I loved this book! What a beautifully rendered reminder of the important part one book can play in different people's lives, and how it means something unique to each person. Readers, writers, librarians, anyone who loves books should read this. I'll be recommending it widely - and buying multiple copies as gifts.

I'm very grateful to have had a chance to read an egalley in advance of publication.

Quite a read and I think uniquely done. A novel, but also a collection of “short stories”. The core of the novel IS a novel-“ THEO”- and how this book is read and how it affects the lives of ten diverse characters. Every reader will I’m sure have one or two favorite characters ,but as is pointed out : “no two persons ever read the same book”- hence the title. Those who say I “I don’t read fiction, you never learn anything“ should read this book.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is About a Book Within a Book!

Alice always knew she had a special book locked inside her just waiting to get out one day. She continues to keep it safely tucked away until two events take place in her young life.

The first event is a tragedy that rips Alice's heart out. She's raw with the pain and hole it leaves in her life.

The second event is when Alice meets someone who believes in her creative abilities to become a writer. This person mentors her and offers the final push she needs to find the words that make her story flow forth and take shape.

The result is Alice's debut novel titled Theo. Her book finds its way to nine different readers, some drawn to it more than others, but all are impacted by what they read, in different ways...

No Two Persons became my closest friend for a few days. I started each day with it, it was the last thing I saw each night, and it evoked deep emotions in me. Yep, I cried and seriously, who doesn't love reading about a book within a book?

The premise is original and the book is character-driven. Each chapter felt like a separate story and I connected to each character as I traveled story to story. I loved how some characters were intertwined with other stories giving an overall "small world" feel.

I thought No Two Persons was a fantastic book. What I loved the most were the emotions it stirred in me about memories I hadn't thought about for a very long time. As an emotional reader, that's the definition of a great book for me! I'm hoping to have many more books like this one in my 2023 reading year and I'll definitely be exploring Ms. Bauermeister's backlist. I highly recommend!

5 Original-Emotional-Character-driven Stars!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin Press, and Erica Bauermeister for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

"No Two Persons" is the best book I've read in a really long time. I typically read about 80 books a year and after a while, they all start to blend together. This book will stay with me for a while and I will recommend it to others. I honestly read it slowly on purpose so it wouldn't end!

The book revolves around a book called "Theo" and each chapter is essentially a short story told about a different character and how "Theo" affected their lives. It's such an interesting theme - where this book affects everyone differently and comes into each person's life bringing different meaning to the reader at the time. Such an interesting and usual concept - but so meaningful! Loved it!

I want to thank St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review No Two Persons by author Erica Bauermeister.
“All that matters is that we try”.
Alice knew as a child that she wanted to be an author. She gave up her scholarship and dropped out of college. Nothing inspires her for a long time. Finally her first book, Theo.
Each successive chapter is headed by a different person. Almost like a book of short stories but they are somehow bound together by Theo. The stories include an actor, a diver, a caretaker for a ghost town and a homeless teenager among others. You soon look forward to finding out how each of them connects to the novel.
This book should definitely become a good discussion book for bookclubs. Maybe it could have a subtitle, Theo.
No Two Persons publishes 05/02/2023.
No Two Persons

This book was just magical, intertwining lives with a single book as the common element. As the storyline of the fictional book, Theo, is slowly revealed through multiple stories, the central theme of how important books can be to our lives is clear. There is quote near the end of the book that sums this theme up perfectly, although the message is evident without it being told directly to the reader:
"Books spoke to different people for specific reasons, and it had everything to do with where they were in their lives".
As a librarian, I would love to believe that I might hand a book to a student at just the right time in their lives to make a difference. Each individual story within this book is beautiful and could easily become a book itself. I highly recommend this book.

Book Title: No Two Persons
Author: Erica Bauermeister
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: May 2, 2023
My Rating: 3.4 Stars

I have only read one author, Erica Bauermeister novel which was "The Scent Keeper" which I loved.

This story is how ten different lives are affected differently just by reading a book called “Theo”.

Alice Wein is the writer of “Theo”; and we learn about her story and how she came up with this title. I totally loved this part of the story. Took me back to my college days but I was never a wannabe author. Had a couple awesome English prof but I knew I was lousy at writing. Loved to read and thought writers were amazing! I believe I would have loved Professor Roberts and certainly would have learned something from him
.
Then nine others~ Lara, Rowan, Miranda, Tyler, Nola, Kit, William, Juliet, and Madeline ~
- an Actor-
- an artist- furious at the world around her,
- an Assistant - a twin as well as a tired mom
- a bookseller - in search of love,
- a caretaker -
- A coordinator-
- a diver- pushing himself beyond endurance,
- teenager - hiding her homelessness,
- a widower - in grief.
Each one is drawn into Alice’s novel; and they each discover something different. Their stories reveal how books can affect us and how we are all more closely connected to one another than we might think.
Hmm this did make me think of “The Seven Degrees of Separation", that any two people are separated by at most seven connections- these connections are social and can be an acquaintance, friend, relative, etc.
However, that isn’t really what happened.
These characters were interesting but they didn’t have the hold on me like Alice!

