As a reader who loves stories about anything and everything bookish, this hit on all the right levels for me. Heartwarming, different perspectives, how books change us, and yes, how we all engage with every story differently, are the main standouts for me. The way each character interacts with the novel, Theo, was an enjoyable journey. I loved this one!

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister was an interesting read. Alice has always wanted to be a writer and she writes a book called Theo. This books is pretty significant to its readers. All in all, this was a good book but not one I would normally pick up.

I don't know why I put this book off for so long, but I'm so glad I finally picked it up – what a joy of a book! This story is made for book lovers. A novel in stories, the reader gets to see how one book impacts nine very different people. Each brief look into their lives is touching, heartwarming, and makes you grateful to be a reader. I did both print and audio for this one, and each was fantastic. The audio was especially great, with a different narrator for each person's story. For fans of The Story of AJ Fikry and Mike Gayle.

No two people read the same story.

A beautifully written book about a beautifully written book, read by 9 different people, and the affect it had on each reader.

I loved this book! It was my first ready by Erica Bauermeister and it will not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is a profound and moving novel that explores the transformative power of literature and its impact on diverse lives. At the heart of the story is Alice, an aspiring writer whose journey to create a deeply personal and stunning debut novel serves as the catalyst for the narratives that follow.

Alice's life takes a pivotal turn after a heartbreaking event shatters her emotional barriers, allowing her to pour her raw and genuine feelings into her writing. The result is a novel that resonates deeply with its readers, each of whom finds something unique and life-changing within its pages.

The book intricately weaves together the stories of several characters who come across Alice’s novel:
- A teenager struggling with homelessness discovers a sense of hope and direction.
- A free diver, constantly pushing his physical and mental limits, finds new depths of endurance.
- An artist, filled with rage at the injustices of the world, channels her fury into creativity.
- A bookseller, searching for love, finds solace and understanding.
- A widower, consumed by grief, begins to see a path toward healing.

Bauermeister masterfully illustrates how a single piece of art can ripple through lives, altering perspectives and opening new possibilities. Each character’s journey is a testament to the beauty of human connection and the unexpected ways we can influence one another.

The novel is beautifully written, with each character’s story richly developed and emotionally resonant. Bauermeister’s ability to capture the essence of human experience and the profound impact of storytelling makes *No Two Persons* a compelling and heartfelt read.

No Two Persons is not just a novel about a writer’s journey; it’s a celebration of the universal bond we share through literature. It’s a must-read for anyone who believes in the magic of books and the deep connections they can create.

Erica Bauermeister first landed on my radar with her book, The Scent Keeper. I was excited to see a new release from her. I was hooked immediately. I love the way the story was not a linear beginning to end kind of story. Instead it was almost like intertwined short stories. It was heartwarming and emotional. Another hit from Bauermeister.

This started out very strong then seemed to lag. All in all it was a good read and left me thinking.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

I'm not always a fan of short stories. As a quick reader, I feel like I don't get enough to satisfy my need for reading. Bauermeister does a great job of pulling the reader in with these, though. Her style and ability to weave a meaningful story in so few words makes me want to read her earlier works.

Engaging book for book lovers that shows how one book can connect with different people in so many ways.

Alice knows that she wants to be a writer. She eventually is inspired to write the book Theoand that book reaches into the lives of many other people, affecting each of them significantly, and yet profoundly differently. Thus reflecting the title quote and theme of this novel, Edmund Wilson's words: No two persons ever read the same book.

As a book lover myself, I really resonated with these characters and how Alice's book touched their lives. I listened to this as an audiobook and the full cast performance was captivating. The characters came to life with the different narrators and I highly recommend the audio version.

Some of the stories definitely touched me more than others, but I think that is to be expected. This is a lovely, encouraging book that will draw readers to various characters and their stories depending on their own life situations.

I love books about books! This book simultaneously broke my heart and then put it together again. The characters were very relatable and I loved reading their stories.

The writing and premise of this one was really great. I found that it read more like a collection of short stories than a whole novel though and that didn’t really work for me. Short stories always leave me feeling like I didn’t get the whole story, or enough of it, and that is frustrating. I thought the main character was well down and the writing was great. Overall though I could never really connect with the story.

Reading this book on what would have my late husband’s 80 birthday brought home the truth in “No two persons ever read the same book”. My reaction to this book today was certainly more visceral than it would have been three and a half years ago. It is a wonderful read, interweaving various characters and their reaction, response, interpretation of a novel. I have never read anything by the author before, but will definitely be checking out her other books.

2.5 stars // The format of separate chapters that are loosely related that come together in the end sometimes works for me, but this time it didn’t. I didn’t like some chapters at all. Loved Nola and her story, but the rest was just okay.

I didn’t realize when I got the ARC for this book that it’s really a collection of short stories - and I’ve never been a fan of short stories. It’s based on an interesting premise - a book comes to a dozen readers of varied ages, both sexes, over the course of 10 years, telling the story of their lives and how the book affected them. I just couldn’t get into it and am somewhat mystified by the high rating here on Goodreads. The writing was good, but not great or compelling, and I didn’t get into most of the characters or see the point of the whole book, except to show that different people come to books in different ways and for different reasons and the book affects them differently. I did a lot of skimming towards the end and was left with a “meh” attitude….. Maybe 3-1/2 stars but I’m not rounding up.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed here are my own.-

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Why oh why did I sleep on this book?! The way my heart broke and mended and broke and mended over and over again. Just beautiful. A gorgeous tribute to the impact that one book can have.

No Two Persons was an interesting story. We often say that "no two people read the same book" as we each come to a story from a different point in our lives, and we take different things from it. This book takes that expression and runs with it. The first vignette is from the POV of the author, her motivation for the book, her journey while writing it and finally letting it go out into the world. We than get the stories of 9 others who interact with the book. We learn what is happening in their lives and how it affects them. I found this an intriguing book and I really enjoyed hearing the various stories and how "Theo" affected each of them. I thought the story from the artist's perspective very original and really liked it. From an actor, who narrates the story to a Homeless teenager, an Agent and more, I found what they took from the story and how it affected their lives genuine and intriguing. I definitely recommend this different book to those who enjoy reading about books and readers.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. The author did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

This book is like a love letter to avid readers. It's a collection of short stories with the through line being that they've all read or encountered the same book, "Theo," at a major juncture in their lives.

Bauermeister does an excellent job creating dynamic characters for each chapter. Each character has a fully realized life and backstory that led to this dramatic time in their lives. Some books have only one or two dynamic characters with thinly-created secondary characters, but this one does a great job of really making you feel like you've just met someone new in such a short amount of time.

Even though each character is going through a difficult experience in their lives, the book doesn't feel too heavy or depressing.

It's an interesting concept that most book lovers will enjoy.

I loved this book. A book about books and why we love them but such a unique premise with interwoven stories. I loved Each perspective and was captivated by them all!

This book ended up being not the right one for me at this time so it is one I did not get finished. Maybe I will come back to it one day!