"It was a huge mistake, and also great for views."

All this could only have come from the mind of Hank Green. Even setting aside his distinctive sense of humor and enthusiasm for learning, it's a fantastic blend of "writing what you know" (Internet fame + science) and pure imagination, special real-world knowledge and wackiness. Also, I was already a fan of Hank and his digital presence, but the acknowledgments were really awe-inspiring — it's clear how much care he puts into each of the many, many things he does, and this book is no exception.

While a lot of people probably find April May unlikable — which, to be clear, is not inherently a bad thing! — I actually feel like I really connected with her in a way that I don't always connect with protagonists. Perhaps it's because she's so honest in owning up to her mistakes; it's also possible that I just relate too much because I'm a bad person in many of the same ways. In any case, she's so nuanced and thoughtful and vulnerable; not to totally undermine the messages of this book but I love her.

On a technical level I had some issues with the writing, particularly some of the dialogue and turns of phrase which felt awkward, but there was also some really interesting figurative language and descriptions. And I definitely still enjoyed several crucial, bigger-picture components:

What is reality except for the things that people universally experience the same way?
- Insights about humanity. This might be the most important one, which is why it's listed first. For me it's hard to find the balance between what I call "philosophizing" / preaching and actually thought-provoking discussion, but the way Hank incorporates it really works for me. Which really shouldn't have come as such a surprise since, again, I'm familiar with and fond of his other work.

- Representation. I'm a supporter for non-ownvoices authors writing diverse characters whose identity/-ies aren't central to the plot, and that's what we get here. April May's bisexuality affects the plot beyond the romances, but it's not the focus; there's mention of the experience of being Black in America, but it's not April May's (or Hank's) story so it's not explored in detail.

- Foreshadowing. It's there, and it's so brilliantly subtle that I didn't even pick up on it when it happened. I only realized when I was going back through my notes and highlights to write this review, at which point so many moments made me go "How did I miss that?!"

Not to pressure Hank or anything because I'm sure he's super busy as always, but I really really need the sequel. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

content warnings:

Spoiler

on-page major character death, graphic violence & gore (with in-text warning at beginning of chapter and right before it happens!), bi erasure (challenged in-text)

rep:

Spoiler

bisexual MC (both male and female love interests!) with anxiety, Black WLW secondary character

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(As a side note, I'm glad that I've switched over to a more empirical rating system; my initial instinct was to give this 4 or 4.5 stars, but I'm happy with all my category scores and I'm not mad that it came out to 5 stars!)

CONVERSION: 13.8 / 15 = 5 stars

Prose: 9 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 10 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 5 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 5 / 5