Hank Green

The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship -- like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor -- April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world -- everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires -- and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight. Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity, and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

A Novel

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

IF YOU CAME ACROSS AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING AT 3 A.M. IN NEW YORK CITY . . . WOULD YOU KEEP WALKING? OR DO THE ONE THING THAT WOULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER? **************** The Carls just appeared . . . While roaming the streets of New York City at 3 a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture she calls Carl. Delighted by its appearance - like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armour - April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. There are Carls in dozens of cities around the world - everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires - and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the centre of an international media spotlight. Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us . . . Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with how the social internet is changing fame and radicalisation; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration can follow a life in the public eye. ***************** 'A fun, contemporary adventure that cares about who we are as humans, especially when faced with remarkable events' Kirkus (starred review) 'Hank Green hasn't just written a great mystery adventure (though he has), and he hasn't just written the most interesting meditation on the internet and fame I've ever seen (but he did that too), Hank has written a book [that] expands your mind while taking you on a hell of a ride' Joseph Fink, author of Welcome to Night Vale 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is pure book joy' Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians Trilogy 'Fun and full of truth. To be honest, I'm a little irritated at how good the book is. I don't need this kind of competition' Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kingkiller Chronicles

Matthew Soeder

“I haven't slept since you called me. I feel like a small dog is eating my eyeballs from the inside!”

Hella

Maria

While I did find this book very repetitive with some of the concepts such as being the chosen one and making mistakes at every possible turn. I do think that this book was a good book and maybe in the future consider reading the second book. 

Chulandon leanday Bradley 

(3.75) Pretty nice book. Very nice characters and plot. Interesting concept. I just did not connect to the main character as much as I had hoped. Still a good book and will definitely read the next one.

Jordan

Monicap

Really cool to have a book with a bi main character.

I found the insights on internet fame, April and Andrew creating the April brand, April's "addiction" to the clout, and even the plot point on Jennifer Putnam asking April to represent herself as gay due to biphobia to all be really interesting.

The political allegory was a little lackluster to me. I guess because the defenders felt like a caricature but also not? Idk it was just kind of a sad reminder of how politically polarized reality is. Also the plot point of (view spoiler)[Jennifer Putnam representing both April and Pickwicky(? forgot his name) seemed really over-the-top (hide spoiler)]

Also, when I finished the book, I said aloud "That was a dirty little cliffhanger, Mr. Green." So. Got the next book on hold at the library.

Amira 

I'm not very good at explaining why and how I love the books, movies, shows or overall, the media I enjoy but I do know I enjoy them, and I enjoyed this thoroughly. I love books with a simple, conversational and cozy style of writing, like the narrator is your friend and they're going on some long-winded story that makes you feel a part of a conversation and not in the world of the story itself which is its own immersion. I think that is a way of being pulled into a story and I think hank green used this writing and narrative tool to further push the human-ness of the characters and story even if it has to do with alien sculptures and fame that dehumanizes you as much as it can. April May is annoying, irresponsible at times and an 'attention whore' (her words, not mine) but I enjoyed her none the less. she was human and being human is messy, she said things and at times, whether it be my lack of full understanding of the story or her being a person of immense fame who welcomed all the eyes on her and engaged with the audience constantly, I wasn't sure if what she was saying was something she fully believed or for the sake of her image. But that is the point and it made me, some girl reading the book, look at fame through not a new lense, I've had these thoughts and talked about it with friends, but it did put my thoughts into a book and hearing it from Hank green, who himself is an internet celebrity, was insightful to say the least. the characters were all interesting and though some felt a bit simple like Miranda, looking back on the story through some of its ideas about power that comes with being famous it did make me look at them in a new light, especially their relationship with April and what it also says about her as a person. I loved this book and I'm more than sure that I'll re-read this one day (or listen since I went about this through an audiobook, Kristen Sieh was amazing and brought the book to life!) with all the info I know and love it even more. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book! hoping my library lends me the audiobook as soon as possible. what an amazing debut by Hank green :)

Vicky  Nuñez 

Rating: 3.5 stars

This is a really difficult book to review since it's not what it seemed. I feel like the first part of the story is very sci-fi and it reminded me of Ready Player One. But the second half is not sci-fi at all. The book swerved from what I expected and became a very different thing. I'm still uncertain how I feel about it, I think I would have liked it better if it was a sci-fi book. But instead it's this story about fame and the internet and its consequences on people. 
I think if I had not expect it to be sci-fi from reading the plot, I would have enjoyed it more.
Strange book, but well written and entertaining.

