An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Damn it, Hank! I could not put this thing down. I'm supposed to be training for a half marathon (shout out to 100 Days) but I skipped a run because I could not put this down! The only other books I can remember even being close to this engrossed by are The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien; and The Martian by Andy Weir. So you're in good company. I went into this only knowing that it dealt with being famous in the world of social media, something Hank knows a lot about. I knew nothing about the plot, and I would recommend everyone to go into the book like that. I often find John's book tough to read for long periods and more of a deep dive into critical thinking, philosophy, and sociology which just happen to feature people than actual stories. This was totally different, the ideas about fame and the social internet are keen and well presented, while the plot keeps you enticed and deeply curious about what will happen on the next page. One of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a long time, I would highly recommend.

This was my first venture into a sc-fi/alien invasion story and it did not disappoint. I didn't really know what I would be getting into with this book, but I enjoyed the conversational style of writing, it made it a very approachable story for me. I was mostly expecting this to be a fun and quirky read and it is! But it goes so much deeper than that. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, more so than anything else, feels to me, like a big message (warning?) about everything that can come with instant fame; particularly through social media/internet, the whole addiction to public attention, losing your identity, but also about the terrifying things that anybody with extremist views are capable of. What kind of freaked me out was how easy it is to imagine the events of this book really happening, that's some clever story-telling. The seriously creepy ending of the book came as a big shock to me - I'm so glad there's going to be a sequel!

An absolutely easy-to-read, captivating, thrilling and meaningful story. I lost track of time reading it. This book has everything, from jokes to mysteries to science fiction to puzzles and life lessons. Totaly recommend for pleasure reading!