Reviews with content warning for Confinement - An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

An absolutely remarkable book. Loved the plot, loved the writing style, couldn't stop once I started reading it. Five stars from me, without any reservations whatsoever. I hope the second book in the series is just as good!

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eamily's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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empathephant's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

So the first time I read this I ate it up. I was sick, it was like a two day read, and all I cared about was the plot and the mystery. At times I kind of rolled my eyes a little bit as I thought Hank was definitely using the book to insert some vlogbrothers-style essay musings on life, which, while interesting pulled me out of the story a little as the voice felt more like Hank than the narrator. But I liked it enough to immediately suggest it as a book I could read aloud to my husband.

In forcing myself to slow down and read it I realized that I never really bonded with the characters. April is kind of annoying as hell. She has "flaws", but they don't seem to get in her way nor does she ever grow past being an impulsive entitled asshole towards people she theoretically should care about. And while the cast is "diverse," they are all gorgeous, ridiculously smart/talented women. Which doesn't feel relatable to me. These people are becoming more and more famous and are literally never self-conscious? Never think about their bodies? Maybe I'm wrong and most women around me are shining beams of confidence in every moment, but...

All of that said, I'd still recommend this book. I think many of its flaws are ones that can easily be ascribed to a first time author who had a pretty quick avenue to getting published, and Hank has an amazing imagination and I can't wait to see him grow as an author. And even more importantly, this book is super timely in the questions it makes you ask yourself about society, politics, and the dynamics of healthy debate on the internet. The idea of

The Dream

was delightful, and I loved every moment I got to spend in it. I grew from reading the book despite not connecting with the characters, which to me says the ideas it contains are pretty smart.

(Also, I'm finding the second book a lot better in terms of character development, and it has a compelling story, so it's worth it to read this just to get to that.)

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amarchetta's review against another edition

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challenging funny hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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samchase112's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Starting off 2021 with an absolutely fantastic read! This was a fun, wild ride through the world of fame, social media, human connection, and some really weird sh*t. I had a great time reading this one, and was fully engrossed in the story the entire time. The plot is so creative, unique, and engaging, and because of that you really never know where the story is going to end up. I also loved the way this book talked so much about fame and the power of social media, and the effects both have on a person's psyche and relationships with the people around them. Hank Green was able to explore a lot of different aspects of fame and the media along with everything else happening in the book, and it's a testament to the story that he was able to fit so much in and I was never bored. I love a quotable book, and there were so many places I wanted to underline or make a note of that I now need to buy this book! I can't recommend this one enough, but I hope it's not an omen for what might happen in 2021...

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