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Sparkling with mystery, humor and the uncanny, this is a fun read. But beneath its effervescent tone, more complex themes are at play." --San Francisco Chronicle In his wildly entertaining debut novel, Hank Green--cocreator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, and SciShow--spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she's part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined. The Carls just appeared. Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship--like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor--April and her best friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world--from Beijing to Buenos Aires--and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight. Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us. Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring for the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye. The beginning of an exciting fiction career, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a bold and insightful novel of now.

chloe rae

I liked this just as much as I expected to! I love when that happens!
This was such an interesting book! I didn't know quite how sci-fi-y it would be, and how much it would be a statement on fame and social media and I feel like it was a lovely mixture of both. I thought when reading the first chapters that it would just be this continued monologue on fame but it was almost comical how the second I'd want something to happen with the robot plot, it would! Everything felt blended really nicely. The ending had me SHOOK. I wasn't expecting that at all and literally gasped out loud. Thank God there's another book coming so we can continue on with the story!
I really liked the characters, too. I loved April in the way that I loved that she was real and messy and awful and funny. Watching her deal with all this madness and try to adapt and change who she is, both the good and the bad, was great. I loved all of her friends: Andy and Miranda and Maya. I LOVED Robin; he deserves everything good in this world! I really hope we see more of him in the next book. Hank did such a good job of making us angry at April for how she treated her friends and loved ones, while also making us understand why. We got to see why she was wrong as SHE was realizing why she was wrong. And learning about fame and what it means to have an 'audience' was so fascinating and eye-opening. Truly a great read. I am SO EXCITED to pick up the next one once it's out!

isabella

*4.75/5*

can i get more books like this? please 
loved the human characters and loved the alien character.
i'm jumping into the second book just about now so byeee or bii(??)

This is the signed edition. Limited quantities are available.In his much-anticipated debut novel, Hank Green--cocreator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, and SciShow--spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she's part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined. The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship--like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor--April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world--everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires--and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight. Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity, and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us. Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring from the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye.

Denaiir

This was a highly original and well-written story, but I am not a huge fan of the crazy amount of social media commentary that was included. Of course I guess it's the whole point of the book, but I like books that could be read at any time and I feel like this one would not be relevant even 5 years from now. 

It was quite interesting to see how April May became more of a brand and spokeswoman than a person, and because she's looking back on past events, her commentary on her own attitude and position is quite enlightening. 

I thought the friends group were strong characters, with original personalities and I liked the way they all had a role to play in the interaction with the Carls.

The message of the book was a bit too repetitive sometimes: people should work together; 

I know that some people didn't like the ending but I thought it was quite entertaining and more interesting than the alternatives. And I think we are not done with April May's story (I'm going to start book 2 pretty soon).

Overall it was such an original and action-packed story that I really enjoyed the ride, even though the social commentary felt a little bit too flashy at times.

Sveinbjörn Pálsson

Maybe it’s the era. This science fiction rompee navigates the pitfalls of modernity quite well, but in interacting with our culture, climate and tech, the discomfort and nagging moralities of our age seep in, disturbing the escapism, taking the reader (me at least) out of the book and into our extremely online world.
I don’t think I want to read more fiction set in post-2016 reality any time soon, at least.

Lara Engle

Whaaa?! This book is truly absolutely remarkable. It explores deep ideas like the nature of relationships, our global interconnectedness as humans, the destructive and creative power of fame, the probability of alien life and contact, and the weakness of human nature. And it does it all in the accessible voice of a self-aware but self-involved 23-year-old woman. It's sometimes maddening and always compulsively page-turning. Read it.

I really enjoyed this book!! I’ll start with my one critique: I don’t love when male authors create female narrators for the book. It never feels quite authentic. That said - Hank Green did a pretty good job! 

This book reminded me of the movie “Don’t Look Up” - but more optimistic! It’s a very contemporary take on how us as a species would respond to aliens coming to earth. It’s funny, and honest, and you can really tell that Hank believes in humanity… even though we’re messy and unpredictable and divided. I loved it!

