“Books spoke to specific people for specific reasons, and it had everything to do with where they were in their lives”


Oh…my….god. This book.
I have no words.


Let’s start by saying this quote is perfect, and I completely agree. Sometimes I’ll read a book, and love it, and I’ll take a message from it that other people may not.


This book is made for people who love books, and love the experience of reading a beautiful book. When I finished, I closed it, and just started at nowhere thinking of all the books that have brought me comfort, insights, and lessons. I’m grateful for all of them.


Alice is a quiet and shy person who always dreamed of writing a book.
She suddenly has a vision, and the words just come at her. After polishing the words, and being rejected by various publishers, her book finally gets published.


Each chapter is about a person who’s been touched by Alice’s book.
And they’re beautiful stories, about broken people, going through something personal in their lives.


Highly recommend this book!

Has a book ever spoke directly to your soul?

I can think of a few books that I was reading during a pivotal time in my life, and they profoundly affected me. No Two Persons explores exactly that- the phenomenon of the power of a book, and how it can affect us differently.

This book was like a love letter to readers and writers. It is beautifully written and a memorable story. I love books where multiple characters. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy multiple points of view, beautiful writing, and the power of a good book.

A sincere thank you to St. Martin’s Press and netgalley for the electronic arc of No Two Persons.

Yes!! Just....yes!

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is the story of an aspiring author who finally has a breakthrough after a traumatic event in her life and is able to produce a novel that gets published. We follow this novel from the author's hands to the literary assistant, the actor, the artist, the diver, the teenager, the bookseller, the caretaker, the coordinator, and finally the agent. Each chapter is from the point of view of the person who has somehow acquired the book, almost as if by fate, and how the book impacts their life. "One book, nine readers, ten changed lives."

This book is beautifully written and I did not want it to end. From someone who deeply loves books and reading I had a great appreciation for this story. I know I have personally had books that have affected me on otherworldly levels and I'm always quick to recommend these to my friends and family. This book will definitely be one of my top recommendations to other book lovers.

This was a very well-written story. I loved how people of all different walks of life were connected by a single book and believe this to be true in life. A couple of the stories left me wanting more, was glad to revisit Nola at the end.

For anyone who loves books and reading, you will enjoy this novel which honors the differing ways that readers respond to a single story. You will recognize yourself in at least one of the characters portrayed in the chapters, with each chapter featuring a person's relationship to the book that is central to the book. Each story drew me emotionally into the character's life, and I even cried at a couple of particularly heart wrenching moments.

My only criticism is that the book felt more like a series of short stories than an integrated novel. While there was some overlap or integration of the characters between the stories, it was minimal, and had I not been looking for it, may have been missed.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister. The opinions in this review are my own.

Talented, ever-evolving novelist Erica Bauermeister offers a masterful story in NO TWO PERSONS. Throughout the lifetime of a story, from its inception and writing by a debut novelist through the agents, readers, and others who encounter the book in its every stage of publication, the story sparkles, fascinates, delights with the unique ways each person engages with a beautifully written, heartbreaking story. Through perspectives of magnificently vivid and convincing individuals, I lived the impact of a great story well told. A standing ovation to a writer who never fails to provide the ultimate in engaging, uplifting, realistic stories! I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Emotionally resonant and profound, No Two Persons is a love letter to readers and writers alike, and my goodness, did it speak to my book lover's soul.

Every reader has those books that just seem to come to us at the right time in our lives -- the books that not only transport us to another world, but to the people we were when we first read them. And the special power of stories is that no two readers will read the same book in the same way, which is the phenomenon that Erica Bauermeister explores so beautifully in No Two Persons.

A novel told in a series of interconnected short stories, we are introduced first to Alice, a young writer who pens Theo after a devastating event in her life causes her to pour her heart out onto the page. From there, we meet nine of Theo's readers who pick up the book at important moments in their lives. Rather than utilizing a "story within a story" structure, we only learn about the plot of Theo through the perspectives of its readers and the specific insights they take away from the story. From a new mother trying to balance parenthood and her career, to a homeless teenager, to a bereft widower, to a former actor forging a new path, to a lauded agent facing an unexpected diagnosis, each reader comes at Theo from a different perspective, and each gleans a new insight or path forward from its pages.

