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The Carls Series

This series delves into the sudden global phenomenon of mysterious beings known as the Carls, appearing worldwide. It follows a young woman who unexpectedly becomes the center of media attention after filming the first encounter with one of these entities. The narrative explores the impact of social media on fame, identity, and international relations. It's a compelling journey that tackles themes of fear, uncertainty, and the ease with which people can be vilified or adored.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Recommended Reading Order

  1. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

    • 352 pages
    • 13 hours of reading

    If you came across an absolutely remarkable thing at 3 a.m. in New York City, would you walk away . . . or do the one thing that would change your life forever? The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship - like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armour - April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world, and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the centre of an intense international media spotlight. Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us. Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, how our culture deals with fear, and how vilification and adoration follows a life in the public eye.

    An Absolutely Remarkable Thing1
    3.9

  2. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor

    • 672 pages
    • 24 hours of reading

    A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is a fast-paced adventure that serves as a biting social commentary on contemporary life, exploring urgent questions about freedom, the future, and how we cope with the unknown. The Carls vanished as suddenly as they appeared, leaving chaos in their wake and intertwining their fate with April May, a young woman who became their advocate and the center of conspiracy theories following her untimely death. Months later, April's friends are navigating life in a post-Carl world. Andy has embraced April's legacy, engaging in public speaking, while Maya, consumed by grief, follows a trail of mysteries she believes will lead her to April. Meanwhile, Miranda is considering a scientific operation that could have unforeseen consequences. Just as they seem to be losing hope of uncovering the truth behind the events that altered their lives, they receive a series of mysterious books that appear to predict the future and influence their actions, hinting that April might still be alive. As they seek answers, a growing force emerges, one that threatens to capture their consciousness and manipulate their reality.

    A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor2
    4.3