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A review by mizreads
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i have so many thoughts about this book and now i need the next one. anyway some of my fave things:
- its v obvious that robin likes april but i like that he doesn’t reciprocate his flirting and there isn’t any explicitly romantic scenes between them aside from april being frustrated lol. idk why i like that a lot i just do
- i love the idea of the dreams as a kind of shared reality, because april conjectures that it _is_ a reality, because everyone can agree on what they’re seeing, etc. i think this is a fascinating narrative exploration of what “reality” really even means - and ofc the fact that april’s is the only one that has a moving thing in her dreams throws a wrench into this idea philosophically, which makes it even more interesting
- i love april’s character because i honestly see her as almost a cautionary tale for myself. there’s a part of me that craves fame, that wants to go viral, that wants to spread a very similar message as to april’s. but what will it cost?
- i was waiting for a good payoff for april’s whole “im not special. so why did carl choose me?” thing, because the Chosen One trope has been something i’ve been thinking a lot about recently. obv there’s maya’s whole speech about how even though april is at the center (and a vehicle of carl’s puzzles and purpose), she isn’t actually alone in this entire thing. without andy, she couldn’t have gone viral. without miranda, she wouldn’t solved the initial puzzle. without maya, she wouldn’t have figured out the dream sequence. without robin, she would have drowned in the expectations of life. hell, without peter, she wouldn’t have had such an invigorating message. “the only way out is through - and the only way through is together” & “humanity’s superpower is togetherness” as john green says
- frickin’ loved how much i could see hank’s life in here, especially as a long time nerdfighter
- gosh darn it that ENDINGGG
shoutout to the INCREDIBLE voice work by kristen sieh - she encapsulated april’s mannerisms and voice so so well.
- its v obvious that robin likes april but i like that he doesn’t reciprocate his flirting and there isn’t any explicitly romantic scenes between them aside from april being frustrated lol. idk why i like that a lot i just do
- i love the idea of the dreams as a kind of shared reality, because april conjectures that it _is_ a reality, because everyone can agree on what they’re seeing, etc. i think this is a fascinating narrative exploration of what “reality” really even means - and ofc the fact that april’s is the only one that has a moving thing in her dreams throws a wrench into this idea philosophically, which makes it even more interesting
- i love april’s character because i honestly see her as almost a cautionary tale for myself. there’s a part of me that craves fame, that wants to go viral, that wants to spread a very similar message as to april’s. but what will it cost?
- i was waiting for a good payoff for april’s whole “im not special. so why did carl choose me?” thing, because the Chosen One trope has been something i’ve been thinking a lot about recently. obv there’s maya’s whole speech about how even though april is at the center (and a vehicle of carl’s puzzles and purpose), she isn’t actually alone in this entire thing. without andy, she couldn’t have gone viral. without miranda, she wouldn’t solved the initial puzzle. without maya, she wouldn’t have figured out the dream sequence. without robin, she would have drowned in the expectations of life. hell, without peter, she wouldn’t have had such an invigorating message. “the only way out is through - and the only way through is together” & “humanity’s superpower is togetherness” as john green says
- frickin’ loved how much i could see hank’s life in here, especially as a long time nerdfighter
- gosh darn it that ENDINGGG
shoutout to the INCREDIBLE voice work by kristen sieh - she encapsulated april’s mannerisms and voice so so well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Gore, Hate crime, and Violence