I loved the concept of this one, and it had some very interesting conversations but the main character's decisions and attitudes towards her friends I wasn't a fan of. I feel like the characters could have been fleshed out more to make her unlikeablity a little easier to ignore.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

i really enjoyed this book! I think I'm a bit over the age bracket but it was still incredibly readable and effective for me as an adult!
Hank Green is witty and insightful - the protagonist is April and she makes the book deeper than it first appears. This is not your usual science-fiction novel. It draws a deep meaning of belonging and humanity through the narrative.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing isn't usually the type of book I would pick up, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. While I couldn't always connect to the main character, I did enjoy how flawed she was. I enjoyed the depth to this story and the commentary on social media, fame and the effects these things have, which is very relatable in the digital age. The easy, voicey, amusing writing style also lent itself to keeping me engrossed in the story.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

⭐ A brilliant debut!
⭐ An easy writing style which is delightful to read.
⭐ Witty, relatable & also leaves you with deeper thoughts.
⭐ I cannot wait for the next book in the series.
☆ I found the timeline jumps a bit jarring.

Holy cliffhanger Batman!

I went into this not knowing if I’d enjoy, but I actually ended up loving it. On the surface is a sci-fi novel, though it’s more than that. It’s an exploration of the cost of viral fame, social media and internet, and the personal, emotional and psychological ramifications of all of those things.

I already have book two lined up and ready to go!

I have loved Hank and John Green as creators for the longest time due to their videos and of course John's books, so when I saw that Hank was releasing a book, I knew that I would jump on it. While I did like An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, I enjoyed A Beautiful and Foolish Endeavour more which led to a good series overall.

One of the things that I loved about the series overall which started in the first book is that the Carls can represent real-life and parallel how the internet is used in current society. While I did like this, I did find that it was a little heavy-handed at times but I would expect nothing more with someone who spends a lot of time on the Internet.

I think that the idea of the Carls and the situation overall was something that I also enjoyed. I don't mind not having ideas explained to me in books and that was one of the main points of it. The Carls are there and we don't know why. (This does get explained in the second one though.)

It does in part become a bit like a mystery novel, with the clues and the website and this was one of the best parts of the book in my opinion. Of course, everything does come together and it leads to a very satisfying and open-ended plotline.

Much of the story does build to the sequel, with Hank developing all of the characters including April and the relationships that she forms. I know that a lot of people dislike April as a character and while I do understand that, I think the book works with her as the main protagonist but the other side characters are as important for the story. They, too, get the storylines that they deserve and are great characters.

I think as a whole, while there was a lot that connected me to the story, it just didn't connect with me like a piece of work. I know that other people have said the same thing so I may reread the first book in the future. This is especially the case as the second book had a massive impact on me.

This book had been sitting on my "to read" mountain for far too long and I thought it was time for a read from different genre
I was totally smitten from the start. This is an unusual take on fame , friendship and appearances .and I wish I had read it earlier

My mind is absolutely blown!!

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, is definitely the correct title for this book!

I genuinely had no idea what this book was about, going into it. To be honest, if I'd have known it was sci-fi/alien themed, then I may not have chosen to read it, as it isn't my usual genre. I'm so glad I did though. I was pleasantly surprised, and found myself fully engaged for 80 percent of the book. Some parts of the book were quite slow for me, and I felt a bit confused at times. I also found it hard to like or relate to the main character April May. The Carl's on the other hand were just so fascinating. I was always on edge, waiting to see what was next. I myself, could not decide if the Carl's meant harm or not, along with the characters working out what was happening.

I also really enjoyed the team of friends April had around her, but she just treated everyone so badly, including her Girlfriend. It was hard to like the MC, and I just felt the instant fame, kept making her worse!!

The ending left it open for more from the Carl's and April May! I definitely would pick up more books from this Author in the future.

Overall, A super intelligent and unique read.

Full review to come.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for my gifted copy, in exchange for an honest review .*

A unique book, full of twists and turns and surprises, with a very interesting main character and a lot to say about social media and modern society. Oh, and giant robots. Don't forget the giant robots! A great read, recommended!

