fantastic tale!

what a beautifully remarkable second act. Plenty twist and turns and so very cleverly composed.

3 people found this helpful

Such a beautiful book

Made sneaking my earpods into work 100% worth it! The narration was wonderful, I loved the different narrators. I enjoyed the plot and themes, it was my first foray into modern science fiction and I'm already on the search for more. Thank you Hank Green and all the brilliant narrators!

3 people found this helpful

Just sit back and listen

clever
smart
too real
and beautiful
if you enjoyed the first one then listen to the second one.

2 people found this helpful

A beautifully poignant critique of society

I absolutely loved this series, and I can’t believe I didn’t listen to it until now. Maybe I wasn’t ready yet. Maybe the book would only make the most impact on my life if I listened to it at this time. It has fundamentally changed how I see the world, and while I’d normally be quick to point out how flawed humans are, and how dangerous we are while we wield power, this series has given me some hope; even optimism.

I’m taking off one point from performance because I sometimes struggled to remember who was speaking; as some of the cast have very similar voices, though this was a very minor issue. Overall, it’s still a 5 star experience for me.

I also HAVE to give kudos to Hank for writing a non-binary character that felt entirely natural within a story. I don’t just mean that he chose his words right; he did, but that he wrote in a canonical explanation for the use of their pronouns that even made it sensible to people who don’t interact with non-binary folk, and then never mentioned it again! As soon as I noticed that’s what had happened, I literally shed a tear. Bravo!

I give A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, and Hank Green, 5/5 stars

2 people found this helpful

Great production and excellent narrators

I loved all the different narrators. The production value of this audiobook is really high, and I liked hearing from so many different characters and that they each have their own narrator. The story drew me in straight away and I loved seeing how Hank Green wrapped up April and Carl's story. Like the first book, it's really thought-provoking and makes some very insightful points about how social media and the internet have shaped our culture today.

The worst part of this audiobook was the conversation with Cory Doctorow at the end. I looked forward to hearing Hank's insights and thoughts about the book, but he barely spoke. It's not a conversation - Cory Doctorow barely gave the AUTHOR OF THE BOOK a moment to get a word in and speak about the book HE WROTE. It was like a 45-minute-long "this is more of a comment than a question" on the part of the interviewer. Super, super obnoxious.

2 people found this helpful

it was phenomenal

"Power is just a lack of constraint."

honestly, based on what's happening around the world, we clearly need a super God Ai like Carl to save us all

This is awesome

I love this book! And thr first one in this series. It’s excellently narrated, has an intriguing plot, and is just impossible to turn off….which is ironically considering the book’s underlying message. Anyways, this book is thought-provoking in a way I haven’t experienced with a book in a long time. Please read it.

Thoughtful and compelling

A meaningful continuation of the original story, that I’m shocked I needed. I felt like the first book did itself justice, without the need for a second part but now I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

Thank you Hank Green, for changing my mind.

Incredibly interesting and satisfying sequel

I guess the main thing to say is that I just really love this book and I think you, whoever you are reading this review, should read it too. The themes of this book have never been more relevant and they make you think but without sacrificing any of the entertainment value and incredible character development. I think one of the things that makes Hank Green such a great author is that he really lives in the nuance. This is the kind of book where there is no “right answer” but gives you ways to think about the world and current / future technology and society. I know I’m going to think about this book for a long time.

All round brilliance

Not only was this a really compelling story that maintained the same tight pace as its predecessor, the performance by every voice actor was spot on down to the last detail. I particularly enjoyed the way each evoked the others' performances when retelling other characters' words. A really nice touch that shows the attention to detail that has gone into this audiobook.