An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was really looking forward to this book, and it did not disappoint! The story revolves around this mysterious, large robot that shows up in Manhattan, New York in front of a Chipotle. Turns out that there are several of these robots all over the world. The main character, April May, gets thrust into the spotlight after she and her friend Andy make a video with one of the robots before it became big news.
Even though there is a mystery of these robots and why they are here, the real story was how April becomes internet famous and all the fallout from that experience. It was so eye-opening (and a little exposing) to me as someone who spends a lot of time on social media. It touched on the addiction to likes and comments, but it was more than that. It explored how good intentions can be twisted. It was an in-depth and honest look at a path so many people have taken online, especially in the YouTube community.
Although this is a fictional story, it does make me think twice about the amount of time I spend online and especially on social media. Which is really what makes this book awesome. It’s written in the first person from the perspective of April (except for the last chapter, but I don’t want to spoil anything).
There is a good bit of profanity in the book. A lot of use of the F word. There are some implied sex scenes, but nothing detailed. Her sexuality, as a bisexual, is a conversation throughout the book. It is even used to trap her in a debate. And there is some violence – terrorists try to attack the robots, and there is even a pretty graphic scene at the end, but April warns you that it’s coming and that you can skip it if you want.