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A review by empathephant
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
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 ofThe 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.)
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
(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.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, and Confinement
Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and Medical content
Minor: Homophobia and Toxic relationship
The final chapters contain some pretty graphic and intense descriptions of fire, kidnapping/imprisonment, attempted murder, and severe injury though at least the book does warn when it is going to discuss those things.