Oh my.
It's been awhile since I had all the feels from reading a book.
I absolutely loved this book.
Each and every character bring life to it with their
story. And reminds you how one book can touch so
Many people in different ways. Remarkable

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book

When writing a review or leaving a comment on a review, I’ve often voiced the sentiment that “no two people read the same book”, and/or “no book is for everyone”.

This book takes that sentiment and runs with it, highlighting the life of Alice, the author of the book Theo, along with 9 people who read her book.

This is a book of short stories, with each chapter highlighting a different character who is wounded and broken. The stories often end abruptly, which short stories tend to do. They were fine, but I prefer a bit more depth, humor, and/or tension than these stories provided.

For those of us who are readers, the power of the written word comes as no surprise. It’s not a unique idea that every reader takes away something different from each book they read. We each bring our own life experiences and perspectives to each book we read. So, I didn’t find anything new or fresh in developing this premise and there isn't enough character development among the nine to make me care.

I enjoyed the first story about Alice, the author of Theo, 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.

I didn’t love this book as much as many of my GR friends, which simply proves the point that no two people read the same book.

Heartfelt and well written. This book leaves the reader with a lot of questions much like the book within its pages, Theo. It works well that way, the ebbing and flowing. Never reaching the shore but always the promise of landfall.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is a story about a book, “Theo” written by Alice Wein. It is also the story of the twenty-five-year-old author, Alice, who has poured her heart and soul into her debut novel. It is also the story of nine people who read her book – or rather, a collection of stories each of which features someone who has read “Theo” and the difference it has made in their lives - a literary agent and her assistant who is also a new mother, an actor turned audiobook narrator, a homeless teenager, a professional diver who tests his own boundaries, an artist seeking inspiration from the world around her, a bookseller who embarks on a personal relationship only to find it less than fulfilling, a coordinator who works in the movie business and a widower in his sixties grieving the recent loss of his wife - people from different walk of life, in different stages in life, facing his/her/their own set of challenges. While I wouldn’t call these stories interconnected in the true sense of the term, they are connected by a common thread – “Theo” by Alice Wein.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is a special book. Beautifully written, intimate and thought-provoking with characters who are real and relatable, these stories made me think of some of the books that I have loved and the stories that have stayed with me through the years – books that came to me at the very right moment and left an indelible impact. Overall, this is an emotional read that I would not hesitate to recommend. I believe this book would appeal to those fond of character-driven short stories.

Like all books, this one will touch us in different ways. But I am confident that all of us who love to read would agree that books are much more than a hobby for us – they are our friends, our refuge, our sanctuary - they teach us, they make us cry, they make us smile, give us perspective and so much more. It is this sentiment that the author expresses so beautifully through this novel.

Many thanks to author Erica Bauermeister, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on May 2, 2023.

Great concept for a book but didn’t end up liking it as much as I thought I would. Most of the short stories were enjoyable but some forgettable. I was hoping things would tie together a bit more in the end.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is a beautifully written novel that explores the complex relationships between family members and the power of forgiveness. The story follows the lives of two sisters, Lily and Rose, who have been estranged for years due to a misunderstanding. When their mother passes away, they are forced to confront their past and work through their differences.
Bauermeister's writing is exquisite, with vivid descriptions that make the reader feel like they are a part of the story. She creates characters that are flawed but relatable, and the way she weaves their individual stories together is masterful. The novel also touches on the themes of identity, loss, and the importance of human connection.
The novel is an emotional rollercoaster, but it ultimately leaves the reader with a sense of hope and healing.
Overall, No Two Persons is a beautiful and thought-provoking novel that will stay with readers long after they finish it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

As the story begins, a young woman("the writer") sets out to write a novel. In the subsequent chapters we meet different people from different walks of life that encounter the book over different time periods. They are the assistant, agent, actor, artist, teenager, diver, bookseller, caretaker, and coordinator.

It's a fairly straightforward storyline but I have an inkling that it's not going to be one of the books that stick out in my year end review. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters in particular, but I did appreciate the insightful look at the book publishing world. Those were my favorite parts of the novel.

The title is inspired by the 19th century quote by Edmund Wilson No two persons ever read the same book.” Unlike many of my fellow reviewers, it didn't quite move emotional mountains or stir my reader's soul. It's just a nice book.



Expected Publication Date 02/05/23
Goodreads Review Published 28/03/23

THIS is why I love reading!! No Two Persons is a true gem of a read that should resonate with every book lover.

