ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS ONE!! This will be on my top reads for 2023. This story was written for book lover. It's a unique story, each chapter follows a new character as they connect with a book called Theo. As the story progresses, we begin to even see overlap between the characters, and it's very heart warming. I loved all the stories shared, and while I think the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly, I will buy a copy and share with the book lovers in my life!

This book is wonderful. I could not put it down and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful, beautiful breath of fresh air! I had been in a major slump and this love letter to books and reading was just what I needed.

We start out with a young woman writing a book- then the remaining chapters are pretty much short stories (?) where a new characters is given a back story in which they somehow encounter the book (called THEO). I did think that the stories would eventually converge in a way, but they didn't. I think there were maybe 3-4 characters that overlapped, but not majorly. I was really wanting them to overlap since I'm not a huge fan of short stories but the structure really worked. Even though they were short stories, given that the constant was the book, it didn't seem as disjointed as a short story collection. AND- even though each character gets 1 chapter, they were incredibly developed. Some book don't develop a character after an entire novel. It was very impressive.

The writing was fantastic- I am NOT EVER a highlighter, but damn if I didn't highlight on my kindle throughout the whole book!!! It seemed like every page there was a breathtaking line. Again, just overall so impressive. I loved it and I hope it is well received by the masses.

This story was amazing. You start off with the author of a novel that she pours herself into creating. Then it branches off into several other stories of people who are directly impacted by the title. Over the course of the novel, you get more glimpses into the content of Alice's lone novel. Eventually, Alice ends up reintroduced into the story as she is directly connected to a few of the other readers.

Just like in life, no two people are impacted the same way by Alice's novel. Each brings their own personal story into their reaction to her story.

Overall, a great read.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
This book is about a book, Theo, each chapter is about a different person who you get to know and can almost feel what they are going through and experiencing and they seem to find this book at the right times/points in their life when it's needed. It comes full circle from beginning to end with starting with Alice and ending with Alice and yet most of the chapters have a way of intertwining, and how each person can read a book and relate differently to it. While reading this book, it made me want to read Theo even though I knew the book didn't exist.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Rather than rehash the synopsis of this book I'll say I was completely captivated with by the individual stories. It's broken up in the way of short stories yet most of these short chapters have a way of intertwining. Fifty people can read the same book yet you'll have differing opinions and takes on the story. Bauermeister's book is about a book called Theo, the creation of of fictional author Alice Wein.

Alice Wein is central to to the story in the begining. It's her desire to create and write. Her older brother Peter is very important in her life at home where neither feels a connection. He encourages her, he makes them picnics and they talk. He sends her postcards - Allie, girl. Wish you were here.
Later on, tragedy and a very supportive college professor finally impel Alice to create the novel called Theo.

The readers who end up with Theo in their lives are from different walks of life. One is William, a widower with no hope of moving through his grief. Another is a golden boy actor who experiences a non-fatal yet life changing medical condtion. Nola's story was a heartbreaker. A young high school girl struggling to hide her homelessness. I was very moved by her story and happy to see her turn up later in the book. I won't recap all the scenarios as this moves from the year 2010 through 2019.

Netgalley kindly gave me an advanced readers copy of this book. It will be published May 2, 2023 by St. Martins Press. All opinions are mine and I was not compensated for my review. Thank you, Netgalley!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. “ONE book, NINE readers, TEN changed lives” I could not put this book down. To me it was a unique story and I enjoyed it so much.

I would call this book a series of interconnected short stories; while some characters pop up a couple of times, each chapter can stand on its own, and each tells the story of an individual with their own struggles who is touched in some way by the power of a book. The book within the book is what ties these stories together (so beautifully illustrated on the cover), and the work as a whole is a beautiful tribute to the power of the written word and its ability to connect people with very different backgrounds.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is AMAZING. I knew from previous reviews that I was going into a very special book... but actually reading it is an entirely different thing. I highlighted so many sentences, sometimes multiple paragraphs because I was so blown away. A book that celebrates the power of great stories and the powerful bond between booklovers. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed the sentiment of no two people reading the same book and a book about a book. Erica has a beautiful writing style that transports you into the characters worlds and is both immersive and intriguing. Truly enjoyable reading experience.

