First Impression Friday- An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

First Impression Friday is hosted by J.W. Martin.

First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther.

Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

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. 

Look, I am aware that you’re here for an epic tale of intrigue and mystery and adventure and near death and actual death, but in order to get to that (unless you want to skip to chapter 13- I’m not your boss), you’re going to have to deal with the fact that I, April May, in addition to being one of the most important things that has ever happened to the human race, am also a woman in her twenties who has made some mistakes.

Look at that first line! I am loving the narration of this story. It is so intriguing and fast-paced. This is one of those books that you don’t want to put down because it reads so fast and you never feel like the story is dragging.

April May is an interesting character. She is far from perfect but she embraces that. There is something refreshing about her. The fact that she is in her early twenties is compelling as well. For some reason I do not often come across books with protagonists in that age range.

I am also loving the role that social media plays in this story, particularly YouTube. I used to watch Hank Green on YouTube quite frequently, so there is something about this book that feels like I am getting some insider information.

The plot is a little confusing, and I am not sure where the story is going, but I am looking forward to finding out. I think I was expecting more SciFi, but so far this is light on the SciFi elements, so I am hoping that is expanded upon more.

I was not sure what to expect when I first pick up An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and I definitely went into it with some preconceptions and a little skepticism, but it has really taken me by surprise so far.