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jaevro's review against another edition
Spent a lot of time with this book and I feel it’s the kind of book that deserves a reread down the line. Lots of larger themes to revisit within the relatable characters and quips. Namely,
• The human experience is about being flawed, empathetic, and within the communities we create
• AI and social media are a forever looming threat for our modern world and change 1) the way our brains function & 2) the playing field for power concentration
• Humans love to feel valuable and to glean meaning from our lives, many ways to do this involve connecting with each other
I found myself relating to April in ways I didn’t expect, in all her impulsivity and sense of self-importance. I guess that makes me human.
I love Hank’s details that feel so full of life— the monkey, the potato, the books. The way the book suspends realities in these ways is unexpected and fun. His foundation with science and finance goes in wonderfully, making the world so much more immersive.
• The human experience is about being flawed, empathetic, and within the communities we create
• AI and social media are a forever looming threat for our modern world and change 1) the way our brains function & 2) the playing field for power concentration
• Humans love to feel valuable and to glean meaning from our lives, many ways to do this involve connecting with each other
I found myself relating to April in ways I didn’t expect, in all her impulsivity and sense of self-importance. I guess that makes me human.
I love Hank’s details that feel so full of life— the monkey, the potato, the books. The way the book suspends realities in these ways is unexpected and fun. His foundation with science and finance goes in wonderfully, making the world so much more immersive.
emilyb_chicago's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. Despite jumping in at almost the exact moment that the first book end, I found the ramp up for this one to be slightly slower. It was a complicated plot/premise that took what we knew in the first book and expanded it and turned it slightly sideways so we saw it differently. The story was again told through multiple viewpoints, but the seams weren't quite as perfect.
I tore through the second half of the book and enjoyed every moment of the wonky and complicated plot. This book expects a lot of you but you can easily enjoy the ride without "getting" every detail.
The audio version had a really nice epilogue by the author and very interesting conversation interpreting some of the things that Hank was trying to get across in the book. I think I liked the book more for listening to the interview.
I tore through the second half of the book and enjoyed every moment of the wonky and complicated plot. This book expects a lot of you but you can easily enjoy the ride without "getting" every detail.
The audio version had a really nice epilogue by the author and very interesting conversation interpreting some of the things that Hank was trying to get across in the book. I think I liked the book more for listening to the interview.
cissaschell's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I took over a year to finish it and I'm happy that I eventually finished reading. I like the characters, and I like how it is a fiction that talks about the real world, kinda makes me a little preoccupied that we will actually get controlled by Carl's brother and we won't even know.
a_schwa's review against another edition
3.0
I think this was a pretty good sequel to the first novel and provided a realistic look into the fallout of the actions of the first book while also being magical and fun.
qludwig's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think I liked this book even more than the first!
It took me a while to get into it because it had so many different storylines and it read so differently to the first book but once I got into it I really got into it!
I think it was very well written and very insightful in a lot of the points it was making while also telling a really good story. It’s thematic and slightly moralistic (as in it has something it wants to say) writing done properly!
So glad i finally took a chance on this series!
Also at about the 70-80% mark there is a YouTube URL written into the book. It’s definitely worth typing that into your search bar!!
It took me a while to get into it because it had so many different storylines and it read so differently to the first book but once I got into it I really got into it!
I think it was very well written and very insightful in a lot of the points it was making while also telling a really good story. It’s thematic and slightly moralistic (as in it has something it wants to say) writing done properly!
So glad i finally took a chance on this series!
Also at about the 70-80% mark there is a YouTube URL written into the book. It’s definitely worth typing that into your search bar!!
maylinmunoz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
adurance's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Great book! Very impressed with Hank Green.
livslib's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Well…lol. I have deeply mixed feelings about this book. There are a lot of pros and a lot of cons, but here’s the gist:
Pros:
Pros:
- I think Hank Green offers a very timely (very consumable) examination of VR and AI—though overly descriptive and belabored at times, I do think many of the conversations presented in this book are conversations that we should be having at the dinner table.
- I found his attempt to examine and relay Maya’s experience as a black woman to be quite refreshing. Although he missed the mark a couple of times, the effort is what matters to me as a black reader. Less than 0.02% of the books that I’ve read by white authors have even given their black character’s an identity beyond a name, and Hank Green pushed the envelope with thoughtfulness, tact, and willful ignorance, and by doing so, he has earned my respect.
Cons:
- This book does so much, but at the same time, does absolutely nothing. If it weren’t for the premise, I would’ve DNF’ed about 40% through the book. I think we can all agree that Book 1 was better than this one by great measure, but even Book 1 was “so close but not quite”.
- The switching back and forth between characters didn’t work because all of them sounded like Hank Green lol. No one (except MAYBE Carl) had a distinct voice.