Harlee K

I really enjoyed this book!! I’ll start with my one critique: I don’t love when male authors create female narrators for the book. It never feels quite authentic. That said - Hank Green did a pretty good job! 

This book reminded me of the movie “Don’t Look Up” - but more optimistic! It’s a very contemporary take on how us as a species would respond to aliens coming to earth. It’s funny, and honest, and you can really tell that Hank believes in humanity… even though we’re messy and unpredictable and divided. I loved it!

“An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” tackles so much, from ideology to fame to the rage machine of online discourse, showcasing the beautiful and ugly sides of humanity.

It’s incredibly clear that Hank has an immensely powerful and unique perspective on all of the above, based on his lived experience, and he clearly has much he wants to say on the topic. This sometimes came through direct and heavy-handedly, in a way that came across as somewhat clunky or preachy, but likewise simultaneously candid.

I found some of the prose difficult to get into. Initially I found the main character a bit grating, though I now think that this is part of the point — April May is supposed to be kind of polarizing, and a bit of a mess, warts and all.

Undecided on whether I’ll read the sequel.

Ben Myers

“An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” tackles so much, from ideology to fame to the rage machine of online discourse, showcasing the beautiful and ugly sides of humanity.

It’s incredibly clear that Hank has an immensely powerful and unique perspective on all of the above, based on his lived experience, and he clearly has much he wants to say on the topic. This sometimes came through direct and heavy-handedly, in a way that came across as somewhat clunky or preachy, but likewise simultaneously candid.

I found some of the prose difficult to get into. Initially I found the main character a bit grating, though I now think that this is part of the point — April May is supposed to be kind of polarizing, and a bit of a mess, warts and all.

Undecided on whether I’ll read the sequel.

idk how to feel, i love hank green but this kinda fell flat for me, great concept but hated the main character, even though that was the point

gracyn neely

IF YOU CAME ACROSS AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING AT 3 A.M. IN NEW YORK CITY . . . WOULD YOU KEEP WALKING? OR DO THE ONE THING THAT WOULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER? **************** The Carls just appeared . . . While roaming the streets of New York City at 3 a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture she calls Carl. Delighted by its appearance - like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armour - April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. There are Carls in dozens of cities around the world - everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires - and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the centre of an international media spotlight. Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us . . . Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with how the social internet is changing fame and radicalisation; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration can follow a life in the public eye. *This edition includes beautifully designed endpapers and is definitely not one to miss out on* ***************** 'A fun, contemporary adventure that cares about who we are as humans, especially when faced with remarkable events' Kirkus (starred review) 'Hank Green hasn't just written a great mystery adventure (though he has), and he hasn't just written the most interesting meditation on the internet and fame I've ever seen (but he did that too), Hank has written a book [that] expands your mind while taking you on a hell of a ride' Joseph Fink, author of Welcome to Night Vale 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is pure book joy' Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians Trilogy 'Fun and full of truth. To be honest, I'm a little irritated at how good the book is. I don't need this kind of competition' Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kingkiller Chronicles

Isabella

charming, geeky, and a little bit messy. a quick read and a fairly enjoyable one too. i’m not quite sure what to feel about the writing style, but the way it tackles internet fame and its repercussions was interesting. 3/5

More about YouTube fame than aliens. That's great though, Hank Green is great at writing straightforwardly yet empathically about being a public persona. This is his wheelhouse and he knows the ins and outs and all the awful ways it can spin out of control. 

First impression was that I didn't like the narrative voice. It got so much better after there's been time to see who April is as a person. And she's much better when the plot arrives and it's not just talking about herself with as much quirk as possible. Once you're in it, she's working hard, traveling down a compelling story, and trying her absolute best to make the world slightly better. I love that

The positioning of the narrative voice is from some point in the future, probably when April is much older reflecting on her 23 year old self. (I want people to understand this before complaining that a 23 year old wouldn't know or think the things that April knows as narrator.) Personally, I think this implicit frame worked well here, because it allowed space for Hank Green's digressions, which were honestly really insightful.

In some ways, it reminded me of the good (or at least not terrible) parts of Neal Stephenson's Fall--they both have some genuinely interesting things to say about how online extremism develops and how it's catalyzed in the context of social media.

