A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor

Reviews

Praise for A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor

“Hank Green’s punchy follow-up to his debut novel An Absolutely Remarkable Thing centers on a low-odds attempt at saving humanity from extraterrestrial sabotage. Infused with social media–savvy prose and all the latest tech fads—from cryptocurrency to brain-computer interfaces—the story unfolds through retelling from the alternating points of view of an alien emissary’s closest friends. The book is as pleasant an escape as a breezy spring day in a virtual reality simulation.”
—Fortune, “The Best Books of 2020, according to Fortune Staff”

“While there are many parallels to our current climate, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is a hopeful read that provides a "Black Mirror" like warning of new technology without the heavy feeling of dread. Green gives nuance to the privileges of escapism with humor and grace through main characters taking a chance on hope, even if it is beautifully foolish.”
—USA Today

“A raucous, boldly inventive tale of alien technology, social media and influencers, the limits of the human mind, and the lengths humans will go to get what they want. Even after a satisfying ending, readers will have much to think about.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“A book about people pursuing second acts after a traumatic crisis is pretty timely - and such a book, filled with compassion, bravery, smart mobs and stupid ones, and a hell of a metaphor for late-stage capitalism, besides.” ⁠
—Cory Doctorow

“Fills me with hope.”
—Ashley C. Ford, Elle

“A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor builds in every way on the thrills of the first book, featuring twists that are even twistier, mysteries that are even more mysterious, and, most impressive of all, solutions to those mysteries that are as interesting as their set-ups. This is a book that thinks deeply and wisely about fame, wealth, the internet, and the future of humanity, but also, and I’m not sure how Hank pulled this off, it’s fun as hell.”
—Joseph Fink, author of Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn't Dead

“A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor gracefully and fearlessly closes out the saga of April May, a book, if it is possible, even more engaging, thorny, personal, and thrilling than the first.”
—Catherynne Valente

“If you’re looking for a novel that will offer escapism alongside stinging social commentary and just the right amount of cautious optimism for humanity’s future, this might be the perfect read.”
—BookRiot

“Hank Green’s first novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, had us furiously flipping pages to solve the mystery of the Carls. The much-anticipated sequel is finally here, and it’s just as adventurous and addicting. You’ll hang on every last word as you wonder what really happened to April May.”
—HelloGiggles

"In the follow-up to his debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, Hank Green takes his cast of characters on an even bigger adventure and satisfyingly resolves deep mysteries set up in the first book... The story is a wake-up call to be aware of how social media content is created and how it might be influencing us."
—The Missoulian

“Throughout this adventurous, witty, and compelling novel, Green delivers sharp social commentary on the power of social media and both the benefits and horrendous consequences that follow when we give too much of ourselves to technology. An essential choice for all sf collections.”
—Library Journal (starred review) Expand reviews