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  • An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Hank Green
  • Narrated by: Kristen Sieh, Hank Green
  • Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (527 ratings)

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An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Written by: Hank Green
Narrated by: Kristen Sieh, Hank Green
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Publisher's Summary

The instant number-one New York Times best seller

In his much-anticipated debut novel, Hank Green - co-creator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, and SciShow - spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she's part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined.

The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., 23-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship - like a 10-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor - April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world - everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires - and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.

Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity, and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social Internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring from the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye.  

The beginning of an exciting fiction career, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a bold and insightful novel of now.

©2018 Hank Green (P)2018 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a thrilling journey that takes a hard look at the power of fame and our willingness to separate a person from the brand. Green manages to blend humor, mystery, and science-fiction in his fast-paced debut novel.” (Associated Press)

“A deceptively romp-y novel about mysterious samurai alien robot statues appearing all at once, everywhere that has hidden and absolutely remarkable depths.... Green's understanding of the power and limits of social media is incomparable; what Douglas Coupland did for the elation and misery of the tech-bubble with Microserfs, Green does for YouTubers and other social media stars. It makes for a novel that's always charming, always fast-paced, but which is sneakily and uncomfortably ambivalent about the things it celebrates. It gallops to a startling and great ending (I read it all in one sitting) and lingers afterwards.” (Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing)

“[An Absolutely Remarkable Thing] is perhaps as honest a look as we will ever get into the phenomenon of cyberfame, and Green balances this careful introspection with a plotline that is both fun and mysterious, puzzling, and compelling.... Green quickly proves himself adept not only at playing into our 2018 anxiety and love/hate relationship with social media, but also at driving suspense, world-building, and a true love for science-fiction.” (Bookreporter)

“Led by an earnestly flawed, bisexual heroine with direction and commitment issues, coupled with an abundant generosity of spirit, this read is timely and sorely needed. Highly recommended.” (Library Journal, starred review) 

What listeners say about An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

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enjoyed all elements

swept up in the story and enjoyed how current and accurate the social media was woven into the story. more?

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7 people found this helpful

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2+2 in fact = 4

The narration, by the primary narrator, is excellent. The setting of the dilemma is intriguing. 80's Music references feels...a little too Ready Player One. Descriptive writing was pleasant (The beginning when April May discovers Carl and describes him).

HOWEVER. The whole story was really hard to digest when the protagonist describes how she's going down a path of being a terrible person, then the reader is subjected to listen to her be a terrible person. Either show me you're a terrible person, or tell me you're a terrible person (I prefer the former but will accept the latter if it helps move other facets of the story along)- But don't do both! This story hits you over the head and then kicks you while you're down with the dangers of being a public figure in our modern world. I was hoping for more subtle social commentary- but I think my nose is still bleeding from the ham-fisted attempts of shoving all of the problems of the world down my face.
All in all, there are great bones in this story. The ending was...lacklustre and disappointing, I hope it can be resuscitated in a sequel.

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7 people found this helpful

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It is so good!

That was so good it deserves the time to rate it. And 15 words apparently.

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6 people found this helpful

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Not what I was expecting (in a good way)

I'm not going to lie. Once I was around chapter 6 or 7 I was wondering where this book was going and if it truly was for me (I am quite picky about my audiobooks). Boy am I glad I hung on. There are parts of the plot that are unpredictable and I never saw them coming. There are other parts to the plot that were very predictable because the characters are well writen and you can guess how they will react to things. I think this book is a facetious remark on modern culture and social media. I can see how some people would not have liked the ending if they didn't know this was a series with another book coming out, but knowing that I think the ending was a great cliff hanger for the next book. The presentation was decent. It wasn't one of those books where they try to do a different voice for every character, but every single character of the same sex sounds the same. Give it a try. If you like the sample you'll likely enjoy the whole thing.

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An Absolutely Remarkable Book

Incredibly poignant and relevant to the current social and political climate in both the western and global society. Hank's book takes a hard look at how we as a species participate in discourse and how the discourse we chose to engage in effects us. April May's journey through notoriety and fame is believable and heartfelt. It shows the difficulties in coping and making good decisions in the face of being rapidly propelled into the public eye. A great read. I will not so patiently await a sequel.

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5 people found this helpful

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A delight to be wrong

I thought that Hank Green would probably write a good novel, for a scientist. I was afraid that it would be a little thin, but I expected it to be a fun, pop culture read.

I'm so glad I was wrong.

Hank Green served me up a piece of literature so absurdly relevant and insightful that I can't believe I delayed in consuming it. Thanks Hank, sorry I quietly diminished my expectations of you to myself.

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4 people found this helpful

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absolutely remarkable book

I love this book and the story and narrator are so good I re-listen to it all the time.

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Cool Story

An unconventional story. It's certainly a timely and worthwhile examination of fame and social responsibility in the age of "influencers," but it doesn't get preachy or anything, and it's still a fun and entertaining story. The characters are likeable and relatable, and I found myself invested in the outcome of their wild adventure. Didn't really care that much for the sequel, but that's just me.

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AMAZING

Wow. This book is incredible. I found myself obsessed with listening and it totally consumed my mind. The performance is amazing and the book is very well written. I’m hooked. Immediately had to download the sequel.

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1 person found this helpful

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OH MY GOD IM HOOKED

This book is AH MAZE ING!!!!! im only about 5 chapters in and can honestly think about nothing other than fisnishing it right now.... like NOW!

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