Don't read for the aliens. They're not exactly there yet. Maybe the next book (update: yes! Definitely in the next book).... Which I did want to read immediately after I finished.

Boothby

More about YouTube fame than aliens. That's great though, Hank Green is great at writing straightforwardly yet empathically about being a public persona. This is his wheelhouse and he knows the ins and outs and all the awful ways it can spin out of control. 

First impression was that I didn't like the narrative voice. It got so much better after there's been time to see who April is as a person. And she's much better when the plot arrives and it's not just talking about herself with as much quirk as possible. Once you're in it, she's working hard, traveling down a compelling story, and trying her absolute best to make the world slightly better. I love that

The positioning of the narrative voice is from some point in the future, probably when April is much older reflecting on her 23 year old self. (I want people to understand this before complaining that a 23 year old wouldn't know or think the things that April knows as narrator.) Personally, I think this implicit frame worked well here, because it allowed space for Hank Green's digressions, which were honestly really insightful.

In some ways, it reminded me of the good (or at least not terrible) parts of Neal Stephenson's Fall--they both have some genuinely interesting things to say about how online extremism develops and how it's catalyzed in the context of social media.

Don't read for the aliens. They're not exactly there yet. Maybe the next book (update: yes! Definitely in the next book).... Which I did want to read immediately after I finished.

In his much-anticipated debut novel, Hank Green - co-creator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers and SciShow - spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she's part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined.The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship - like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor - April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world - everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires - and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight. Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity, and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring from the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye.

Lynn

I’ve never been a sci-fi girl, but the humanity the main character brings to this story had me clinging to the pages. The mystery combined with reading this book at the right age so I can completely put myself in April’s shoes made this a very enjoyable read. I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Katherine Yang

WHAT! don't you LOVe those occasional books that pull you out from a stretch of reading books that only go so far as to make you go “oh, this is interesting”, instead making you forget time as you devour the words and cover up the portions of the pages you aren't reading so you don't give the plot away for yourself but when you get to the next astounding/ridiculous/fascinating thing you throw your hands up in exhilaration and shift into another reading position so you can flip pages more easily. It has been. A While.

I've been following the vlogbrothers and the nerdfighter community for almost a decade now, so I was familiar with Hank and John Green before I read any of their books. I think that must make a significant difference. As a viewer and “fan”, I'm familiar with their (incredibly abundant) content. I know about topics they tend to discuss in their videos and social media, and more relevantly, I have a sense of their (or, I suppose, I should say Hank Green, in this specific context) experience with fandom and the particular ethos of the nerdfighter community. 

On the topic of the relationship between AART and nerdfighteria, the final humans–Carls simultaneous worldwide interaction made me think of, though on a much smaller scale, Ze Frank's Earth Sandwich, which galvanised people from literal opposite ends of the world to perform an act of human unity (and silliness), all through the existence and use of Frank's platform. Ze Frank was one of the earliest progenitors of YouTube vlog culture, and someone the Green brothers cite as highly influential to them. 

I suppose every fandom says this about itself, but people in the nerdfighter community often talk about the level of friendliness and civility in the vlogbrothers comments section, which, across YouTube, is not an area that generally promises particularly intelligent discussion. I think this happens, in part, because Green brothers do not pander and platitudinise like some vloggers, and they talk often and openly about all the weirdness of being, in Hank Green's words, Tier 3 celebrities. (Tier 3: “Working-Class Fame”. “You might still have to hustle to make a living, but your fame is your job.”) They talk about how they began on YouTube with the Brotherhood 2.0 project, which were daily life updates in video form from one Green brother to another and which happened primarily between them with perhaps a handful of regulars as an audience; then, it grew improbably into the behemoth it is today, with millions of viewers purely on vlogbrothers and I can't even imagine how many viewers/readers/people across all their combined works. 

The theme of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is wholly fascinating in the age of “celebrity” becoming almost a democratised thing. No longer is it an exclusively Hollywood phenomenon, a normal teenager vlogging in their bedroom can gain a following larger than some small countries. The fame and glory is widely accessible, and so is the pitfalls of people-as-brands. There is April May, "the snarky BFA grad", and there is April May, "the surprising, quirky, unassuming, but passionately intelligent speaker for the Carls". There are things that April May considers doing or saying but ultimately doesn't, because it's not what April May would do. There's a lot to dig into here. What is the point of “celebrity”? What does it mean to turn your life into consumable content and symbolism? What is the line between a personal identity and a branded entity? Less relevantly, but incredibly, to what extent should corporations be afforded the same rights as people are?

