An Absolutely Remarkable Thing - Hank Green

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

By Hank Green

  • Release Date: 2018-09-25
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 627 Ratings

Description

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 Greencocreator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, and SciShowspins 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.

Reviews

  • I hope they make this into a movie

    5
    By Yujitan
    Had a great time reading this book. It sure kept me on the edge.
  • Really hard to read right now.

    3
    By Toohey2
    It’s a very interesting concept. Unfortunately the January 6, 2021 attempted insurrection happened and this book is a little too prescient. Not sure how I feel about it.
  • Meh

    3
    By abearcub
    I finished about half and realized I could care less about what happened next so I moved on.
  • Amazing!!!

    5
    By Moshzinik
    This book, unsurprisingly, is amazing! I have followed the VlogBrothers (John & Hank Green) for years and have always loved John’s books and Hank’s smarticles. It somehow took TikTok for me to learn that Hank was an author now, too! And twice over at that. This books was such a delight. I bought it solely because it was written by Hank. I kept reading because it was such a refreshing voice from a queer, female character! Honestly, such an amazing novel and I can’t wait to read the next one.
  • 11/10

    5
    By alienelz
    I adore this book. I finished it in 2 days, which is something I haven’t managed to do since middle school. I just couldn’t put it down. the characters are beautifully flawed in a very human way, and they all stole my heart by the end. The plot is so comical but the way people handle things is so real. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. read it!
  • Amazing

    5
    By Ben324669
    One of the most addictive books I’ve ever picked up. Simultaneously entertaining and uplifting. A strangely perfect narrative for our divided world. You won’t regret reading this one.
  • Well Done

    5
    By gdub2019
    I don’t write many reviews, but this book was well executed on many levels. It’s a meditation on celebrity in the age of social media, but also on the polarizing pressure social media creates. Highly recommend.
  • ah hank

    5
    By tryhank
    If you've seen any vlog brothers vids, or John and Hank doing those teaching videos (I know I have seen John's history vids a number of times in class) you'll enjoy the experience. Apart from that, even if you have no idea what Hank's voice is like (or even if you haven't read a single John Green novel), if you have any ideas about the world and how it works (or how it doesn't), mental health specifically in the fields of social relations, this book is astounding. Of course the story alone is great. But getting to read the annoying quirks of humanity alongside the finality of its willingness to work together (because what are we if not solo creatures in a world branded to make us similar, and similar at the very core anyway) is just a great experience. The topic of the novel is great but it incorporates so many other "issues" to consider, and how many different people consider them and how they consider them differently, but somehow leading to the same conclusions on opposite sides of any spectrum. I would recommend this book to my girlfriend (who really only likes classics and poetry and sometimes quirky lesbian fics) and to my mother (who likes mysteries and political hububs.) There's something here for almost anyone. Even my dad who hasn't picked up so much as a comic book or a race-car magazine in over a decade would get a kick out it. I've never before felt so compelled to write a review.
  • This Book Lives Up to Its Name

    5
    By CarolineN28
    Never before have I encountered a work that is more relevant, well thought out, and important than this. Hank’s experience with fame, his quirky interests in chemistry and pop culture, his respect for people of all colors sexualities and nationalities comes together to make this masterpiece. It’s impossible to put down. It’s interesting and funny and thrilling and poignant in a way that I didn’t know was possible. This debut is awe inspiring. Cannot wait to see what he writes next. DFTBA
  • Thinking about this one for a while...

    5
    By Disneyson 1
    It will end and you will wish that the next part would come immediately. The mystery of Carl, the tender truth of being over your head and sucked into pleasure, the pros and pitfalls of obsession, and what that all does to the people we love and think we love. An amazing book that connects directly to the way we view human connection today, where we tend to be together, alone. And what that means when everything changes. Also, it’s hella funny. It’s a page-turner, and will almost inevitably be made into a movie! Get it nao.