Who Dies In 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing'?

2025-06-25 18:28:19
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3 Answers

Victoria
Victoria
Favorite read: A Farewell Gift of Death
Longtime Reader Journalist
The death in 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing' that fascinates me is Carl’s, not just for its emotional impact but for its narrative function. Carl’s demise acts like a grenade tossed into April’s world—it shatters her perception of control. Before, she treated the Carls phenomenon like a game, obsessed with virality and fame. After losing Carl, the stakes become horrifyingly real. Green doesn’t romanticize grief; he shows April dissociating during interviews, lashing out at Miranda, and hallucinating Carl’s voice in empty rooms.

The brilliance lies in how Carl’s death mirrors the book’s themes. The Carls represent connection, yet April’s closest connection is ripped away arbitrarily. His absence exposes her isolation despite millions of followers. The accident scene itself is deliberately mundane—no last words, no symbolism—just a phone call delivering news that flattens April. It’s a sharp critique of how society processes tragedy: #RIPCarl trends worldwide, but no one grasps what he truly meant to April. Unlike typical sci-fi where deaths serve the plot, Carl’s feels uncomfortably lifelike, making the alien elements more grounded.
2025-06-27 16:28:20
11
Grace
Grace
Favorite read: Spoilers for My Own Life
Frequent Answerer Electrician
I just finished 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing' and the death that hit hardest was Carl. He’s April’s best friend, the quiet backbone of the whole story. His death isn’t some dramatic showdown—it’s sudden, brutal, and completely random, which makes it sting worse. One minute he’s helping April decode the Carls’ secrets, the next he’s gone in a car accident unrelated to the alien chaos. The book nails how grief warps April’s mission afterward; she oscillates between numbness and using his memory as fuel. What’s brilliant is how Hank Green writes Carl’s absence—you keep expecting him to text April advice, then remember he can’t. His death forces April to confront her selfishness, but also shows how love lingers in shared playlists and inside jokes.
2025-06-28 12:19:45
14
Sawyer
Sawyer
Favorite read: The Boy Who Died
Honest Reviewer Nurse
Let’s talk about Carl’s death in 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing' and why it wrecks April so thoroughly. He wasn’t just her friend; he was her tether to reality. Without him, her obsession with the Carls spirals into self-destruction. The book’s genius is making his death feel like a theft—April robbed of the one person who called her out on her bullshit. His final text to her (“Don’t be an asshole”) becomes a haunting mantra.

What’s raw is how April’s grief manifests. She weaponizes his memory for PR, then hates herself for it. She replays their last mundane conversation (arguing over burrito toppings) like if she remembers it perfectly, he won’t really be gone. The narrative doesn’t give her closure either—the Carls’ mystery continues, indifferent to human loss. It’s a gut-punch reminder that in our hyperconnected world, real connection is fragile. For a book about alien statues, Carl’s death makes it painfully human.
2025-07-01 07:53:30
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How does 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing' end?

3 Answers2025-06-25 11:25:54
The ending of 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing' hits like a truck. April May's journey with the Carls reaches a climax when she finally deciphers their purpose—they're essentially cosmic judges evaluating humanity's worth. The big twist? April becomes the bridge between humans and the Carls, but at a brutal cost. Her fame turns into isolation as she's literally trapped in a dreamlike space with the Carls, communicating through cryptic messages. The book leaves you hanging with April's fate uncertain—is she dead, transformed, or something else? It's a genius move by Hank Green, making you question whether connection with advanced beings would uplift or erase us. For those craving more mind-bending sci-fi, 'This Is How You Lose the Time War' explores similar themes of communication across impossible divides.
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