Ratings22
Average rating4.2
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Who has the right to change the world forever? How will we live online? How do we find comfort in an increasingly isolated world? The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While the robots were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction with only their presence. Part of their maelstrom was the sudden viral fame and untimely death of April May: a young woman who stumbled into Carl’s path, giving them their name, becoming their advocate, and putting herself in the middle of an avalanche of conspiracy theories. Months later, April’s friends are trying to find their footing in a post-Carl world. Andy has picked up April’s mantle of fame, speaking at conferences and online; Maya, ravaged by grief, begins to follow a string of mysteries that she is convinced will lead her to April; and Miranda is contemplating defying her friends’ advice and pursuing a new scientific operation…one that might have repercussions beyond anyone’s comprehension. Just as it is starting to seem like the gang may never learn the real story behind the events that changed their lives forever, a series of clues arrive—mysterious books that seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers—all of which seems to suggest that April could be very much alive. In the midst of the search for the truth and the search for April is a growing force, something that wants to capture our consciousness and even control our reality. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is the bold and brilliant follow-up to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It is a fast-paced adventure that is also a biting social commentary, asking hard, urgent questions about the way we live, our freedoms, our future, and how we handle the unknown.
Series
2 primary booksThe Carls is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Hank Green.
Reviews with the most likes.
Deel twee van de twee! Ik had mij half verwacht aan een trilogie waar ik zou moeten wachten op het derde deel, maar neen: 't was gedaan na deel twee.
Dit was een beter boek dan het eerste. In plaats van alleen die ellendige April May te horen, werd dit vanuit het perspectief van haar vrienden verteld en kwam April zelf er maar in de tweede helft bij.
Er is Maya, April's ex-lief, die op zoek gaat naar antwoorden op mysteries die opduiken; Andy, die in navolging van April zijn eigen cult of personality kweekt; en de wetenschapster Miranda, die besluit een bedrijf te infiltreren.
We komen ook — van naaldje tot draadje en tot in de diepte — te weten waar die robots van het eerste deel vandaan kwamen en waarom ze er waren en alles.
In dit boek zijn de robots verdwenen, en zoekt iedereen naar hoe het verder moet. Blijken er weer Toestanden en Dingen te zijn, en weer een plot van de ene hint naar de andere hint naar een ontknoping, die deze keer wel definitief is.
Verder niet vele over te zeggen wegens volledig het vervolg van een cliffhanger.
Ik zou het eerste boek alleen niet echt aanraden, maar de twee boeken samen wel. Maar lees het dan wel rap, want het zit zo vol met enorm hard “nu” zaken dat het binnen een jaar of twee vrees ik zó passé zijn dat het niet meer leesbaar zal zijn.
This book was so enjoyable and was so real with the current state of the world. I do not know how Hank successfully crafted this story to fit so well with 2020 and the issues we as a world face. This story has always been about social media and how it impacts our lives, but Hank takes it to another level and adds this slight science fiction aspect. I loved how this installment expanded the POVs and we got to see the same cast of characters but actually get into their heads.
I've decided to start using the CAWPILE rating system to improve my ratings and make them more consistent across books.
CAWPILE Breakdown:
Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 9
Writing: 10
Plot: 9
Intrigue: 10
Logic: 9
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 5
I wish I could give a book more than 5 stars.
This is the best book I've read in a long time. It is truly what sci-fi should be: creative, thoughtful, moral, intersectional, and absolutely mind-blowing. It's fun to read sci-fi where aliens show up, or humanity is doomed, but in my opinion, the best sci-fi explores human nature. And that is what this book does. It is a love letter to humanity; to ideas and relationships and hope and everything that makes us human. I thought the first book in the series was pretty good but this one is amazing. Everyone who uses the internet or money should read this book.
I didn't like this as much as the other. There were still interesting ideas in it about access to information and social media, but it was just... too big? I think for me. I liked the more human story of the first book, and while this had a lot to say about humanity, it was just way more of a sci-fi book that I didn't care for.