A review by claudiamacpherson
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

 I rarely read non-fiction—in fact, I always tease my dad because it’s the only genre he does read, and I think that’s a bit sad—but I knew from the first page that I would love this book. I haven’t picked up a John Green book since high school, and even then the only one I really liked was The Fault in Our Stars, but I kept hearing about this book (thanks, Booktok!) and had to check it out.

Picture this: I’m laying on a Puerto Rican beach reading this book and hoping that my sunglasses provide enough camouflage that the other beachgoers can’t see me crying. I’ve always been a crier, especially where books are concerned, but I didn’t expect a book of essays (nonfiction, at that!) to set me off, especially not the very first one. But that’s what happened when I read Green’s essay on “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein Carousel song-turned-Liverpool Football Club anthem (being a fan of the Reds myself). Other essays that stood out were the ones on humanity’s temporal range and sunsets (I love Green’s point that just because something is cliche or “basic” doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it!). My point is, you don’t have to be a nonfiction lover to enjoy this delightful book. 

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