Scan barcode
lisa_m's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was amazing! It is sci-fi which is not something I usually love but what made this book so special is the humanity of it. The story - even though abstract and weird - is told in a way that makes me believe it. It reads like a kind of autobiography with an unreliable narrator. Throughout the book it gets hinted that the narrator is actually dead which is confusing but also we only know as much as the people knew at that point in the story.
This book also made me extremely angry. Hank Green manages to capture pure humanity and the basic human flaws in such a magnificently realistic way. He manages to name things that have always bothered me and the reactions of the characters to this crazy situation is absolutely realistic. I don't doubt for a second that if this would have been reality it could have been exactly like this.
Also our protagonist is extremely flawed. Still we root for her because she is our way into the story. She is the one that tells us about it but still she is pretty crappy sometimes and even aware if that.
I love this book so much. And since the last few books I've read were all spectacular in their own way I fear those words may sound hollow - but they are nevertheless true. This was captivating, interesting, realistic and so so humbling.
And also the cliffhanger in the end makes me scream!! I am so glad the sequel is out already because otherwise I may have hated this book purely because of this.
This book also made me extremely angry. Hank Green manages to capture pure humanity and the basic human flaws in such a magnificently realistic way. He manages to name things that have always bothered me and the reactions of the characters to this crazy situation is absolutely realistic. I don't doubt for a second that if this would have been reality it could have been exactly like this.
Also our protagonist is extremely flawed. Still we root for her because she is our way into the story. She is the one that tells us about it but still she is pretty crappy sometimes and even aware if that.
I love this book so much. And since the last few books I've read were all spectacular in their own way I fear those words may sound hollow - but they are nevertheless true. This was captivating, interesting, realistic and so so humbling.
And also the cliffhanger in the end makes me scream!! I am so glad the sequel is out already because otherwise I may have hated this book purely because of this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Biphobia, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Death, Medical content, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder
the_escapist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Medical trauma, Violence, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Xenophobia, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Stalking
Minor: Biphobia and Police brutality
calamitywindpetal's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Cursing, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Outing and Biphobia
Minor: Sexism, Xenophobia, Racism, and Gun violence
balfies's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
4.5
Thought I didn't like scifi, but it turns out I really like first contact stories!
This is a really fun, funny, gripping read from YouTube science dad Hank Green, which explores first contact through the lens of its impacts on people: themes include the all consuming and uncontrollable nature of fame, becoming someone whose brand is expressing hope for humanity, and the ways we dehumanise ourselves as individuals in efforts to humanise a collective experience.
Also contains Carly Rae Jepsen lyrics, so truly the perfect fun read.
This is a really fun, funny, gripping read from YouTube science dad Hank Green, which explores first contact through the lens of its impacts on people: themes include the all consuming and uncontrollable nature of fame, becoming someone whose brand is expressing hope for humanity, and the ways we dehumanise ourselves as individuals in efforts to humanise a collective experience.
Also contains Carly Rae Jepsen lyrics, so truly the perfect fun read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Medical content
Minor: Gore
mrswhiteinthelibrary's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Hank Green managed to write a spot-on satire of the Covid-19 pandemic several years before it happened, pinpointing the source of our intense division and the misery of being more connected than ever but ever more alone... And he did it without it being a pretentious slog, in a book with mechas, puzzles, and a true sense of wonder. While some aspects of it may grate (the sometimes overly twee dialogue that his brother also seems to love to employ) his use of specific details and his deeply flawed heroine keep this book grounded and the pages fly by. Bravo all around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Death, Cursing, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death
Minor: Xenophobia and Homophobia
Hank Green managed to write a spot-on satire of the Covid-19 pandemic several years before it happened, pinpointing the source of our intense division and the misery of being more connected than ever but ever more alone... And he did it without it being a pretentious slog, in a book with mechas, puzzles, and a true sense of wonder. While some aspects of it may grate (the sometimes overly twee dialogue that his brother also seems to love to employ) his use of specific details and his deeply flawed heroine keep this book grounded and the pages fly by. Bravo all around.gabbyblayden's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am blown away by how much I enjoyed this book. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before (I’m not normally a sci-fi reader). Twitter and human emotions are right up my alley, but the aliens and Dream Sequence code added a spin to my reading that I couldn’t get enough of.
While I found the writing a bit clunky at times, the plot was meticulously thought out and researched, and Hank totally nailed April as a narrator. Who knew the science brother could also be an amazing writer?!
Pretty psyched to read the sequel!
While I found the writing a bit clunky at times, the plot was meticulously thought out and researched, and Hank totally nailed April as a narrator. Who knew the science brother could also be an amazing writer?!
Pretty psyched to read the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Xenophobia
Minor: Gore
bidoofenergy's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Xenophobia
Moderate: Biphobia and Homophobia
therainbowshelf's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.0
This is a quirky one! It was fun seeing all of the crowdsourcing that powers the Carls mystery. That is a very fun element of this read. The social and political commentary is also interesting as opposing groups form to challenge the Carl situation. I didn't like April very much, sadly. She seemed like someone wasn't sure what 20 year olds are like and used YouTube and Instagram to research
📘The Gist 📘: April May is down on her luck until she and her friends make a video about a mysterious art instillation in New York. She becomes a quick success after that, and is embroiled in an international crowdsourcing puzzle and incident.
📒Representation📒: bi mc, bipoc mc
💕 For readers looking for 💕: a quirky read, crowdsourcing, social media, social commentary, aliens, giant robots, shared dreams
📘The Gist 📘: April May is down on her luck until she and her friends make a video about a mysterious art instillation in New York. She becomes a quick success after that, and is embroiled in an international crowdsourcing puzzle and incident.
📒Representation📒: bi mc, bipoc mc
💕 For readers looking for 💕: a quirky read, crowdsourcing, social media, social commentary, aliens, giant robots, shared dreams
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Murder, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Terrorismtheirgracegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Biphobia, Outing, Xenophobia, Bullying, and Violence
Minor: Gun violence, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, and Racism
The main charactersim1blanket's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Biphobia, and Xenophobia