An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Hank Green

“We are each individual, but the far greater thing is what we are together, and if that isn’t protected and cherished, we are headed to a bad place.”

The Carls just appeared.

Roaming through New York City at three AM, twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her best 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—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.

Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

Our Librarian’s Review:

The first in the 2 book series by Hank Green, this was one of the first. books in a long, long time that was unputdownable. I enjoyed every second of it. The premise is amazing - giant robots showing up suddenly all around the world. Written by the even more amazing Hank Green. What’s not to love? But you get into it and it’s about so much more than that. The danger of social media and what corrupts us. The flaws and struggles we all deal with. But they’re also what make us human. I loved it and highly recommend it to anyone not only interested in science-fiction, but an uplifting human adventure.

Wasim

452 pages, Hardcover

First published July 7, 2020