An Absolutely Remarkable Thing - Read The Book

I am a stubborn person.  No one can tell me what to do or what to read - even when I know the suggestions will be "good for me".  This is why I have the second piece of pie.  This is why I play games instead of exercising.  This is also why Hank Green's debut novel,
 "An Absolutely Remarkable Thing" sat on my bed stand for over a month before I picked it up.

That, and the fear that the book would not be as good as I truly hoped it would be, kept me from reading the first line.

I read the book.


An absolutely remarkable thing happened to young graphic designer, April May, on her way home from work at 2 a.m.  She "discovered" a huge sculpture.  She called her best friend, Andy, to come over and make a video.  Within 24 hours, her life and all life on earth was changed. Well, a huge number of people's lives were changed,

The book was every bit as good as I hoped it would be and MORE! Read it.

Is this book about the identical robot-like sculptures that appear all around the world?  OR is it about the evolution of April May and Andy Skampt from art nerds into social media darlings?  OR is it about making money, lots and lots of money?  Or is it about how fame, money, stubbornness, the need to control, and the sudden acquisition of power can change a person? OR - big OR here - is it about how easy our communications technology makes it to vilify and inflame huge numbers of people based on what they believe and/or applaud?  Or is it about something else entirely?  Read the book.

The robot, April and Andy name it Carl, scares and delights people.  The world wants to know more.  April and Andy become media superstars. They share videos.  They get a  manager.  They rake in the money. April May consults a young scientist about Carl's weird qualities.  Read the book.  The scientist makes some suggestions.  Another person self publishes a book about the dangers of Carl.  A social media battle ensues.  Then there are the puzzles, lots of puzzles, starting with a song that plays in the background of Carl videos.  And misspellings on a Wikipedia page.  And dreams. And danger.

And relationships are formed and firebombed and people change and stay who they are. I'm not sure if good triumphs over evil.  Read the book.

I can not tell you more.  The book is exciting and twisted and thought provoking.  But it has so much going on in it that trying to recall it is like trying to recall a dream or the words to a song you heard once or twice in high school.  You have to      Read.   The   Book. 

And then, read the book, again.