- Where was the emotion? Where was the deep, existential fear for humanity? Maybe it’s just his matter-of-fact writing style, but I just didn’t feel moved even though the stakes were so high and felt so personal.
In short, I think Hank Green is a brilliant man (and dare I say, a craftier storyteller than his brother, John Green) but sometimes I just found it hard to enjoy his brilliant novel. Maybe novels just aren’t his thing (and that’s okay!) but I’m glad he gave this series to us anyways.
empheliath's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
halthemonarch's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor back to back, but I was able to pick up where the characters left off without even glancing at the previous book’s wikipedia. The characters are so memorable, and though at times they’re unlikable, they’re verily human and endearing to read about. Reading A Clockwork Orange— a book essentially about the consequence of stagnation— side by side with this one was giving me whiplash because here was essentially a book saying that even the worst of humanity should be allowed to govern themselves or should at least have the choice of not being governed by a single conglomerate.
We follow Miranda, Andy, Robyn, Maya, and a resurrected April May into a seemingly post-Carl world, but little do they know that calamity is coming for them in the shape of something very like Carl, but dedicated to see the human race subjugated. The characters are charming and real and aren’t afraid of the odd swear or royal overreaction. I loved that with the intervention of Carl, April was less of a hot mess and was able to let Maya love her. I loved that Andy tried to confront his feelings of rage and frustration with bringing down Altus, and that April was there for him. I loved that we got to see the point of view of the others because I remember things just from April’s view. I loved Miranda and how she came into her own, both professionally and trusting her friends. I loved the psychic books the Carl’s left for the ones they chose to carry out its mission to rescue humanity from their brother. I love how April was described (man,do I want to draw her!) post-accident. I wished there was a deep dive on Robyn, but c'est la vie.
The sci-fantasy of this book made me think of the Thunderhead trilogy, the questions it asked, and the implications of the ending. This book also made me think of Ready Player One, but A Beautifully Foolish Endeavors surpassed RP1 in my eyes. Not only was this book a look at what the birth of this kind of social-adjacent coded landscape could mean for the world economy, we are asked what it means to be a citizen of a nation. Do borders make a nation or do people? And are users as good as citizens within certain spaces of media like Amazon or Facebook? There was a short discussion at the end of the audiobook with Hank and Corey talking about these things and as much as I want to agree with Hank; that technology is equal parts thrilling and terrifying and that maybe we just need to slow down and take stock in how much of our souls we’re giving to The Almighty Internet, but another part of me is with Andy. Let me time travel to 2050 when this technology is already widely available, consequences be damned!
Jokes aside, I understand that caution will be invaluable when/if technology like this becomes widespread, and it would be ideal if it wasn’t a monopoly running unchecked in Sao Paulo or some situation equally damning.
edit: hold up, this WASN’T written during the pandemic? The science man might be a witch
We follow Miranda, Andy, Robyn, Maya, and a resurrected April May into a seemingly post-Carl world, but little do they know that calamity is coming for them in the shape of something very like Carl, but dedicated to see the human race subjugated. The characters are charming and real and aren’t afraid of the odd swear or royal overreaction. I loved that with the intervention of Carl, April was less of a hot mess and was able to let Maya love her. I loved that Andy tried to confront his feelings of rage and frustration with bringing down Altus, and that April was there for him. I loved that we got to see the point of view of the others because I remember things just from April’s view. I loved Miranda and how she came into her own, both professionally and trusting her friends. I loved the psychic books the Carl’s left for the ones they chose to carry out its mission to rescue humanity from their brother. I love how April was described (man,do I want to draw her!) post-accident. I wished there was a deep dive on Robyn, but c'est la vie.
The sci-fantasy of this book made me think of the Thunderhead trilogy, the questions it asked, and the implications of the ending. This book also made me think of Ready Player One, but A Beautifully Foolish Endeavors surpassed RP1 in my eyes. Not only was this book a look at what the birth of this kind of social-adjacent coded landscape could mean for the world economy, we are asked what it means to be a citizen of a nation. Do borders make a nation or do people? And are users as good as citizens within certain spaces of media like Amazon or Facebook? There was a short discussion at the end of the audiobook with Hank and Corey talking about these things and as much as I want to agree with Hank; that technology is equal parts thrilling and terrifying and that maybe we just need to slow down and take stock in how much of our souls we’re giving to The Almighty Internet, but another part of me is with Andy. Let me time travel to 2050 when this technology is already widely available, consequences be damned!
Jokes aside, I understand that caution will be invaluable when/if technology like this becomes widespread, and it would be ideal if it wasn’t a monopoly running unchecked in Sao Paulo or some situation equally damning.
edit: hold up, this WASN’T written during the pandemic? The science man might be a witch