No Two Persons is not only a book about the power of stories, but about the power of emotional connection and the wide range of the human experience. It's an intimate, vulnerable, and compelling character study, relayed in luminous prose, with characters that are well-developed and relatable. It's a book about the invisible connections and the tiny threads that weave us all together and it is simply, in a word, lovely.

I was fortunate to receive both audio and digital copies of this wonderful novel, so I switched back and forth between the two mediums. The audiobook is read brilliantly by a full cast, with a different narrator for each character, which just adds to the intimacy and sense of connection this story conveys. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance reading opportunity.

Thank you, Erica Bauermeister, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the gifted eARC.

Since she was a child, Alice knew she wanted to write books. In college, she took classes for writing, but all of her stories were missing something. Then something happens in her life that completely breaks her. To help her process, she sits down and writes a book. This book finds its way into the hands of readers who need her words the most.

In No Two Persons, you meet a new character, each chapter who is facing some type of difficulty or a time of change in their life. Somehow, they end up reading the book Theo that was written by Alice. The book effects them and changes their life in some way. We don't get to know these characters very long, just brief glimpses into their lives. Due to this, there is very little character development, and I felt no connection to any of the characters. Each character story doesn't end in a nice wrapped up way either. There's no nice way to say it, but this book was really a hot mess. It was more like a series of short stories compiled into one but stories without real substance. Some character stories were interconnected to try to make it one cohesive book, but many stories weren't. There's also really no big fulfilling moment in this book. This is one of those books that is just isn't going to leave a lasting impression on me.

There are really good books, great books even, and then there are those special, next-level books— which is the category where No Two Persons falls. Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the early look. I feel so honored to have gotten a sneak peek at this beauty. It’s out on Tuesday.

I have always loved the quote ‘No two persons has ever read the same book,’ which is what initially drew me to this, and made me want to request the advanced copy, and I’m so happy I did. This book reads like a love song to readers; it takes everything we adore about books and actually puts words to it. I was enamored and captivated from the first page and couldn’t put it down.

This is largely character driven which is normally not my thing but I just adored every story told, every person’s journey to this book and what it meant to them, what it helped them see. It gave me serious Cloud Cuckoo Land vibes, but in a much smaller, more manageable package.

Read if you’ve ever…
- felt seen when reading
- explained a book plot as passionately as if it happened in real life
- wanted to devour a book and never have it end at the same time

Read if you like…
- Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow
- Cloud Cuckoo Land
- The Reading List

If you’re in this space, I assume you love reading. And if you love reading, I have no doubt you’ll love this book in particular. It’s by far my favorite book I read this month, and I can see it being in the top books I’ve read this year.

What a unique reading experience. The novel “Theo” passes through a vast array of people – writer assistant, actor, artist, diver, teenager, bookseller, caretaker, coordinator, and the agent. The effect for each person differs as much as the people do. Pretty much each chapter introduces us to a new experience relating to the book “Theo”. I was eager to see who would discover the book next and how it would affect their life. Beautifully written and thought provoking. A very character driven story.

Thank you St Martin's for No Two Persons (also macmillan audio for the audiobook version). This is a charming hopeful book, a loving ode not just to books but to how stories, words, characters matter in unexpected ways. I loved how this story took it's time to tell not just the story of a writer and her book but then how the book impacted so many different readers. I loved how each character's story/chapter was their own story but how the common theme was their unexpected discovery of Theo (the book within the book) and, deep down, it was about how we find hope, creative sparks, and new beginnings when we read and when the right book finds us at the right time.
I am so excited to make this a book club choice, I think it will be a great book to chat about with fellow book lovers.
Recommended for fans of books similar to Dear Edward, The People We Keep (stories that are unexpectedly hopeful even with the edges of sadness layered in).

