Publishers Weekly
07/09/2018
The younger Vlogbrother (John Green is the other) draws on his passion for science and his experience as a “Tier 3” celebrity (“You’ll probably trend on Twitter if you die”) for a comic debut that combines science fiction and mystery with philosophical musings about the perils of internet fame. His main character, the unfortunately named April May, is a recent art-school grad who happens upon a 10-foot-tall robotic sculpture in the darkened streets of Lower Manhattan. Entranced, she summons Andy, a classmate with a video camera, and the two introduce the figure they dub Carl to the world via YouTube. April May becomes a celebrity but soon discovers that dozens of Carls have appeared in cities across the globe. As she and her friends search for an explanation, she struggles with her newfound addiction to fame and the damage it causes to her most important relationships. April May’s narration, which doesn’t fully work, is both self-effacing and contradictory: she bemoans how much she enjoys fame while cynically crafting a message stressing community, which she determines will best resonate with her fans, thus growing her fame. Though the ending is disappointing (it appears to be setting up a sequel), fans of Green’s YouTube channel will find his humor and perceptiveness intact in this novel. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a thrilling journey that takes a hard look at the power of fame and our willingness to separate a person from the brand. Green manages to blend humor, mystery and science fiction in his fast-paced debut novel.”
—Associated Press
“A deceptively romp-y novel about mysterious samurai alien robot statues appearing all at once, everywhere that has hidden and absolutely remarkable depths....Green's understanding of the power and limits of social media is incomparable; what Douglas Coupland did for the elation and misery of the tech-bubble with Microserfs, Green does for YouTubers and other social media stars. It makes for a novel that's always charming, always fast-paced, but which is sneakily and uncomfortably ambivalent about the things it celebrates. It gallops to a startling and great ending (I read it all in one sitting) and lingers afterwards.”
—Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing
“[An Absolutely Remarkable Thing] is perhaps as honest a look as we will ever get into the phenomenon of cyberfame, and Green balances this careful introspection with a plotline that is both fun and mysterious, puzzling and compelling… Green quickly proves himself adept not only at playing into our 2018 anxiety and love/hate relationship with social media, but also at driving suspense, world-building and a true love for science fiction.”
—Bookreporter
“With this comic story about the ugly side of Internet fame, Green gives his brother...a run for his money.”
—People
“[Green] applies wit, affection, and cultural intelligence to a comic sci-fi novel....A fun, contemporary adventure that cares about who we are as humans, especially when faced with remarkable events.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Led by an earnestly flawed, bisexual heroine with direction and commitment issues, coupled with an abundant generosity of spirit, this read is timely and sorely needed. Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal (starred review), Fall 2018 Best Debut Novels
“Green makes an entertaining book debut in this fast-paced, witty first contact novel…At once funny, exciting, and a tad terrifying, this exploration of aliens and social media culture is bound to have wide appeal to readers interested in either theme.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“A captivating debut from a talented new novelist.”
—Bustle
“A quirky millennial mix of sci-fi alien mystery, celebrity and social media commentary.”
–Family Circle
“Hank Green, super-vlogger and brother to YA legend John, pens the heart-warmer An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.”
—Cosmopolitan
“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
“It’s not in the nature of a sci-fi comedy blockbuster to shift boulders in your soul. But with his debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, Hank Green pulls it off....There are still a few exceptionally remarkable things that rise above the rest of their absolutely remarkable peers. In the pages of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, April’s discovery of New York Carl is one of these exceptions; in the real world, Green’s debut deserves to be another. [It] delivers unexpected delights and pathos…you will feel smarter and more complete for having read it.”
—Paste Magazine, 12 Best Novels of 2018
“Green’s debut novel is an adventurous romp that combines science fiction and interpersonal drama to explore identity, relationships, a polarized world and the influence of media and popular opinion. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a fun, fast read that invites readers to contemplate their position in the modern world.”
—BookPage
“An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is an extremely fun read. At every turn, you’ll be dying to know what happens next.”
—Hello Giggles
“Packed with meditations on the nature of celebrity, social media, and the cultural response to the unknown.”
—Harper's Bazaar
“The genius of Hank Green's book lies in the way he skillfully mixes such a variety of topics and messages and melds them brilliantly into a gem of a first novel.”
—News Tribune
“Both thought-provoking and entertaining… a laugh-out-loud, fast-paced story that is just plain fun to read.”
