An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: A Novel (The Carls, #1)

by Hank Green

Kristen Sieh (Narrator) and Hank Green (Narrator)

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

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.

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 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.

• ISBN10: 0525641785
• ISBN13: 9780525641780
• Publish Date: 25 September 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Penguin Audio
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (CD)
• Duration: 9 hours and 30 minutes
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780525641780

Reviews

[Marissa Lupe Author]

I highly enjoyed this alien invasion novel! Such a unique idea, fun writing, well developed characters, I can't wait to see what happens next!

[writehollydavis]

3.75/5 stars. This story went in a direction I did NOT see coming, which was really awesome. I loved Hank Green's writing style and prose, and there were so many laugh-out-loud conversations. For some reason, I didn't feel too attached to the characters. There was an emotional connection that I was missing. But anyways, I loved the twist and cliffhanger ending, even though it's evil for readers. ha ha

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

While I cannot quite say that I *liked* this book, I certainly did *appreciate* it. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is very well written and is easily the sort of book that will ensnare the reader.

April May discovers a mysterious statue on her late night trek home in New York City, and thinking it's a beautiful new art installation, she call her friend and the two make video and introduce the sculpture as "Carl". The next morning, April discovers that not only is Carl not quite an art installation, but there is a Carl in every major city in the world. Where did they all come from? What do they mean? And how in the world did April May manage to get in the middle of the whole event?

Between the question of the Carls and the elements of the Dream, there's a lot of interesting puzzles in this novel. It reminded me in parts of both Ready Player One and Sleeping Giants. The pacing is perfectly done and it manages to capture not only the fascinating parts of the genre, but also the rise to fame and how it affects an individual.

My only complaint about An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is entirely personal. There's nothing truly wrong with this book, and I think that the high rating is well-deserved. The only thing I didn't like was April May herself. April is a flawed character and a self-proclaimed horrible girlfriend... but it was her self-absorption and selfishness that made me dislike her. Again, this is nothing related to the way April was WRITTEN. She's written perfectly. I just didn't click with her. I'd like to hear this story from Maya's POV, and I would have enjoyed this story much more. But April made me cringe.

[luddite]

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.)

[sarahjay]

I am upset that this is over