Description:
“One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister’s No Two Persons is ‘a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives.’”

Five pages into #NoTwoPersons by EricaBauermeister, I texted my sister and told her to add this book to her TBR. I knew immediately that it was a five-star read; that was going to stay with me for a long time.

I have been a book lover since I learned to read. There is nothing like a book. It can be a magic portal into another world, an escape from this one, a way to stave off boredom or discomfort or loneliness. The right book can be a voice in the dark telling you that you are not alone, a teacher, a best friend. No Two Persons reflects those feelings back in a love letter to readers.

In No Two Persons, Alice knows that she has a book in her, and she writes and writes. Though she’s an excellent writer, her stories lack feeling, they’re detached. It is after suffering a great loss, that she finds the story she was meant to write, and when it is released into the world, it has a profound effect on the people who read it. A grieving widow, an exhausted new mother, a homeless teenager, and even the editor who saves the book from the slush pile are touched and forever changed, each in his or her own way.

No two persons ever read the same book, and yet they can have a deep effect on all of us. This one certainly did for me. The writing was gorgeous, the characters were robust, and I loved the way the author wove characters in and out of each other’s lives throughout the book.

I strongly recommend this book to everyone! It’s definitely a top favorite for the year.

Thank you to @NetGalley @ericabauermeisterauthor and @stmartinspress for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars

This was such a beautiful book. I loved reading about the different ways one book affected so many different people. These stories were so heart warming and really touched me. Particularly the story about the homeless girl, I was so happy after her story. And the ending was put together perfectly. It all flowed from year to year throughout the entire book.

I don’t really know how I would categorize this book on my shelf, but I would highly recommend it to anyone really. It was a breath of fresh air!

***Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

📖BOOK REVIEW📖

No Two Persons - Erica Bauermeister
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

“That was the beauty of books, wasn’t it? They took you places you didn’t know you needed to go…

Alice has always wanted to be a writer. Her talent is innate, but her stories remain safe and detached, until a devastating event breaks her heart open, and she creates a stunning debut novel. Her words, in turn, find their way to readers, from a teenager hiding her homelessness, to a free diver pushing himself beyond endurance, an artist furious at the world around her, a bookseller in search of love, a widower rent by grief. Each one is drawn into Alice’s novel; each one discovers something different that alters their perspective, and presents new pathways forward for their lives.

Together, their stories reveal how books can affect us in the most beautiful and unexpected of ways—and how we are all more closely connected to one another than we might think.”

This book. Holy cow. I will be thinking about this one for a long time. I often wonder how my favorite books affect other people - and this was an absolutely beautiful exploration of that. This is absolutely the perfect expression of how much a work of fiction can change someone’s life and heart.

Basically if you like books and believe in the power of stories - read this immediately! The audiobook was performed so beautifully by an entire cast - I can’t recommend it enough. Every narrator brought so much life and heart to their character. ♥️

Publish date: May 2, 2023

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the audiobook and @stmartinspress for the gifted copy!


#netgalley #netgalleyreads #audiobookreview #bestaudiobooks #newrelease #notwopersons #ericabauermeister #books #audiobook #audiobookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookchallenge #goodreads

This charming novel will delight book lovers -- and writers. The story illustrates the truth that no persons read the same book because no two readers bring the same life experience and viewpoint to it, A young writer completes a novel but is reluctant to try getting it published because it is so intensely HERS and she doesn't think anyone else will receive it properly and understand her character. A writing professor and friend tells her that every book is different for everyone who reads it, and that is its true value. The rest of the book follows several people -- beginning with the literary agency assistant who discovers the book in the slush pile --whose lives are affected, and even dramatically altered, by having read the book. No car chases or shootouts, no murder in every chapter -- this book is just pure pleasure all the way.

Oh my, this is why I read.

"Somewhere so completely else that the grief wouldn't find him. Ignoring the fact that grief is not a stalker but a stowaway, always there and up for any journey."

