The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. 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. Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture.

In his wildly entertaining debut novel, Hank Green -cocreator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, and SciShow -spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she's part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined. But beneath its effervescent tone, more complex themes are at play.” -San Francisco Chronicle “Sparkling with mystery, humor and the uncanny, this is a fun read. This will be a fast, fun, thought provoking read for adults of any age. She's equally clear about the ultimate beauty of people who unite against ugliness. She's openly confused about the allure and cost of instant fame, and about hateful divisions growing from fear. I love Green's sharp, natural dialog, his clever but nonthreatening use of math and science and music, and how April talks to us directly about her steep, deeply human learning curve. Within hours of launching their video, it's clear that Carl's impact will be extraordinary, and April was the first to see him.

April's a bit jaded by seeing so much in New York that's remarkable, but this is different, strange enough to make her immediately call her irritated friend Andy out to film her with the statue, which she affectionately names Carl. Purchasing a book here is not admission to the event.ĭid a 58-year-old man (me) really just read a novel written by a vlogger and internet science teacher whose company's videos have over two billion YouTube views? Did he really read a novel about twenty-something art school graduates and scientists who understand social media? Wouldn't happen, right? It almost didn't, but this book is cool from page one, a gripping mystery about smart, funny, honest, and very confused young people trying to understand a world-changing event! Twenty-three-year-old April May is walking home on a New York City sidewalk at 3:00 am when she looks up to suddenly find a huge, impressive, armored robot sculpture standing directly in her path. Please note that tickets for our event with Hank Green and Dessa are available at or to the UWM community only at the UWM box office. Presenting Hank Green and Dessa at the UWM Student Union on Monday, October 1, 7 pm.

An absolutely remarkable thing 2