An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: A Novel

Written by:
Hank Green
Narrated by:
Hank Green , Kristen Sieh

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
56
Narrator
25
Release Date
September 2018
Duration
9 hours 26 minutes
Summary
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.
Reviews
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Anonymous

so incredibly good

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Storri G.

Amazing!! Such a good read and audiobook. April is an enneagram type 3 so this is perfect for type 3’s! It was entertaining, fun, political, eye-opening, and a GREAT commentary on social media, influencers/celebrities, and media in general. Can’t wait to read the next one!

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Alyssa P.

Interesting story that is very relevant to the current use and nature of social media and internet fame. Really enjoyed the sci-fi aspect of this book. It was intriguing to witness the main character develop, as well as analyze her relationships to herself, others, the world, and the universe. Narrator was superb and brought the characters to life, especially April.

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Joan M.

Loved the narration in particular!

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Anonymous

Loved it! Very immersive. After a few hours of listening I almost forgot the Earth I lived in had not yet made first contact and I found myself genuinely thinking of what action we as humanity should take next.

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Ranger H Fox

An Absolutely Remarkable book. Great narrator, who put tons of life into April May. Speaking of April May, what a great and deep character. 10/10

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Anonymous

What an interesting story. A lot of left-leaning ideology but a good and weird story nonetheless. Thoroughly enjoyed the narrator. She did a great job.

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A.D. Lee

very cleverly written

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Ana V.

THE NARRATOR. Omg. Sooo goood.

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McKenzie Bottoms

Great narrator

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Molly G.

It was an easy, light listen. Somewhat of a teenage book. Imaginative and fun. I will probably listen to it again in the future.

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