Thanks to the lovely folks at NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

No Two Persons is definitely a unique book. It's a book about a book, and the way that one book impacts the lives of 9 different (mostly unconnected) readers. It's told as a series of short stories, with some minor connections between characters from different stories.

I am a fan of Bauermeister's writing, and this book is no exception. I enjoy her writing, and I like that with this book, we got such a varied cast of characters. Just like the characters in the book, everyone who reads this book will likely relate to a different story or character within its pages.

As someone with a terrible memory for books (after I've read them, and sometimes, during the reading of them), I did struggle a bit with recalling who characters were or what their story was when they were mentioned later in the book, during someone else's story. Due to time constraints, I had to read this book over a period of several days, and by day 5, I may have read a name that sounded familiar, but had zero recollection of who that was - which took away from the experience of appreciating the intertwining of the stories. That is not the fault of the author or the book, however, as it's an issue with my own memory.

I will say that when you have 9 different people's stories (10 if you count the story of the author of the fictional book), it can be a little tricky to keep everyone straight - especially since some of the characters show up in a supporting role much further into the book than where their own story was highlighted. So if you are someone that gets overwhelmed by a large cast of characters, you may want to take some basic notes about them as you go along.

Because it's all short stories, I don't think that understanding or remembering each character is vital to enjoy the book. You can read each story as its own and get enjoyment from it. But I think making the connections of who the characters are when they appear in other's stories only adds to the experience.

Overall, while I did like the book, I was left feeling like I wanted a little bit more from it. I see a lot of people giving it 5-star reviews, so maybe it's just me. I loved the concept of it, I (mostly) enjoyed all the separate stories, and the writing was beautiful. But the book didn't move me as much as I had hoped, and I just kept feeling like I was waiting for something more. However, I will continue to pick up everything that Erica Bauermeister writes, as I think she's a phenomenal writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the idea for this book! I am in so many different buddy reads and book clubs and I am always intrigued by the differing opinions about books. What worked and what didn’t. I always say just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it! And when I see a lot of mixed reviews for a book it always makes me want to read it even more! It is interesting to see how this particular book, Theo, changes the lives of not only the author but of the nine readers. This is a perfect book for those who love books and reading and who enjoy character driven novels. I enjoyed it as a whole but wanted more! It was almost like a collection of short stories, with each character we only got a small glimpse of their lives and it left me with questions and wanting more! 😅
My favorite part was the origination of the book with the author.

What a unique storyline for a book. As many readers know, no two people will read the same book. You might read the same title, but each reader will get something different out of it. We take into each book our own life stories and ideas. This book is a wonderful example of this with a fascinating cast of characters.

A family tragedy leads to Alice writing a story she never expected to be so well received or liked. She had written before, but she always kept her feelings and anything personal hidden deep. Until now.

What follows this part of this story is a cast of characters who each come across Alice’s book in one way or another, and their experience with it. We get to know them and their unique story before they encounter the book, and in some cases, we get to know what they think of the book.

Some of the characters are even connected to each other, which at first can be a little confusing trying to remember how. As the story progresses, their connections become more clear which helps to further illustrate how we each respond to the books that we read.

I really enjoyed this book and the unique format. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

No Two Persons
Author: Erica Bauermeister
St. Martin's Press
Release date: May 2, 2023

To me, Bauermeister has written a masterpiece of fiction with No Two Persons. The book is a collection of individual yet connected vignettes about a book. Bauermeister tells us about Alice, the author of that book, and how she came to write it. What makes this novel so unique and moving is that each profound story tells of an individual's relationship with Alice's book. The parts flow beautifully, all rich in emotion.

One of the vignettes moved me especially, although all are very touching and memorable. I think most readers will have at least one character that resonates with them deeply and becomes imprinted in their heart like my favorite one did.

No Two Persons immediately claimed a spot as one of my and many other book lovers' top reads of 2023. Don't be surprised if it's at the very tip top of my list at the end of this year.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an advance reader's copy. My review is my own.
#NoTwoPersons #EricaBaumeister #StMartinsPress #NetGalley