Holy heck. There is nothing in the world that could have prepared me for how good this book was going to be. I wish I read it three years ago when I was first given the ARC (sorry, Hank!). I don’t normally delve into Sci-Fi much, and to be honest I’m not sure I realised this book was a Sci-Fi when I first picked it up — but literally everything about this book was perfect. I read it in 2-3 days.

So, basically, what this book is about is April and her friend, Andy, get famous by being the first to document Carl, this weird maybe-alien species that has suddenly cropped up in many countries across the world overnight. As April becomes a superstar, she becomes addicted to the fame, so what she does is she tries to solve the mysteries of where these creatures come from to keep that fame going.

April is a really interesting character. She is an unlikely protagonist in that she can be so… unlikable. She makes stupid choices, hurts people, but she also knows she’s an ass which kind of makes up for it. If she were perfect, she would be boring. What makes April interesting is her flaws, which she acknowledges, and her string of bad choices will be enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I enjoyed the social commentary in this novel. The author provides many thoughts on the state of humanity at the moment, the division that politics has caused, and the evolution of social media and how this has impacted both celebrity culture and politics.

The long and short of this review is: this book is exactly what it says it is, absolutely remarkable. Definitely my jam. Please read it if you haven’t already. I look forward to reading the sequel!

As a huge John Green fan, I was desperate to see what Hank Green had to offer.

April finds her life changing overnight after she discovers a giant structure that she videos. After the video goes viral, April finds her life changed suddenly and she has to negotiate fame and becoming an internet celebrity overnight.

Although this wasn't the usual sort of book I enjoy, I really liked this and found myself saying 'just a few more pages' over and over.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I am glad I went into this novel completely blind about the plot as, to be perfectly honest, the synopsis is a bit weird. I would really recommend not reading too much about this story as it was so much better this way. Part mediation on fame and influencer culture, part alien invasion, this novel is a rollercoaster of a ride.

I'll be honest - this took a while for me to get into. At first, I found the supernatural aspect a bit off-putting and out of place; it seemed a strange juxtaposition between the tone and character arc, and the realisation that this is an alien invasion. Honestly, I was waiting for an explanation and it just never happened. However, while it may have been slow for me at first, it quickly became an engrossing read with an engaging protagonist. April May is great- she's self-centred to the nth degree and she makes bad choices at times (you will 100% end up yelling at the book at some point). She is also hilarious, generous and human. She is so well drawn as a messy young woman trying to find herself in a messy world.

I am writing this review a few months after finishing the novel and it has really brought into focus what I enjoyed most about this novel. The exploration of the commodification of people and personalities and influencer culture was deeply compelling and I look forward to reading more about this in the sequel. In the end, I think An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is strongest in its depiction of the human condition, fame and the relationships. In contrast, the crazy alien plot has become less of a draw for me. I found the ending sequence confusing and out of place with the journey we had been on. Nevertheless, I am excited to pick up the next in the series to see what happens with April May.

I was wrongfully apprehensive about this. An Absolutely Remarkable thing is gripping and original. I finished this in one sitting and had a blast, it’s books like this that remind me why I love fiction so much!

It provided an interesting social commentary and I’m very excited to read the next instalment in this series.

I really enjoyed this book. The story of April May who was the first person to come across 'Carl' the extra terrestrial. It kept me gripped throughout, and really shows the power of social media. I can't wait to read the sequel. Thank you.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a unique and original sci-fi tale.

There is an Alien named Carl, lots of pop culture references to appeal to the nerd in us all.

It’s also about social media and the fame it can bring, good and bad and the price of having it. Very timely with the current ‘cancel culture’.

It’s fun, sharp and very entertaining from start to finish.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.

I’m afraid that this book was not for me. I thought the writing style was excellent, but I could not get on with the characters. A shame.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this one as much as I was hoping to. I liked the idea behind it and the storyline, but it fell flat for me. I can see why some people love this one, but it just wasn’t for me.

I didn't love this book.
The characters were good, well formed and relatable so I ploughed on because I was invested in them.
But the storyline was a bit too out there for me. Sorry, I don't want to give away the plot by explaining more, but it will really work for the more adventurous reader.