BOOK: No Two Persons
AUTHOR: Erica Bauermeister
RATING: 5 stars!
GENRE: Literary Fiction
PUBLISHER: @stmartinspress
PAGES: 320 pages
PUB DATE: 5/2/2023

THANK YOUs: MANY thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

PERSONAL NOTE TO THE AUTHOR @ericabauermeister: I found myself feeling just like Juliet. Not wanting the end to draw near. Not wanting Alice’s or any of the other characters’ stories to end. Truly, thank you.

FAV QUOTE: “I think each story has its own life. In the beginning, it lives in the writer’s mind, and it grows and changes while it’s there. At some point it’s written down, and that’s the book readers hold in their hands. But the story isn’t done, because it goes on to live in the readers’ heads, in a way that’s particular to each of them. We’re all caretakers of the stories. Writers are just the lucky ones that get to know them first.

SYNOPSIS: Alice is young and talented, and ever since she can remember she’s wanted to be a Writer. So with the help of one person believing in her, she writes an extraordinary debut novel. Throughout the book we get to see how the story resonates in the lives of 9 specific readers (an Assistant, an Actor, an Artist, a Diver, a Teenager, a Bookseller, a Caretaker, a Coordinator, and an Agent), and how it transforms each of them.

REVIEW: This was my first book by New York Times bestselling author, Erica Bauermeister and I devoured it! She has such a poetically, descriptive writing style that completely drew me in. It’s deeply-moving and proves how just ONE book can affect each person that reads it, and how It can be both unexpected and beautiful.

Happy reading!

Absolutely loved each story and didn't want any of them to end. It's the kind of book you can't put down, and when you finish, you want to go back to the epigraph and begin again!

Erica Bauermeister is a master at taking one thing that seems simple and straight forward and finding a way to create understanding from so many directions in such an eloquent way. I just love her writing and perspective.


One girl lives quietly until trauma and healing result in a book. This book is viewed through the impact it has, reverberating through a struggling first time mom, a heartthrob actor turned audiobook recorder, an artist, a homeless teen, the literary agent and others. The one book allows the reader to see each person, their struggles and how this one small book links them and their individual stories in the most understood ways.

#arc
#netgalley
#notwopersons

No Two Persons

Genre: Fiction

One sentence synopsis: This is a book about a book that brings people together

My thoughts: This is one of those sweet books that will give you all of the feels. I was impressed with how well it was written and how each story flowed. Essentially this book is a bunch of short stories about different lives and how one book brings them together. I very much enjoyed!

Read if you like poetic writing and feel good stories

From the publisher: 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.
**************************************

Premise: How one book (that we never really know everything about…) affects people differently. My favorite was Nola, the teenager. She needed help, she was afraid to ask. My heart hurt for her and then rejoiced for her. Kit was my next favorite reader. He learned about life and the importance of things without even finishing Theo! The stories intertwined in a way that snuck up on me. I appreciated that.

The book made me think and pay attention. As someone who loves to read I agree with the premise. How can I fall in love with a story or a character and my friend at book club hates the book?? What one takes from a book can be very personal, so really it doesn’t matter what Alice’s story was about or what Theo’s path was. Each reader took what they needed, heard what spoke to them, and learned what they could.

Overall 3.5 stars because I really wanted more from some of the characters. But I’m rounding up to 4 for creativity and detail. And, leaving something to the imagination can be interesting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance digital copy in return for my review.

First off I would like to thank NetGalley and St.Martins Press for sending me this early copy of No Two Persons! This book is out the first week of May and should be added to your tbr!

This story was so unique and I really enjoyed it!
It is a book about a book. And this book is read by 9 different people all in stages of life. They are dealing with pain, loss, hopelessness, etc. and they are all affected by this book in different ways.

