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 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.

Months later, the world is as confused as ever. Andy has picked up April’s mantle of fame, speaking at conferences and online about the world post-Carl; Maya, ravaged by grief, begins to follow a string of mysteries that she is convinced will lead her to April; and Miranda infiltrates a new scientific operation . . . one that might have repercussions beyond anyone’s comprehension.

As they each get further down their own paths, a series of clues arrive—mysterious books that seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers; unexplained internet outages; and more—which seem to suggest April may be very much alive. In the midst of the gang’s possible reunion is a growing force, something that wants to capture our consciousness and even control our reality.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is the bold and brilliant follow-up to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It’s a fast-paced adventure that is also a biting social commentary, asking hard, urgent questions. How will we live online? What powers over our lives are we giving away for free? Who has the right to change the world forever? And how do we find comfort in an increasingly isolated world?

I read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing earlier this year not realizing it was book one of two, so I had to read the second book. The first book was interesting — I really didn’t know what to expect and it kept me reading to see if I could figure out what would happen.

Book two is as equally interesting, though this time we know for sure who/what Carl is. It’s also different in that there are MANY narrators instead of just one. I really had no idea what to expect other than to expect it to be a little “out there,” and it was. It was a little more political than the first book (dropping in many opinions on different topics), but not so much that it distracted from the story (though it was noticeable).

Overall, it was entertaining. It had a satisfying ending. It was a fun way to spend a few hours.

If you enjoyed the first book, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the second. I don’t know what else to compare it to, though. 🙂

R-rated for language. Get your copy here!