An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: A Review

From the moment I walked into the library, this book caught my eye. From the intricately designed cover to the unusual title, it was a captivating find. On that sunny August afternoon, I wondered if its title would be true of the book itself.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green begins with dejected art school graduate April May on a late-night stroll through New York City. Her ordinary walk home becomes anything but when she sees an enormous sculpture of a robot in armour. April immediately calls her best friend, Andy Skampt, and they film a video about their discovery of the sculpture, which they name Carl. They post the video, which proceeds to go viral, and makes them overnight celebrities. Andy and April are left to handle their new-found fame and to solve the mystery of Carl because, as it turns out, these sculptures have mysteriously appeared in dozens of cities across the world.

The story is told from the perspective of April May, whose hilarious commentary and sharp wit make for an enthralling read. Something I truly enjoyed about this book was how it included social media posts as a method of telling the story. This created a feeling of being inside April’s head while reading and was also very relevant to today’s world, where much of life is expressed online.

The book is fast-paced and filled with suspense and action, especially since the story revolves around solving the mystery of the Carls. There is new information revealed constantly, which kept me on the edge of my seat

Throughout the first half of the book, the storyline is centred more around April finding her way through her fame. She throws herself into this new celebrity life to run away from all her other problems: an unfulfilling workplace, a rocky relationship, and an art degree she is not using. The second half, which I find the most intriguing, centres around April and her friends uncovering the secret of the Carls. Every discovery makes the story more interesting, and the suspense in between every revelation makes it impossible to close!

 This book is not just a book; it is an immersive experience. Hank Green has written this book in such a way that I felt like I was inside the story. The characters’ dialogue and narration create the feeling of knowing them, and I felt emotion and empathy towards them. The mystery in this book is thrilling and I simply could not put this book down!

There are also so many themes in the book that makes it a very insightful read. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing battles important topics like how social media impacts our lives both positively and negatively, and how we as a society deal with our fear of the unknown. In the book, as April’s fame—due to the Carls—increases, she finds her true personality slipping away and being taken over by the face she must wear because of her celebrity status. As a result, her friends and family notice this change and begin to distance themselves from her, as they do not like the power-hungry, Carl-obsessed person she has become. One example of this is April’s girlfriend, Maya. Their relationship is already unstable due to April’s unwillingness to commit. After she becomes immensely popular, she breaks up with Maya due to her insecurities and not wanting to be with her in a public spotlight. I liked how the book explored this subject. Many books only talk about the positives of being famous and social media; however, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing delves into the negative side of this.

Additionally, in the book, people are initially very afraid of the Carls. As the story proceeds, people around the world become divided into two sides; fearing the Carls or being intrigued by them. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing delves into how humanity can be divided by fear, and how society reacts to the unknown. These two sides create a large amount of conflict in the book, with April being on the intrigued side. One of my favourite quotes from the book, which sums this point up perfectly, is, “When you’re faced with something you don’t understand, I think the most natural thing but also the least interesting thing you can be is afraid,”

All in all, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a surprisingly relatable read because in between the science fiction and mystery themes of this story, April’s struggles are human. It is my favourite book I read last summer, and the suspense, mystery, and amazing writing makes it, well, remarkable!