NerdFighters Book Club discussion

I've finished it, and loved it. Who else has thoughts?

I think that it was a great book! I have only one question. In a recent Question Tuesday video, John mentions that there is exactly one occurrence of the word deadpanned AART, does anyone know where it is?

I have so many thoughts! I loved the book. Reading it gave me an uncomfortable clammy feeling all over my body--just the surreality of aliens and the very real threat of partisan-led-fear-based thinking. I'm so excited to hear what other people have to say. I don't think a book has effected me like this for a while... and that's saying something since I cry reading, like, ALL the time.

'Deadpanned' is at page 25: "Yeah, great, fantastic, you’re adorable and smart and the internet is going to love you.” “Oh, just what I’ve always wanted,” I deadpanned. “I am suddenly extremely tired.”

The mystery was so captivating but I don't know how I feel about the end. I still have so many questions.

Thanks! Also, I agree. Once I started reading, the only thing that I could really think about was the book. The ending was interesting and I can't wait for the sequel but it felt unfulfilling. I am used to books leading up to a sequel but this ending barely answered any questions at all.

I guess you could see it more symbolically (Hank said he was mostly straightforward though). You could see the Carls saying to april "Your journey has only just begon" as that her story will continue without her because that is what fame is like.
I also expected that others would uncover those questions without her. Tier 5 fame already took her person-hood away so she didn't really have to be alive.

But then she showed up at Andy's house and my theory fell apart. Now I really want a sequel. I will probably take a while though and I just wasn't prepared for this book to be part of a series.
So it came a bit unexpected. I think that is probably my problem.

I liked it, but like some of you are saying I felt like the ending have us few answers to the questions that had been asked all throughout the book. There are two competing stories, one of April's rise to fame and one of alien life and first contact. AART explored the first one (to great success), but we never got to know much about the background of the second one. If the sequel explores that part, I will be very delighted because I feel like have a Carl-shaped hole in my brain that needs to be filled with the rest of that story.

I loved it so much. I keep thinking about it and rereading passages and changing opinions. I hope this book is going to be used in classes.

I just finished reading it last night. I had mixed feelings about it and it looks like I'm not the only one. I really loved the concept about the Carls and the pop culture references but the chatter and ending was less than satisfying for me (see my full review). I'm assuming there will be another book following this and I will look forward to reading more.

Leila wrote: "Thanks! Also, I agree. Once I started reading, the only thing that I could really think about was the book. The ending was interesting and I can't wait for the sequel but it felt unfulfilling. I am..."

I felt the same way.

Lucas wrote: "I guess you could see it more symbolically (Hank said he was mostly straightforward though). You could see the Carls saying to april "Your journey has only just begon" as that her story will contin..."

I wondered the same thing and it was conflicting for me.

Charlie wrote: "I liked it, but like some of you are saying I felt like the ending have us few answers to the questions that had been asked all throughout the book. There are two competing stories, one of April's ..."

Exactly, well said, I hope my Carl-shaped hole gets filled too because I wanted the concept of them to be more developed. I will look forward to a sequel.

For the motion picture adaptation - I'm seeing a young Rose McGowan for April