An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
📘 About This Book
IF YOU CAME ACROSS AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING AT 3 A.M. IN NEW YORK CITY . . . WOULD YOU KEEP WALKING? OR DO THE ONE THING THAT WOULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER? **************** The Carls just appeared . . . While roaming the streets of New York City at 3 a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture she calls Carl. Delighted by its appearance - like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armour - 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. 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 centre of an 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 how the social internet is changing fame and radicalisation; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration can follow a life in the public eye. ***************** 'A fun, contemporary adventure that cares about who we are as humans, especially when faced with remarkable events' Kirkus (starred review) 'Hank Green hasn't just written a great mystery adventure (though he has), and he hasn't just written the most interesting meditation on the internet and fame I've ever seen (but he did that too), Hank has written a book [that] expands your mind while taking you on a hell of a ride' Joseph Fink, author of Welcome to Night Vale 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is pure book joy' Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians Trilogy 'Fun and full of truth. To be honest, I'm a little irritated at how good the book is. I don't need this kind of competition' Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kingkiller Chronicles
📖 Summary
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, published in 2018 and spanning 345 pages, dives into a strange and sudden phenomenon that turns a young woman's life completely upside down. The story begins at three o'clock in the morning on a New York City street, where twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across an extraordinary sight. It is a giant, ten-foot-tall sculpture that resembles a Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor, an object she affectionately dubs Carl. Instead of simply walking past this bizarre urban art installation, April and her friend Andy decide to interact with it and capture the moment on film. Andy uploads the video to YouTube, completely unaware of the massive cultural wave they are about to unleash. When April wakes up the next morning, her world has shifted on its axis. The video has gone wildly viral, transforming her overnight from an ordinary twenty-three-year-old into a famous public figure. More importantly, April and Andy discover that Carl is not a localized prank. Identical giant sculptures have suddenly appeared in dozens of cities all over the globe, spanning from Beijing to Buenos Aires. As humanity grapples with the sudden, inexplicable arrival of these mysterious monuments, April finds herself thrust directly into the center of an international media spotlight. Because she and Andy made the very first video documenting a Carl, the global community looks to April as the primary documentarian, expert, and voice of this unprecedented extraterrestrial or anomalous event. The novel explores the chaotic intersection of fame, social media culture, and global mystery as April navigates her newfound celebrity. She must learn to manage the immense pressure of public expectation while trying to figure out what the Carls actually are, what they want from humanity, and how their arrival will permanently alter the course of human history. Hank Green crafts a fast-paced, contemporary narrative that examines the intoxicating and often destructive nature of online fame, the way society reacts to the unknown, and the responsibilities that come with holding the world's attention. Through April's journey, the book asks profound questions about identity, community, and the choices we make when extraordinary circumstances thrust us into the global spotlight.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Engaging and fast-paced contemporary storyline
Clever commentary on modern internet culture and fame
Relatable and flawed main character
Thought-provoking themes about human behavior
⚠️ Cons
Some readers may find the heavy focus on social media culture exhausting
The cliffhanger ending requires reading the sequel for complete resolution
✍️ About the Author
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing? +
The book was written by Hank Green.
When was the book published? +
It was published in 2018.
How many pages does the book have? +
The book contains 345 pages.
What starts the entire mystery in the story? +
The mystery begins when April May discovers a giant sculpture she names Carl in New York City at 3 a.m.
What genre does the book belong to? +
It falls under young adult fiction.
