The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While the robots were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction with only their presence. Part of their maelstrom was the sudden viral fame and untimely death of April May: a young woman who stumbled into Carl’s path, giving them their name, becoming their advocate, and putting herself in the middle of an avalanche of conspiracy theories.
Green makes the smart decision of allowing Maya, Andy and Miranda to follow their own adventures and have their own respective chapters ... Green is clearly inspired by Dungeons and Dragons and internet culture—inspirations he uses to build a world so vividly grounded in reality it’s sometimes hard to forget that Green wrote this before the pandemic and not during. 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.
Hank Green’s writing is fast-paced and exciting, filled with drama as well as an abundance of technical information about AI ... Green excels at providing backstories for his characters, which newcomers will especially appreciate. However, it would be best for those who have not read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing to do so before delving into this one. Sometimes it was a bit difficult to figure out exactly how certain events that were unfolding here related to the original story. Still, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is a bold and sharp novel that will keep readers on their toes and fully engaged, eager to discover how it all ends and keeping their fingers crossed for a third installment in the not-too-distant future.
... delivers everything a sequel should: the same characters, emotion, and appeal as the original, but with enough novelty to extend the world of the story into new places ... Like the first book, although aliens threaten the world, the core of the story is a human one about fame and social media and having a voice on the Internet. Ultimately, the reader is left with intriguing questions about whether humans are able to use power for good.
