Put two people in a room and ask them a question and there is quite the possibility that their answers would differ. We like to think of ourselves as individuals with different thoughts, dreams, and ways to look at life. In No Two Persons, the author takes us on a journey of exploration centering on nine people and their reactions to one story.

Alice, a young aspiring writer, is the author of this story, and over the years as her book makes the rounds, the lives of the nine people are viewed. We learn of their tragedies, the power that drives them, the loss of a loved one, and unexpected love. Each of the nine feels a connection to the book and although they come from backgrounds that are so very different, they find that the book speak to them in all sorts of ways. The characters range from a homeless teen to a widower, an artist to a free diver, and a bookseller, and of curse the author herself. Each have their own mountain to climb combating the life they have chosen for themselves.

The amazing ways these words moved people is a powerful element in this tale. The written word that makes a change in our lives is a glorious experience, and these nine people come away better for their reading of it. What a way this author chose to celebrate the written word! 

This was definitely a fabulous book that was very hard to put down without its meaning making the reader think, wonder, and agree with the author. A definite recommendation from me as a book that would definitely pop up on my top reads of 2023.

Thank you to Erica Bauermeister, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this wonderful book which published in May. Don't pass this one up book lovers!

Great mystery about family and loyalty and secrets Children trying to figure out who to give their loyalty to and who to believe

Coming across this book on NetGalley, the 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"- is what encouraged me to request a copy. Alice writes a book and we get glimpses of how it has an effect on the lives of multiple people. Moving forward in time and place we see how her novel shaped the lives of those who read it.

I enjoyed many of the characters, seeing the lives and watching how the book shows up. I was a bit disappointed in not getting more of their stories-but that's one of the points of the book-we don't always get to know. It's also a little slow in the beginning-I didn't start to enjoy it until I was half way through.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy to read.

A book about a book, for book lovers and everyone else. I adore books that are creatively crafted, and this is definitely one of them. There are several things that I loved most about this book:

1. It has such an ingenious plot. Each chapter is a story about a different person, and a book called Theo is weaved into all the different character's lives.

2. Each chapter is cleverly thought out and executed. At first, I couldn't figure out why the chapters were dated, but everything eventually became clear as the story unfolded.

3. The writing contained so much depth of feeling. It felt like each chapter was saying, "Hi! Do you want to hear my story?" And I most certainly did!

Finally, this novel demonstrates how the right book will ultimately reach out to the right person at the right time and what a great impact books can have on our lives. It was most definitely the right book for me!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book. Pub date: May 2, 2023.

After falling in love with The Scent Keeper, I was anxiously awaiting the next creation by this author. This compilation was exquisitely crafted and uniquely unexpected.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for sending this book for review consideration.

I loved everything about this book starting with this quote: “No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture”. - The Writings of Madame Swetchine, 1860.

This was the first book I had read by Erica Bauermeister and now I have added all of her past books to my TBR pile.

The book was told in connected stories which is not a form that I like to read but this was the exact right format for this book! The ability to blend the 10 characters and their lives together while each stands alone was beautiful.

The book was character driven, emotional and very intricate.

Publish Date is May 2, 2023
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

⭐️: 4.5/5

Alice always wanted to be a writer, but struggled with connecting enough to the world to have anything to write about. After suffering a large personal trauma, she finally creates a debut novel. As the novel finds its way through publication and into the hands of readers, those readers find themselves changed in unique and unexpected ways.

I loved the concept behind this book, that no two people will ever read or experience the exact same piece of art, because part of the experience of ingesting it comes from each individual person’s past experiences and personalities. It’s one of the reasons why reading the same book as a group of friends is so interesting, because everyone will find something different to take away from it. The inclusion of so many different types of stories in the form of the readers of Alice’s book was so impressive, since each came with their own unique backstory and personality. Some of the readers had backstories that made me wish that there was a whole book about them and what was going on in their life, instead of just a part of a whole. The overall effect was a cohesive book that also read a little bit like an anthology of short stories, all connected by a single, fictional novel. The small overlaps between the stories made it kind of like an Easter egg hunt to read, and the result was a book full of characters with stories that I already know will stick with me.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

No Two Persons, by Erica Bauermeister, is an unusual book that follows a novel instead of a person. The novel is first written by a woman who lost her brother. You then meet, through other short stories, various people who the novel affect. This was a wonderful book! I’ve never read anything quite like this style.

The tagline for 𝐍𝐎 𝐓𝗪𝐎 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 (pub 05.02) reads "𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴." I loved everything about this book.