This novel consists of ten stories within the story. It's about how one book changes the lives of ten people. Its readers vary widely in ages, backgrounds, and current life situations, yet each is so moved by their take on the book that it changes their perspective and life.

Bauermeister excels at making her characters and settings come to life. Each character is so richly drawn and complex that I feel as if I know them. This is a wonderfully immersive read that kept me so captivated I finished the book in one day! Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK! I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to access a DRC of the book via NetGalley. It is scheduled for publication on 5/2/23. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

The epigraph for this book is:
"No two persons read the same book, or saw the same picture."
The Writings of Madame Swetchine, 1860

This is a novel in stories, each focused on an individual who is tied in some way to others in the novel. And the individuals are bound together by having read (or written) the novel "Theo." (And, no, "Theo" does not really exist. Well, except inside "No Two Persons.")

"Theo" is the debut novel by a young author, and we gradually learn the basics of its plot as the characters read the book. But we understand the epigraph more fully as various characters, who are usually broken in some way, pick up the book.

If this seems confusing, it is not. Each story is wonderfully and individually crafted, yet each story reveals a part of the whole.

I was soooooo close to giving this 5 stars.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister has the unique premise of being a book about the effects of a single book on ten different people. Alice is an aspiring author and when her life takes a tragic turn, she finds the drive to write a book simply called “Theo.” We see this book go through the hands of an agent, an actor, a diver, a teenager and so many more and see how one book can impact an individual’s life.

The irony is not lost to me that I read this book as an advanced copy from the publisher. This was a very meta reading experience and not one I will soon forget. While we don’t get to actually “read” the book Alice writes, we get snippets from the characters about the story in a way that is very effective. I think one of my favorite chapters in the book was that of Rowan, the actor. His thoughts of how reading a book is a lot like looking in a window and seeing what is going on but never actually being a part of it really resonated with me. There were just several parts of his chapter that stuck out to me.

While I really enjoyed this book, I can see exactly where the criticism will come from. I think a lot of people will find this book boring because of the story telling style. We dip in and out of people’s lives and only really see what they are doing around the time they are reading the book. So there is not a lot of time to really connect with the characters. I really liked this though because this book isn’t about the characters, it is more about seeing how a story can be bigger than words on a page.

This book is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves books and stories. This is not something I really would normally read but I’m so thankful I picked it up. Much like the characters in this book, this story came into my life at the perfect time.

Book lovers understand how a book can transport a person. Books can even change a life or a perspective. With people from different backgrounds and circumstances, a book might take on different meanings. The premise of this novel is how various readers are uniquely affected by one book. Here there are nine assorted readers who respond in their own personal way after reading a novel written by Alice. Alice's novel was her triumph. When she was a student, she had been told that she had great writing potential, but it wasn’t until she suffered a personal loss that she was able to compose the novel that would cause a literary stir and resulted in the book having a strong impact on the reading public.

Each story within Bauermeister’s book tells of a person managing their own challenges in their own way. The nine individual reader’s reactions to Alice’s book demonstrate the various ways the novel affected the readers. The readers are themselves quite diverse. There’s a diver who pushes his underwater endurance to the limit, a girl who helps a homeless guy, an artist who is searching for inspiration and a person overcome by grief. These are just a sample of the people whose lives are forever changed.

Bauermeister tells the fascinating stories of the readers and each tale could be a novel in its own right. One gets immersed in the individual tales and enjoys the reader’s world so much that one might wish there was more to find out. The premise is brilliant and the individual stories share the one book as a common thread. The concept is creative and the brief narratives offer glimpses into lives that we come to care about. The gorgeous cover may draw the attention of book lovers while the stories will confirm what they already understand about the impact of literature.

I really loved the beginning of this book. It was well written and addictive I wanted to know how the novel written in it will be received and found the idea of looking how it impacted differently 10 people was a very good idea. However, once we were in the part of how the book was received it was written more mysteriously and after a few it became boring for me. I wonder if it was made on purpose because of the theme of the book written in it ? Maybe.

I love books about books and that is essentially what this story is. Mainly one book, that finds itself in the hands of multiple different people in one way or another, and who's underlying message changes their lives.

Though we never find out 100% what the book itself is about, we get to witness the effect it has on each of our characters and how it changes the trajectory of their lives.

This is a quiet story that sneaks up on you and definitely speaks to a bookworm's heart. I loved the writing in this; so many lines reached out to me and tugged at my heartstrings.

Definitely a book you will want to have on your radar.

