A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor
The Carls, Book 2
by Hank Green
Recommended by Zoë Foster Blake and Catherynne M. Valente
Check price on AmazonProof-backed recommendation
Amazon availability
Reading Profile
Should I read this?
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor returns to April May and the Carls in a sequel that blends near‑future sci‑fi, social‑media satire, and an ensemble’s emotional fallout. Reading shifts between snappy scenes of public spectacle and longer speculative detours, with genuine moments of grief and moral reckoning. Its useful part is dramatizing how viral attention reshapes private lives; its main limitation is a sprawling middle that restates ideas and leans on exposition, which can slow the book’s momentum.
Read this if...
- •a graduate student in media studies needing a readable fictional case study of viral fame and its social effects — this offers dramatized scenes you can cite in discussion.
- •a novelist or screenwriter drafting a near‑future ensemble piece who wants an example of juggling big public spectacle alongside intimate character arcs.
- •a community book‑club organizer picking a lively title that will spark debate about accountability, celebrity, and how publics respond to unexplained events.
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the narrative fragments into multiple long digressions about the Carls and internet fallout — the middle can feel repetitive and exposition-heavy.
- •annoying if you prefer tight, plot-driven thrillers rather than sprawling, idea-heavy novels that linger on consequences and sentiment.
- •lose interest if you want a purely cynical satire; the book leans into earnest emotional beats and moral questioning, which may feel earnest or sentimental to some readers.
April May and the Carls are back in the muchanticipated sequel to Hank Green's #1 New York Times bestselling debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While they were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction without ever lifting a finger. Well, that?s not exactly true. Part ...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a graduate student in media studies needing a readable fictional case study of viral fame and its social effects — this offers dramatized scenes you can cite in discussion.
- a novelist or screenwriter drafting a near‑future ensemble piece who wants an example of juggling big public spectacle alongside intimate character arcs.
- a community book‑club organizer picking a lively title that will spark debate about accountability, celebrity, and how publics respond to unexplained events.
- you'll likely put it down when the narrative fragments into multiple long digressions about the Carls and internet fallout — the middle can feel repetitive and exposition-heavy.
- annoying if you prefer tight, plot-driven thrillers rather than sprawling, idea-heavy novels that linger on consequences and sentiment.
- lose interest if you want a purely cynical satire; the book leans into earnest emotional beats and moral questioning, which may feel earnest or sentimental to some readers.
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in Most Recommended Books.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Recommended by 4 sources.
“Starts as a lean, suspenseful time-travel premise that quickly settles into an immersive, character-focused saga. Its chief useful part is the way everyday 1960s small-town life and personal relationships make the historical stakes feel immediate; the novel rewards readers who relish atmosphere and slow moral puzzles. The main limitation is length and digressions—long domestic passages and episodic subplots stretch the middle and can undercut urgency for readers who wanted a tighter thriller.”
Similar books
11/22/63
Stephen King
40 Chances
Howard G. Buffett12 Rules for Life
Jordan Peterson21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari
100 Endgames You Must Know
Jesus de la Villa10% Happier
Dan Harris100 Baggers
Christopher W Mayer300 Arguments
Sarah MangusoHow recommendation signals are reviewed
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.