I love books about books and a book within a book- this is both and so much more. The structure of this book pulled me in from page one. The story begins with Alice "The Writer". Her history is tender and complicated which she pours into the pages of her novel. From there we follow The Assistant, The Actor, The Artist, The Diver, The Teenager, The Bookseller, The Caretaker, The Coordinator, The Agent, and then Alice again in the Epilogue.

While each character's contribution and connection to the overall narrative is a short glimpse, each one is robust, vivid and complete. The way Bauermeister wove their stories together was clever and poignant.

If I had a print copy it would be brimming with book darts because I highlighted passage after passage. Not to wax too poetically, but I appreciated how this book made me reflect on my personal connection with books. How books have both shaped & saved, entertained & educated and transformed & transported me. The opening line is "“𝘕𝘰 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦”. - The Writings of Madame Swetchine, 1860. This is a heartprint read and a new favorite for me. Perhaps it will be for you too.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free eARC.

Honestly, after I read Alice’s opening chapter and the POV changed, I thought, nope this isn’t the book for me. I wanted to stay in Alice’s world. But being someone who does not easily abandon a book, I read the next chapter, then the next until I reached the end.
I am so glad I gave No Two Persons a fair chance because I wound up really enjoying the story. Throughout these chapters, we discover how one book means so many different things to different people.(It was just like joining a book discussion on Goodreads or bookstagram.)
There were several POVs that resonated with me the most. Alice(of course), Rowan,Nola,and Madeline’s stories touched me the deepest, but every character had a unique story and perspective. I could have spent way more time with each of them. Some of the characters come together in unexpected ways but what they all have in common is Alice’s book, Theo. I won’t say more because of shark infested spoiler territory, but just like the characters who read Alice’s book, this story touched me in so many ways.

I have to admit that at the first this book seemed to be like short stories, and actually put it aside for a while. I have read several of Erica Bauermeister's books that I enjoyed so I eventually came back to it. I'm glad I did. Each chapter describes how that one person interacted with the book. By the end of the book, we find the connection between the book and all of them. It is amazing when you think about it, how one book can mean something different to each individual who reads it. No Two Persons is a great book to read and ponder. Thanks to author Erica Bauermeister, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

What an utterly beautiful, and touching story. Filled to the brim with humanity and emotion, this is an unforgettable novel. Days later and I'm still in that world, still in love with Bauermeister's characters!

This is an amazing book introducing people that have read a debut novel by a woman named Alice and each person's takeaway and journey from the exact same book!
How can one person read one thing and another read the exact same and come away with a different perspective?
It is why a story can get 5 stars by some and one star by others.
This is truly a beautiful, entertaining, heartbreaking, heartwarming story that will long stay with me!
"This is the one" for everyone!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @St. Martin's Press for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

“One book. Nine readers. Ten lives changed.”

I think all lovers of books can enjoy this story. It speaks to the power of fiction and how we all get something different out of the same book. It is multiple short stories almost, all about someone else’s experience with the book. You will meet some of the same people in different chapters, and some will come together in unexpected ways. It is a really fast read because you get excited every time you come across someone new; and become eager to find out their experience.

“We’re all caretakers of the stories, Alice. Writers are just the lucky ones that get to know them first.”

No Two Persons comes out 5/2.

DNFed at around the halfway point. It was meh. While I enjoyed some parts, the whole book was boring. I liked the writing style that's why I gave at least 2 stars.

I really, really enjoyed "No Two Persons", a very well done "book within a book", about a writer, Alice, who finally gets her novel (Theo") published due to her opening words & some of the readers whose lives it affected. I really liked the format of this one, how each chapter was almost its own short story - so very clever! This is a very character-driven & nuanced read - really enjoyed how different & moving it is! My sincere thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary DRC, rating & opinion my own

Excellent book. Explores how lives intertwine and interact even as strangers. And all connected to one story - great for any book lover!!

No Two Persons is a thought provoking book. I recommend keeping the tissue box close. There are so many interesting characters that are tied together by one story. I highly recommend.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The writing in this one was fantastic. I loved the prose. I was unprepared for how sad this book would be though. The incidents that happened to the characters were pretty heavy, and I hope I never endure the same medical issues as some of these characters.

I enjoyed that this book was about books and the uniqueness of the story. I’ve never read anything quite like this.

How does a book reach so many people, yet mean so many different things to all of those same people? It is fascinating when you really think about the power words have.
No Two Persons introduces us to different readers, all in different stages of life, living quite different lives. One book unites them all.
I absolutely loved this book from page one. Each chapter telling the story of a new reader. The story of the book alone was something I would have read. "Theo" touched more lives than he ever knew.
I will definitely be recommending this book to all my book loving friends and whoever else will listen to me. I would love to read more works by Erica Bauermeister. She has a gift! Special thanks to NetGalley, Erica Bauermeister, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 stars for me!