In a word, outstanding. I’d had an advanced copy from NetGalley for a while waiting to be read. I started hearing some buzz around the book, and much like the fictional readers’ experiences with the novel woven throughout “No Two Persons,” I decided to check it out. I’m so glad that I did. This is a book where you stop and read a line several times not because you didn’t understand the meaning, but because the phrasing was so eloquent. Completely unique and one of the best books I’ve read recently.

No Two Persons continues Bauermeister's use of the "only connect" trope that runs through Joy For Beginners and Lost Art of Mixing. In this title a book, rather than cooking, links the characters.
When Alice, daughter in a dysfunctional family(another recurring theme in the author's work)publishes her first novel, Theo, she sets the action in motion. Each chapter is devoted to a single character and how Theo impacts their life. There's a homeless girl, a new mother, a widower, a literary agent, a movie intimacy coordinator, an angry artist, a free diver, a shy bookseller, a writer and an actor. While the characters never meet as a group, some connections do occur.
Readers too, will make emotional connections in this emotionally manipulative and occasionally tear-producing story that is an ode to the power of a book and to survival.
While I enjoyed No Two Persons, I never felt a clear link between the fictional novel and the actual one and there's a bit of predictably in some of the chapters -
still, a quick, enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for the opportunity to read the advance copy.

I love a book about a book and in the case of No Two Persons, it's how the imaginary book impacts nine readers. Whoa Nelly! This is my kind of metafiction.
We start with the author, Alice, who pours her heart and the loss of her brother into a fictionalized story entitled Theo. From there the book travels from agents, bookstores, and the reading public until it comes full circle. Each of the sections represent someone who's life is altered in some way by the book, even if they never even personally read it.
As the real reader, I connected with many of the readers found within the pages and the places they found themselves in their life. How that it doesn't take reading a whole book, but sometimes a sentence or two can alter how one can see their place in the world more clearly.
Imaginative, thoughtful, and unique, No Two Persons will touch the reader in completely different ways.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an early e-copy. All opinions are my own.

Ah, the meaning of a book. It can be different things for different people, and each person who reads it (or interacts with it) will be impacted in a different way. This book shows how the story unveils itself to the author, then impacts the publishing assistant who pulls it from the slush pile. Then there's the narrator of the audiobook version, the teen girl assigned to read it for class, the widower who finds one last conversation with his late wife through her notes. The artist who only reads the first line and then deconstructs the book to use as part of her masterpiece. And the young man who, in reading the book, begins to process his own traumatic childhood. There are moments of connection or overlap between characters, but overall, their stories are their own and each fascinating in their own right.

This was such an engaging book. I found myself telling people about it as I read it, highlighting the stories of characters that I thought would resonate with them. The author's note at the end provides some insight into her inspiration for various characters, their professions, adventures and life stories.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the delightful reading experience prior to publication!

I saw a review for this on Instagram and was surprised I had not heard of it yet. I've read The School for Essential Ingredients by the same author and have fond memories of that book, but Kari's review made me go directly to Netgalley to request this new one. I picked this up to get a little taste before bed and was sad to have to stop so soon. A few days later I had a chance to get back to it, and I could not put it down! This is a book about books and is the story of one book's author and 9 others who were changed by that book, each story told singularly and completely. The thread of the one book was masterful throughout the chapters and the connection in the last chapter to previous stories was perfect.

If you had told me this was a book of interconnected short stories, I would have run directly the other way. It is - but it really isn't. I am SO glad Bookstagram made me do it, and I will be purchasing a copy of this and highlighting passages so that it can live on my favorites bookshelf.

Pros: My favorite thing about this book was that it examines how each person experiences the same piece of art/music/literature differently because of their life experiences. I also liked the structure of the book—that each chapter is how a new character experiences the book written in the first part. It made me think of the structure of Homegoing, which is a good thing.

Cons: This is one of those books that although I thought it was fine, I think other readers will love it. (There was nothing wrong with this book—I just didn’t connect to the characters like I think other readers will.)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book.

I am not rating this book because I could not finish it. The premise was so intriguing, but the structure just didn’t work for me. I loved the idea of a book resonating deeply with different people for different reasons and the opening story about the author is compelling. But as the stories went on, I found myself struggling to enjoy how they each started out in difficult spots and found themselves healed or in new places after reading (or being exposed to) the book. I started dreading the next reader knowing it would start bleak. This structure may change, but at the 30% mark I just didn’t want to keep going. Seems like I’m in the minority here, though!