An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Erstes Rating (2019): 5 Sterne Zweites Rating (2023): 4 Sterne

Mir gefällt es, wie Medienkritk, Kritik an rechter Hetze und Scifi Elemente verbunden worden sind. Allerdings ist Hank Green dabei nicht wirklich subtil und ich wollte manchmal nur noch laut ausrufen, dass ich es verstanden habe. Jedoch muss ich auch zugeben, dass ich Greens Agenda beim ersten Lesen nicht so offensichtlich fand wie jetzt.

Die Handlung ist spannend, aber die Geschehnisse ereignen sich teilweise so schnell, dass ich öfter das Gefühl hatte, ein paar Seiten übersprungen zu haben.

Jetzt bin ich auf jeden Fall sehr auf den zweiten Band gespannt.

TW: biphobia, terrorism/bombing, gun violence, fire
4

When April May stumbles upon a sculpture, making a video of it with her friend doesn't seem like a life changing choice. But it turns out that her video, carelessly presenting the statue and naming it Carl, only stars one of many Carls, and was the first to document them after their sudden appearance. Rocketed into surprising fame winds up being surprisingly addicting, and April jumps to become the face of it all. But does she really know what that means?

I do this thing where I pick up books knowing maybe 5% of what it's about (usually because it's been long enough that I've just forgotten) and then refuse to look it up. So I had zero idea what I was getting into with this book, and that wound up being kind of the perfect way to read it!

I love bizarro fiction, and this definitely feels like it leans towards bizarro. Hank Green pulls out a lot of cool ideas, but also really throws the weight around making this inherently kind of silly and ridiculous concept immediately something that matters.

There's a good amount of tension in this story, as you wait to figure out where the mystery is going, or where all the ominous signs are leading, and Green plays it all well. But there's also a lot of humor, and that humor is mixed as well as the ridiculousness is with the high stakes.
This never became a super gripping story that I didn't want to put down, but it also never got boring or stopped being intriguing. I always had questions, and the plot never stopped moving.

Specifically, I love the idea of The Dream. I kind of wish the book were longer so we could spend more time with that concept alone. That's probably my favorite part of the book, but there are plenty of surprising updates to the mystery at hand that come completely out of the blue and are just plain fun to read about.

April May is a bit of a love hate for me. As a flawed protagonist, I love her. I actually like the way she's written a lot, and her glaring issues- I think she's a realistic, unexpected character. Yet, I cringed way too often reading her. I loved her, but man do I hate her choices. Some of that just goes hand in hand, but it also sometimes feels like a bit much.

Some parts of this story felt shaky to me. The vibe never quite got to the confident point I thought it would, and the constant referencing to the idea that we, the reader, know all of this already, got really tiring and annoying for me personally. I didn't hate that as a framing device, but it got used way too often.

I'm really curious about the second book! I don't think this is a showstopper of a novel, but it was definitely very fun and I can see some cool things coming out of the second one.

Review copy provided by publisher - review first posted at Curiosity Killed the Bookworm

Walking the streets of New York one night, April May stumbles upon a giant robot. She assumes it's an art installation, New York's like that, and calls her friend Andy to come make a video. She names the robot Carl. Little does she know that Carls have been appearing all over the world, and her video goes viral. Soon she's at the centre of a global mystery. Where did the Carls come from and what do they want?

I'm only aware of Hank Green because of his brother, John, and I have never watched any of their videos. However I can imagine a lot of what is in this book is based on their own experiences of internet fame. I was pleasantly surprised by An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, it's much more about fame than aliens.

April May's working an entry level job at a New York design firm when she discovers Carl. She's trying to keep connected to the creative life she wants, and being in New York feels like she is, even if she's struggling with low pay and long hours. She's not quite prepared for the whirlwind ahead and the strain it'll put on her relationships.

She maybe didn't start out seeking fame, but she craves the attention it gives her. She must be involved, guiding where the story about the Carls go. A puzzle inside an Wikipedia article, leads them to a whole world of puzzle that must be solved, hopefully to reveal the meaning of the Carls. April May is sure this is a sign that they want to be able to see if humans across the world can work together towards a common goal. However others believe they are not to be trusted.

The resulting online atmosphere is not unfamiliar, with polarising opinions getting out of hand and people crossing lines. April May has to deal with the online hate, but also the pressure to be ahead of the curve, to have new material all the time.

I just noticed there is a sequel planned. I'm not sure how I feel about that, as I like the briefness of the ending, but I enjoyed it enough that I'll probably end up reading it.

This was a fun read! And an unexpectedly poignant reflection on fame, especially in the era of social media.

Good, crisp writing on the back of a well-formed lead character, interspersed with good reflections on fame and the performative nature of the self. But it's the premise that was absolutely wonderful for me. And Hank Green has done an absolutely remarkable job with the world-building for the next book. (No, I'm not apologizing for that.)