It speaks to how powerful fiction can be and how we all get something different out of the same book.

ALL. THE. STARS!!!!
I cannot believe I found a novel with a writing style similar to an Ethan Joella drama, where you have so many characters with their own pages, yet beautiful, interconnected stories. You just keep reading to find out where it all fits together. This book is SO BEAUTIFUL, and had so many quotable moments that I will drop them here as my review, because my description won’t do it justice. Simply put, it is a story about a novel, with a humble beginning that delivers differently to everyone who reads it. I stretched this book out for so long (a month?) because I didn’t want it to end. (I should note that I loved her acknowledgments and description of research as well, as I wasn’t even considering this while reading.)

— “I think each story has its own life. In the beginning, it lives in the writer’s mind, and it grows and changes while it’s there. Changes the writer, too, I’d bet.” He smiled at her, and then continued. “At some point, it’s written down, and that’s the book readers hold in their hands. But the story isn’t done, because it goes on to live in the readers’ heads, in a way that’s particular to each of them. We’re all caretakers of the stories, Alice. Writers are just the lucky ones that get to know them first.”

— She couldn’t imagine Teddy in daycare, anyway. He was not an easy child. His idea of a nap was a semicolon at best, never a full stop; a paragraph break.

— “…books were like a giant neighborhood where every family was different, and every door was open. You can just go on in…Try on a new life. See how it fits.”

— “…novels were company that keep your secrets…there had to be another neighborhood. A different door [to try].

— “Books answered the questions she couldn’t ask people.”

—“He let each word roll about in his mind, each moment open up it’s own time… but that was the beauty of books, wasn’t it? They took you places you didn’t know you needed to go.”

— what others want in a book- “I guess I just like the idea of a possibility. Like an invitation, not an answer, you know? It gives you something to think about later.”

— “You didn’t come to a story; it came to you, a million little things that fell together like cells turning into a body. You just needed the image. The question. The door to set it free.”

Ugh… I Loved this book!!

<me now scrolling for this author’s past work>

No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture.
~The Writings of Madame Swetchine, 1860

Before the book starts, the reader is faced with this quote. In my mind, it means that every person has a different view of a book or a painting.

This is a book about a book. It is about Alice who has always loved books and wanted to be a writer. After experiencing tragedy she finally found it within herself to write and publish a book called Theo.

The remainder of the book is about nine different people who read Theo. Each one of them comes to read the book under different circumstances. And of course, each person gets something different from the book. The book affects the characters in a meaningful way, but differently.

I enjoyed the different characters. They were from all walks of life. An actor escaping from society. A troubled teenage girl. A widower looking for a change of scenery. And more. Each character needed a boost in life. And, for different reasons, the book, Theo, gave each character what they needed.

The author demonstrates the power of books and the power of reading. Something I have always believed in. It is well written and well constructed.

The cover deserves a special mention. After finishing the book, the reader can recognize the characters depicted in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

This was a really unique book - it told 9 short stories about different people who all read the same book.
I enjoyed the first story about Alice, but then the book lost steam. It took me a long while to get through it and I wasn’t drawn to pick it up. In the end, I didn’t find any of the characters or their stories particularly memorable, although they were enjoyable enough in the moment. It also took me a bit to even recognize some of the characters’ names when they appeared in subsequent stories and I really had to think back about what storyline they came from.
The way all the characters were intertwined was really neat though, and it made for a very unique read. That was definitely my favorite part.
I think shorter stories are just not for me, because by the time I was coming to understand the new character in each chapter and getting invested in their story, the chapter ended. And then because I knew they would all be short stories, some of them I breezed through knowing it wouldn't affect my understanding of the ending too much.
Overall good but not great! I give it a thumbs up for being different though.


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press!

What a perfect book! As readers, we know everyone relates to a book differently, but this novel takes that to a new level, creating a narrative for each reader and emphasizing their unique journey, This is a great purchase for any seasoned reader.