able to enjoy this one reading a chapter or a few chapters per day and get some good laughs from it.
Andy is a character that's sort of relatable he's addicted to technology for just about every aspect of his life. His use of apps in his everyday life is quite excessive, he gets into online feuds awaiting responses. He nueraticaly self diagnosed his medical systems by spiraling through online research. We all know what happens when you dive too deep and become your own online doctor, you find out you're going to die.
Andy attempts to live his life free of all of his devices. He starts calling restaurant to place food orders for take out instead of using a food app. Talking to people directly on a phone? Using a phone to have an actual conversation he's gone mad!

Andy's best friend Fergus is a journalist who writes about Andy's technology detox in the local paper.
It's an interesting story about how Andy deals with the detox and gives the reader perspective on unplugging from your devices and plugging into the real world.

A funny read and ironic due to the times we live in now. We practically live online even more so this was a nice and light read during dark times.

Absolutely loved it, laugh out loud, bellyaching. What food for thought though. I've even started noting what time I spend on-line - quite balanced I think!!

Andy Bellows is addicted to his cell phone, and his doctor recommends a total detox. Afraid he won't be able to stick to the plan on his own, Andy agrees to let his journalist friend chronicle his digital detox journey. The results are hilarious. In the middle of a blind date gone terribly wrong, Andy befriends a barista who also wants to disconnect from her phone. Spalding's tendency toward hyperbole keeps the story rolling along. Spot-on observations about what too much tech does to people, and a laugh-out-loud skewering of fake Instagram influencers. Very funny British fiction, with a generous sprinkling of f-bombs. (Netgalley review)

This might be one of the most hilarious books I have ever read - it had me crying laughing. For those of you who are into dry, British humor (sarcastic and cynical and full of pop-culture references) - you cannot pass this one up. Absolutely hysterical, while also hitting home an important point about modern society and our obsession with technology and social media. •

Any Bellows is your typical guy - mid-thirties and working as a successful graphic designer. While trying to land a job he is suddenly hit was a bizarre array of physical symptoms. These physical symptoms, combined with some psychological and mental struggles, lead him to seek the advice of his physician. Unfortunately, Dr. Hu (I told y’all it was funny), informs him that his symptoms reflect a common reaction due to overuse and obsession with technology and screens. The solution? A digital detox. •

Andy’s digital detox threatens to break him. As he gets rid of his cell phone, hundred of apps, online forums, and access to everything not required for work, he is an absolute mess. His daily struggles are relatable, hilarious, and sometimes cringe-worthy, as he tackles traveling without GPS, dating without the use of apps, and more. •

Andy’s journey is followed in the local papers and creates a following of admiring fans who all dream of “logging off”. As Andy recognizes the joys of living life unplugged and falls in love for the first time in years, he struggled with how to address his fans and is also met with the harsh reality that sometimes the world, our problems, and our answers are not black and white. •

this was a fun read, uplifting and humorous, and also made me think about my own social media addiction. I'm intrigued to read more from Spalding.

It might seem a bit of a strange choice to really enjoy a book about a digital detox at a time when most of us are using technology more than ever to keep in touch with family and friends, but this made me laugh so much that I couldn't help myself. Admittedly it took me a little bit to get into - but I'm blaming that on the poo-splosion incident near the start, which was too close to humiliation humour for me, but that's just me. Andy's adventures without his phone were funny and relatable, the secondary characters are great and  I thought the resolution was really clever.  It also reminds you not to take what you see on the internet too seriously as a model for your own life and will make you think about your own technology consumption - especially if you're reading it on a Kindle like I was - but in a good way not in a boring preachy way that will make you feel bad about it. I mean I work in a tech heavy and tech reliant job and I was definitely thinking "well at least I don't do that" rather than "uh oh, I have a problem" while I was reading it.

This is the second Nick Spalding book I've read - I read Bricking It back in December 2015 and that was a BotW as well as getting a mention in my books about renovations post.  I'm not to sure why it's taken me so long to read him again, because I really enjoyed that too. Four and a bit years ago, my main complaint with Bricking It (according to my Goodreads review)  was that the resolution was a bit too sudden, and this one doesn't have that problem. There is a definite dilemma that Nick is going through and it resolves itself in stages - and you don't really notice that it's doing it until you realise that it's done. Which is neat.

Thanks to #netgalley, #lakeunionpublishing , and #amazonpublishingUK for the opportunity to read this hilarious book.
Pub date April 23, 2020
If you've ever thought about disconnecting from all your electronic devices, you will get a kick out of this book. Andy is suffering from all kinds of physical problems and when his jaw freezes up during a presentation, he make appointment with his doctor. Diagnosis? Technology addiction! Treatment? No technology allowed for 60 days! I laughed out loud at he navigates life without his devices. Recommend!

“Life is about finding your balance. No matter how long it takes. No matter how hard it is to get there. And no matter how many duck ponds you have to drive into. Because you will get there, eventually. Trust me.” A quote from Andy Bellows, the main character in this very humorous novel about technology addiction. Andy is a graphic designer suffering from many kinds of maladies when his doctor suggests that it may be in Andy’s best interest to do a digital detox for 60 days. And here we have the premise for the story. When his best friend, Fergus, writes a newspaper article about Andy and his digital detox program, Andy suddenly gets quite a following. This includes a new love interest, Grace, a barista with her own coffee shop and a similar addiction to technology. Over the course of the story there are many interesting characters. The author, Nick Spaulding, has a very British form of wry humor, sometimes it gets over the top, but still had me laughing out loud! They say that laughter is the best medicine, and maybe with what we are all experiencing right now, this light-hearted novel is just what we need. This is my first novel by this author, but won’t be my last. Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of “Logging Off.”

A funny take on the pros and cons of giving up social media, "Logging Off" will make a great beach read this summer (or back garden, if we're still on Covid lockdown). I particularly enjoyed the nod to Oliver and Sam at Thorn Manor. Not my favourite Spalding novel but enjoyable enough and I do love his writing.