—Shelf Awareness
“Existential questions born of online stardom figure prominently in Mr. Green’s debut novel.”
—Wall Street Journal
“Surprises in its willingness to delve into the unknown and the unknowable, exploring how modern internet fame twists and chops reality and peoples’ lives via the story of twenty-something April May.”
—B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
“[A] smashing, fantastical debut... Step aside, John Green—it's time for Hank to take over the literary world.”
—PopSugar, Best Books 2018
“You're about to meet somebody named April May who you're immediately going to want to be best friends with. And bonus, she spends all her time having incredible adventures with giant robots and dream puzzles and accidental Internet fame. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is pure book-joy.”
—Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians Trilogy
“Fun and full of truth. To be honest, I'm a little irritated at how good the book is. I don't need this kind of competition.”
—Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kingkiller Chronicle
“This is the book my teen self would have loved, and my adult self immediately obsessed over. I turned the pages of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing so quickly the pads of my thumbs were worn smooth by the time I finished it. It provokes the mind, tickles the spirit, and April May is the terribly relevant young protagonist we've been waiting for.”
—Ashley C. Ford, writer
“Funny, thrilling, and an absolute blast to read. I knew Hank would be good at this, but I didn't know he would be this good on the first try.”
—John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author and Hugo Award winner
“By turns joyful, devastating, personal, zeitgeisty, modern, classic, fast-paced, and thoughtful, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing blew me away with its fresh take on first contact in this fragile, ever-connected world we live in. Quick but never shallow, it will stand as a snapshot of an era as well as just a darn good read.”
—Catherynne M. Valente, author of The Refrigerator Monologues and Space Opera
“Hank Green hasn't just written a great mystery adventure (though he has), and he hasn't just written the most interesting meditation on the internet and fame I've ever seen (but he did that too), Hank has written a book in which the page-turning story and the fascinating ideas inform and support each other. This book expands your mind while taking you on a hell of a ride.”
—Joseph Fink, author of Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn't Dead
OCTOBER 2018 - AudioFile
In his first novel, Hank Green proves his writing gift is equal to his vlogger fame. Kristen Sieh’s breezy narration fits the fast pacing of the story and the quick wit of self-absorbed, acerbic April May. Life changes (and so does Sieh’s adept portrayal) when April May discovers that a ten-foot-tall statue has suddenly appeared on a Manhattan sidewalk. A YouTube video of the statue she names Carl rockets April May into celebrity. Sieh marks her growing addiction to the limelight. Soon, April May’s character deepens as she becomes the center of a mystery about the alien origin of 64 mysterious Carls all over the world. Ultimately, she must choose between fame and her humanity. Green himself delivers the surprising final chapter. Though marketed as an adult novel, this also has great YA appeal. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2019 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2018-06-18
A young graphic artist inspires worldwide hysteria when she accidentally makes first contact with an alien.Famous multimedia wunderkind Green is brother to that John Green, so no pressure or anything on his debut novel. Luckily, he applies wit, affection, and cultural intelligence to a comic sci-fi novel suitable for adults and mature teens. It's endearing how fully he occupies his narrator, a 20-something bi artist named April May who is wasting her youth slaving at a Manhattan startup. On her way home late one night, April encounters an armored humanoid figure, which turns out to be alien in nature—"And I don't mean alien like ‘weird,' " she says. She phones her videographer friend Andy Skampt, who posts on YouTube a funny introduction to the robot she dubs Carl. April's life is turned upside down when the video goes massively viral and immovable Carls appear in cities around the world. After they discover a complex riddle involving the Queen song "Don't Stop Me Now," the mystery becomes a quest for April; Andy; April's roommate/kind-of-sort-of girlfriend, Maya; a scientist named Miranda; and April's new assistant, Robin, to figure out what the Carls are doing here. "None of us older than twenty-five years old, cruising down Santa Monica Boulevard, planning our press strategy for the announcement of First Contact with a space alien," says April. April and her friends are amiable goofballs and drawn genuinely for their age and time. Meanwhile, the story bobs along on adolescent humor and otherworldly phenomena seeded with very real threats, not least among them a professional hater named Peter Petrawicki and his feral followers. Green is clearly interested in how social media moves the needle on our culture, and he uses April's fame, choices, and moral quandaries to reflect on the rending of social fabric. Fortunately, this entertaining ride isn't over yet, as a cliffhanger ending makes clear.A fun, contemporary adventure that cares about who we are as humans, especially when faced with remarkable events.
