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A review by kayciedoom
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
3.0
The beginning of this book did not have a promising start for me, and I almost put it down, but I was convinced by a friend to give it another try. I picked up where I left off, and at that point I became hooked into the story.
This book ended up being an intriguing read, especially once the main antagonistic force came into the picture. I liked the mystery aspects of the plot, and I ended up liking that the main character was flawed (though more on that later), and how she dealt with fame and became increasingly more addicted to it. I thought all the main conflicts felt pretty relevant to modern-day times.
April May, our protagonist, was the most compelling character for me. I believe she was not meant to be a likable character, but at least her decisions directly drove and impacted the plot, rather than the plot happening TO an empty shell or a "reader insert" character. However, I think April would have been a more compelling character if she had a more clear motivation for fame and fortune. We are told that she comes from a well-off and privileged family who supports her ambition to become a graphic designer, but she has a decent amount of student loans. She is snarky and competitive, but that's just the way she is. But why? Beyond greed and hubris and spite, what drove her actions in the story? Her motivations seemed unclear at times. What if she had come from a more modest background, and she found this viral video as a compelling way to make money, which helped drive her decision making (beyond being just a reason she decided to do the first TV interview)? What if she got a bunch of money but was irresponsible with it? And why the desire for attention and fame? What if, instead of being a "normal person", she had tried to have an online presence but was continuously frustrated that no one was interested in/paying attention to her? So a little more background on her motivation might have been nice to have, rather than April just constantly admitting she messed up because she always messes up.
Apart from April, I didn't really care for any of the characters, who were really used more as set pieces + plot devices. I also thought their voices weren't very distinct - most of them spoke in the same inflections and mannerisms.
The plot was pretty compelling, especially the puzzle aspects of figuring out the mysteries of the Carls. The book is set up like a series of vignettes chronicling the discovery and time the Carls are present, which I thought was a fairly effective format. My issues with the plot involved a lot of ideas that were introduced, but they ultimately didn't pan out or matter to the story (such aspretty much EVERYONE being in love with/attracted to April, April's brother's wedding, April sleeping with Miranda, April being a graphic designer, etc. ).
I'm not sure how I feel about the ending yet.It felt somewhat fitting, very Icarus-esque, how she figuratively flew too close to the sun, and literally fell and burned, seemingly to death? I guess we don't know yet, it DID end on a bit of a cliffhanger.
In any case, I thought the book was OK, and its strongest points were in its ideas and themes about social media and the impacts of fame and influence. I'm glad I gave it a second chance, but I'm not sure if I will read the sequel.
This book ended up being an intriguing read, especially once the main antagonistic force came into the picture. I liked the mystery aspects of the plot, and I ended up liking that the main character was flawed (though more on that later), and how she dealt with fame and became increasingly more addicted to it. I thought all the main conflicts felt pretty relevant to modern-day times.
April May, our protagonist, was the most compelling character for me. I believe she was not meant to be a likable character, but at least her decisions directly drove and impacted the plot, rather than the plot happening TO an empty shell or a "reader insert" character. However, I think April would have been a more compelling character if she had a more clear motivation for fame and fortune. We are told that she comes from a well-off and privileged family who supports her ambition to become a graphic designer, but she has a decent amount of student loans. She is snarky and competitive, but that's just the way she is. But why? Beyond greed and hubris and spite, what drove her actions in the story? Her motivations seemed unclear at times. What if she had come from a more modest background, and she found this viral video as a compelling way to make money, which helped drive her decision making (beyond being just a reason she decided to do the first TV interview)? What if she got a bunch of money but was irresponsible with it? And why the desire for attention and fame? What if, instead of being a "normal person", she had tried to have an online presence but was continuously frustrated that no one was interested in/paying attention to her? So a little more background on her motivation might have been nice to have, rather than April just constantly admitting she messed up because she always messes up.
Apart from April, I didn't really care for any of the characters, who were really used more as set pieces + plot devices. I also thought their voices weren't very distinct - most of them spoke in the same inflections and mannerisms.
The plot was pretty compelling, especially the puzzle aspects of figuring out the mysteries of the Carls. The book is set up like a series of vignettes chronicling the discovery and time the Carls are present, which I thought was a fairly effective format. My issues with the plot involved a lot of ideas that were introduced, but they ultimately didn't pan out or matter to the story (such as
I'm not sure how I feel about the ending yet.
In any case, I thought the book was OK, and its strongest points were in its ideas and themes about social media and the impacts of fame and influence. I'm glad I gave it a second chance, but I'm not sure if I will read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence