Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor

I am simply blown away by the nuance and skill that Hank Green utilized in this story. I'm coming pretty quickly off of the first book, and in this one, every good thing about book one has been elevated. Though still fueled the existence of alien technology, the dystopia that Green crafts feels as though it could lurk around the bend in our very own future - he has written a very human story amid the battle of two alien forces.

What stands out the most to me about this story is the incredible way Hank develops his characters, for better and for worse. When you've read the narratives back to back (or close to that), the subtly with which the players in his story change throughout them is absolutely mind-blowing. Andy and April, in particular, were extraordinarily well done - there was never a moment when they seemed to have flipped suddenly into a different character. Their changes were the consequences of the choices that were made, both by them and for them.

Despite a grimness that seemed to coat the story, Green still manages to end the book on a hopeful note - you can feel his sincere love and care for humanity, both in the story and in real life, shining off of the pages. It is an excellent read - it preaches less than the first book, and simply invites you to feel, and reflect on what you're feeling. It's incredibly easy to picture yourself within his narrative, and I think that is precisely what he set out to do. Would highly recommend.

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-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

Loved the first book, and I loved the sequel!! A lot of my praise here is going to similar to my appreciation of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. Both books are truly of this time, of this exact moment in history. It’s really about what it means to be a human in this day, both what’s beautiful and terrible about that. Green touches on so many important issues like gun control, racism, and discovering your sexuality, all within the context of a fun, engaging story. But above all, Green focuses on two things. First, a discussion of power: who gets it, how they keep it, and what it means to use it. In our society, that’s mainly rich white dudes of course. Secondly, Green really dives into how the internet and social media have a huge impact on our lives, arguing that we live in these spaces. Yes, we’re citizens of the US, but we also can consider ourselves citizens of these online spaces. They’re where we connect with people; where we create art or content; where we spend hours of our day; where we make decisions about what we want to buy, where we want to travel, who we want to associate with. If we think of these social media spaces this way, should they be regulated and run like a country or like a company? How are those structures the same and how do they differ? So much to noodle on, but also, I just adore these characters and loved spending more time with them!

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