April May is on her way home after a late night at work when she discovers what she assumes is an ambitious art exhibit. It's New York City, after all, and sometimes things like this Transformer-looking robot dude just show up. She calls her friend Andy to come and bring his camera and recording equipment, and they put up a quick video about the statue, which she cheekily names Carl. The video goes viral within 24 hours, because it's not just New York City where Carl has appeared -- 60 of them have appeared simultaneously in cities across the world, disrupting surveillance cameras and confounding scientists with their mysterious chemical makeup. Could they be . . . aliens?

I read this book because I've been listening to the backlist of the podcast "Dear Hank and John," where authors and brothers Hank and John Green answer questions and just have generally goofy conversations, and of course the episodes from around this book's release included a fair bit of chat about it. I enjoyed the read, but I'm not sure how I would have felt about it had I not been listening to the pod. The book's narrative gets very explain-y in spots, and that's totally Hank. I didn't mind it in the book because I'm used to it in the pod, but I can see being put off by it if I were coming to this book with no prior knowledge of the author. I also feel like a few plot threads were left dangling. I'm trying to decide if I would consider the ending of the book a cliffhanger, and I kind of would, as it left me wanting the next book right away. Fortunately, having dragged my feet on reading this, the second volume is readily available, so I'll be taking a look at that one soon. ( )

This was on my 23 in 2023 list because it was a gift from a family member, but I confess I became more interested in this after the recent Twitter kerfuffle where Hank Green kind of accidentally stumbled into coming out as bi.

I was a few chapters in when I thought to myself, "Well, this isn't the best writing I've ever read, but it's interesting," and then not much later, "Oh no, I am NOT going to be able to put this down!" And I did not. I inhaled the rest of the novel.

Basic synopsis: Overnight giant identical statues appear in cities around the world, and no one knows where they came from. April, who is 23 and a recent art school design grad, invites a friend to make the first YouTube video about the statues, and before she wakes up the next morning has inadvertently become the media's go-to person on all things related to the statues. And then very, very deliberately, she and her friends set out to solidify that position, for all kinds of reason – some noble, some foolish, some vain. When it turns out the statues may be extraterrestrial in origin? And that those responsible for them seem to be testing/observing/influencing humanity? Well, all kinds of people feel all kinds of ways about that.

I enjoyed this. The Carls (the statues) felt a little underdeveloped, but there is a second book for that, I suppose. I found interesting what the book had to say about fame, social media, branding, punditry, and the ways people get their identities entangled with a position. None of these should be surprising, as it is clear from Hank Green's social media that he thinks deeply about these things.

I am really curious where the second book is going to take this story, so I guess I am going to have to pick up a copy of that soon! ( )

July 2020- reread to prepare for the sequel! I found April to be more frustrating to read this time around, but not in a bad way- I think I just understand her motivations a bit better now, and I still deeply feel for her. Also, I hope we get more Robin in the next book?! He reminds me of Judah from "Bojack Horseman" and I just want more!

Jan. 2019
My full length spoiler-free review can be found on my blog, here:
https://thedeborahembury.wordpress.com/2019/01/05/an-absolutely-remarkable-thing... ( )

Mixed feelings.

Love the concept. I love the mystery of the Carls and The Dream and I like the focus on the lifestyle details of what it is like to be the center of an international news story. What I didn’t like was April May and that makes it hard to fully engage. (But I do think we are supposed to have mixed feelings about her?)

I was also super annoyed by the climax and ending here because I was expecting and ending for a stand alone book and what I got was a cliffhanger for a series.

( )

I love little more than sci fi that centers characters and their development (or, in this case, devolvement). This was a good book. April is deeply flawed and deeply bright and I will absolutely reach for book 2 soon. Cozy sci fi is the wrong term here… realistic sci fi? Emotional sci fi? This is a book about people, and there just happened to be a couple of sci fi elements (64 to be exact). 4.5/5 stars, rounded up for Hank Green’s signature engaging style. ( )