Contemporary Fiction: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

When the brother of one of your favorite young adult fiction authors publishes a book, you get excited. Especially if said brother already has a respectable career of his own making content for some incredibly popular YouTube channels. It was a given that I was going to cover An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, younger brother of John Green (author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down). And while it would be unfair to expect to feel the same way about Hank's book that I have about John's, I will say that I was more than intrigued to see what the younger Green brother would offer up.

The Situation: April May is a 23 year-old New York resident simply doing what many young 20-somethings do. In the interest of paying off student loan debt, she has taken a job she is not all that crazy about, but pays enough so that she can split an apartment with her roommate/kind of girlfriend Maya. After a fairly routine trip on the MTA, April is walking down a sidewalk when she encounters a sculpture in the form of a Transformer. Ten-feet tall and wearing a suit of samurai armor, the sculpture is simply standing in the middle of the sidewalk. And being New York City, no one really takes notice or cares, April included, at least at first. But then she convinces her good friend Andy to help her film a video about it and upload it. To say it goes viral would be an understatement. And then it is discovered that there are more of these sculptures located all over the world, and they all seemed to have simply appeared. Since April was the first to bring the strange sculpture, or "Carl" as she has named him, to the Internet's attention, the world is looking to her for more information.

The Problem: It has long been humanity's method of operation to almost immediately become hostile to anything that is new and/or different. When a hastily put-together book is published, with the author asking for caution and preparation of a defense, April finds herself in the middle of a debate she is less than prepared for. But she also finds herself increasingly addicted to watching the number of her Twitter followers increase. She already knows herself to be bad at relationships, and bad at making major decisions, and her new-found fame is only making things worse. Often oblivious to the damage she is causing, and sometimes fully aware, April continues on the path before her, while the danger around her grows, and the mystery of the Carls becomes an intriguing puzzle in which the entire world is involved. Will April be able to keep her mouth shut long enough to listen to those closest to her? And what exactly is her roll in this incredible global event?

Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel that many have categorized as young adult. But seeing as April and her friends are all in their mid-twenties, this would make it more of a "new adult" novel, a category that is often ignored in contemporary fiction. April unwittingly finds herself the leader of a cause, opting to not approach the appearance of the Carls as something to fight against. While April and many of her followers are curious and excited, there is naturally an opposing group whose suggestion to use caution is simply a mask for the fear they feel, as well as their desire to cause panic and suspicion. Unfortunately, this opposing side is louder, arguing that the Carls are probably dangerous and not here in peace. This is a reaction born of fear, but when accused of being afraid, people also become angry and defensive. April is all for the fame and being the face of this strange event, right up until the danger becomes real. Green takes a hard look at the seductive lure of fame, how fear can seem like the safe choice, and how little we know when we think we know everything.    

My Verdict: Is this book supposed to be one massive complaint about the hardships of being famous? Because it often came off as one massive complaint about the hardships of being famous. I doubt that is what Green was going for...maybe something closer to the dangers of fame if handled by someone like April. I am all for a snarky and sarcastic narrator, but the enjoyment quickly tipped into annoyance once I realized that April does not have any real problems, and what she is often fretting about is something of her own design. Of course, it is all stated right there on the inside of the book cover: "Knowing something is a bad idea does not always decrease the odds that you will do it." April launched headlong into what she knew could become a potential disaster, and she got what she got. April's failings aside (and there are many),the story is an interesting showcase of how humans react when strange things happen, and something we are not used to makes a permanent presence in our lives. Also, how well (or how badly) people handle fame. Unfortunately, April is incredibly annoying, and she knows it. Also, she does terrible things, and she knows that too. The thing is, being self-aware enough to know you do terrible things does not endear you to anyone when you simply keep doing them. It only exposes how selfish and awful you are. Like I said, the story is interesting, and also incredibly well done; I simply wish it had been narrated by someone else.

Favorite Moment: The Carls seem to have an affinity for popular music, using songs by Queen, David Bowie, and even Carly Rae Jepsen to communicate.

Favorite Character: This is difficult, because what April does best is keep everything centered on herself, but I will pick Andy anyway. Like April, he did not sign up for this, and probably would have had a very different reaction if he were the one who was thrust into the spotlight. He somehow keeps it together, even as everything seems to fall apart.  

Least Favorite Character: April. It has been awhile since I have disliked a main protagonist as much as I dislike her. It is possible to still enjoy a book despite this, but it can make for difficult reading. 

Recommended Reading: One book that kept coming to mind while I was reading this one was Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. And in case you have not heard, Cline has confirmed that there will be a sequel.