In a more surface-level way, being a fan of Hank Green's work means that I'm also more used to his voice, which is consistent with this (YA-specific) writing style that I know not everyone loves. What also comes through in the novel is his personality—specifically, the nerdiness. Inherent in the name of the community is, what I would argue, the core of nerdfighteria: the nerdiness—which is to say, the curiosity for the miraculous world and passion in the face of cynicism and apathy. 

This quote, from John Green:

[…] because nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it. Hank, when people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff.’ Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, ‘you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness’.”

Without revealing too much, here's a quote from AART that I think has a similar kind of spirit:

We don't generally look down at a human hand sliding over a keyboard or stroking a pet or punching buttons on a remote control and think, What a marvel! but it truly is. Humans have yet to create something so delicate and intricate as our own hands.

A large portion of this book centres around solving puzzles in the Dream, touching on cryptography, computer programming, languages, aviation, and more. Aside from that, abiding by the conventions of science fiction (a genre entirely down chemist and science communicator Hank Green's alley) the whole Carl situation means talking about materials science, biochemistry, and many more awesomely nerdy things, which he does, gladly. 

And finally, I would just like to say. It's not that I had any major doubts about this book or about Hank Green, because he is a very intelligent person who has accomplished many things because he wanted to, but this book was  genuinely so much better than I thought it would be. Suspense! Gripping narration! Flawed characters! Diversity!

A closing cherry from the acknowledgements:

I also want to thank every single person who every says, “You have to read this book!” to a friend. I don't care if it's this book; I just want people to remind each other how wonderful books are. Particularly, thanks to the people who work at bookstores who do that every day—professionals who can help you find books you will love and are, get this, even better at that than computer programs.

I am so looking forward to the sequel.

Alexa M

I don’t know what this was? All I know is April is the worst main character I’ve read in a long time and that’s the tea

Midori Kobayashi

i feel like 2 stars is me being generous and i know i am in the minority here but what the actual fvck was this book? maybe i just wasn't the target audience for this book but i couldn't relate to anything the main character did/said. their entire life might be falling apart and all they could care about was their youtube video or tweets? can't relate idk lol, just wasn't it for me. 

that being said,, will i "hate-read" the next book? you bet ;)

Thais Souza Passos

I didn’t like the book in general, sorry not sorry. I think the whole plot took to long, the story took a very long time to finally show something good, and in the end it wasn’t good. At all. Not to mention the attention seeker and dickish brat of a main character, and how the book kept repeating itself over and over and over again. Sorry, but this book didn’t work for me.

Rachel Kanyid

Grace Ashford

This book had be hook, line and sinker right from the start. I loved the casual, modern tone of the narration and how the story began planting seeds for themes relating to social issues such as feminism, mental health and the pressures of living in a digital age right from the start. 

April May is witty and infuriating. Passionate about not being a social media person (except Instagram) and determined not to be one of those people who cared about their online persona, until one day she is. Nobody, least of all April, could have imagined that a 3 am phone call to her mate Andy and an amateur YouTube video would see her going to bed as April the student and waking up as April May the monolith discoverer. 

As April navigates this new found stardom, as well as tries to get to the bottom of what exactly the Carl's are, she learns that you're only ever a couple of steps away from becoming that which you hate. The question remains, if you dedicate your life to becoming people's ideal version of you and if you continue to try and be the one with all the answers, how long until your collapse? 

The Carl's duology raises a lot of questions, opens the doors to philosophical discussions and explores complicated themes in a way that makes them not so complicated. This easy to understand sci-fi is a great read for all. Incredibly quotable, filled with opportunity for analysis and also just an all-round enjoyable story. 

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a book that will keep you guessing. You'll laugh, and cry and feel enraged. The narration throughout is one of my favourite aspects of this novel. April May is a character that I've needed in my life for years. This is a page turner, and one that I can't wait to come back to in a couple of years for a re-read. 

Just a couple of the themes explored throughout include: social media and it's influence on society, social injustice (racism, homophobia, bi-phobia, capitalism, sexism) and power and corruption.

Themes explored 
Social media and it's influence on society 

Social injustice, racism, homophobia, capitalism, sexism 

Power and corruption 

Notable quotes 

"I tried not to care about social media, and I really did prefer hanging out in art galleries to hanging out on Twitter. But I wasn't as disconnected as I made myself out to be. Being annoyed by carefully crafted internet personas was a part of my carefully crafted internet persona." p 10-11

"it was like she wrote essays in her brain and then recited them verbatim. She once explained to me that she thought this was part of being Black in America." P 19 

"Every black person who spends time with a lot of white people eventually ends up being asked to speak for every black person," p 19 

"I never had any idea what to say when she talked about this stuff. I'm white and I was raised in a very white community." p 19 

"The power that each of us has over complete strangers to make them feel terrible and frightened and weak is amazing." p 23

"you hate it when money makes you do things, even when they're interesting things. And I get that, it sucks to have money push you around, and maybe you're a little less used to it than the average person." p 32

"…I thought about what I'd say if I someday got a soapbox. That income inequality is out of hand. That all people are pretty damn similar so it would be great if we stopped hating each other. That prison sentences for nonviolent crimes are dumb and that drug addiction is a health problem, not a crime problem." p 37 

"…they want to use what's happened to talk about the same things they talk about every day… almost all of these people were talking on the news for free. And they weren't doing it because they wanted to change the world, or because they wanted to do something interesting. They were doing it because it got their face and their name into the world." p 38 

"I had also developed a new and voracious interest in growing my number of twitter followers, which had become a fun game. My brain liked seeing the numbers go up." p 42 

"They tell you that power corrupts… they never tell you how quickly!" p 51 

"I was starting to feel a little bad, but I also wasn't going to give up on the freedom and power I'd felt." P 51

"Carl wasn't going to be news forever, I figured, so if we were going to transfer this into something that would last longer than that, we'd have to start differentiating ourselves. 
I figured we could maybe turn it into a show about art and design. I could do all the talking; Andy could make the camera work and do the editing. We could even bring Maya to help us write episodes and do illustration." p 52 

"people are complicated, but brands are simple." p 69 

"you can only do so much pretending before you become the thing you're pretending to be" p 71 (repeated throughout both books) 

"you're talking about yourself like you're a tool, but you're a person too. And an evolving one." p 79 

"It’s hard not to be immediately defensive when people challenge you on your sexuality no matter what it is." p 82 

"Is it that I'm greedy, or sex-crazed, or can't make up my mind, or I'm a lesbian but I cant admit it, or that I'm just doing it to get guys attention because they think its hot? And if not that, then… oh, by the way, my girlfriends bi too maybe we can [meaningful pause] hang out some time." p 82 

"…for her, it was easier to sell a quirky lesbian than a quirky bi girl, so I became a quirky lesbian for her." p 82 

"Just because you can't imagine something doesn't mean you can't do it." p 108

"beauty is an attribute defined by human nature and culture." p 120 

"the dream seemed to be a harmless call for people across this planet to work together" p 145 

"so instead of talking to any of the people who could have helped me at that moment, I went home and read blog posts about how I was awful, ugly and a traitor." p 169 

"when you get stuck fighting small battles, it makes you small." p 180 

"this is what rock stars feel like after their concerts… this is why they have after-parties with groupies and cocaine. You want to keep the high going, but you can't rock forever, I guess." p 200 

"not with your lifestyle" p 209 

"it took no time at all for me to be just as bad as Peter Petrawicki." p 214 

"I don’t think I actually felt any of those ways, but it seemed on-brand. Those seemed like the kinds of things April May would tweet." p 235 

"we are irrational beings, easy to manipulate if you're willing to do whatever it takes." p 235 

"but then I thought (for real), nah, April, save it for the camera. Gross.' p 239 

"Even on this most terrible of days, even when the worst of us are all we can think of, I am proud to be a human." p 275 

"my largest stream to date! Turns our broadcasting your own ongoing attempted murder is a great way to get views." p 316

"fame, after all, is but the sum of all the misunderstandings which gather about a new name." p 334 

"[it] wasn't that other people dehumanized her; it was that she dehumanized herself." p 336

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing A Novel

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