I always enjoy the author’s acknowledgements. She tells us her inspiration came from a variety which lead her to do research. In her ‘Author’s Note’ she tells us that her research of other books talks about how we readers never really read a story that the author really wrote. Just as one can never read the ‘same’ book twice.
Thus the saying – No two persons ever read the same book or saw the same picture.

I have no doubt that this is going to be a big hit with book club discussions.

This story is certainly a very unique read!
Love the cover.

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 2, 2023

A single book passes through many different readers' hands, touching each one in a unique, provocative way. Theo is the book, and author Erica Bauermeister has brilliantly captured the mind of a writer and how stories connect and influence us. There were so many beautiful phrases--flawless writing-- it was hard not to feel every word. Few authors master the exploration and complexities of the human condition like Bauermeister. She pulls the readers and threads together in a conclusion that will make you wish for more of these characters. Stunning novel.

No Two Persons has a unique premise - the reader is introduced to Alice Wein in the first chapter, and she writes a book entitled "Theo". It is based on her own experiences and is quite poignant. Each of the next nine chapters is a story about different individuals interacting with the book and how it has had a significant impact on their lives. These include a publishing assistant who discovers the manuscript, an actor who narrates the audiobook, a blocked artist, a driven free diver, a deserted teenager, a bookseller, a ghost town caretaker, an intimacy coordinator (this is explained in the book) and a powerful publisher who has received unwelcome news.

This book is a hybrid between a novel and a collection of short stories. While all the characters have "Theo" in common, each of them comes to the book in different ways and they also use it in different ways. Because it resembles a short story collection, No Two Persons has an issue inherent to that genre. By the time I was coming to understand the new character in each chapter and getting invested in their story, the chapter ended. I was left wanting more of some of the characters' stories but overall the book was beautifully written and Erica Bauermeister gave each of the characters depth even though we are only with them for a chapter. It's a unique concept well-executed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on May 2, 2023.

An absolute gem! This book is the perfect read for book lovers everywhere. Anyone who has ever experienced the power of connecting with a book will relate to this novel. I loved the connecting threads between the characters, knowing their backstories when they entered each other's lives. This story shows us how the ripples from a book spread out through the world as people read it.

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

Young Alice is writing a book- mirroring her life- drawn to words that pour out her feelings and memories, creating an array of characters of many ages, life circumstances and experiences.
Each character is drawn in literary, emotional, deeply-felt imagery, as the reader is taken by how they respond to their past and present.
This is a book of a book and those who find it. From the beginning to the end, Bauermeister writes the stories of the author and the readers, as well as the story of the book itself as it moves back and forth from author to agent.
It is stated that a book is like an invitation, something that we, the reader, will think about later and may or may not find a concrete answer, but certainly a revelation.
As you reluctantly come to the end, the Epigraph is the truth.
However, I believe we, the readers and book lovers, will all be astonished and wordless.

I love how each character was effective by the story. I’m sure each of us can relate to one or more of the characters. This book kept me wanting more. I definately recommend this one.

Five stars! Best book of the month for me (Jan. 2023) - what an amazing and creative story idea. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review.

Erica's writing is superb and I have not read a book like this before. Books and stories are celebrated and the way different people get to experience a story. Read it and get a copy for your fave book lover!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I love the originality of this book and how the same book can have many lives depending on who reads it. The writing was also beautiful and thought provoking. The issue I have is that it read more like a series of short stories. It was easy to get lost in each one, however, it felt disjointed when you went on to the next chapter. Eventually, some of the short stories connect, but it was hard to remember how they fit into the main story originally. I would have liked to see some of it come more full circle and also would have liked to have a better understanding of the book that inspired all of these readers.

No two persons read the same book - an adage that is proven by following Alice Wein's novel, Theo, as it falls in the hands of different people - the agent, the diver, the artist, etc. An interesting and fun journey.

I was excited to get my hands on this book as I love The Scent Keeper. This book took me on such a beautiful and captivating journey. I got to follow the lifecycle of a story and all the lives it touched. Each character/story to me on a new adventure that I wasn’t expecting. I highly recommend this book! Such a creative way to story tell.

Alice writes a book based on her brothers life. This book is 9 short stories about Alice, people who read her book, and how it impacted them. The author does a great job getting the reader invested in each new character. I'm not a fan of short stories, but this book was a treat.

I didn’t think Erica Baiermeister could write a better book than The Scent Keeper, but wow did she prove me wrong! I loved this book. It’s about Alice, an author who writes this story, and then we see how it impacts 9 others. I found this book hard to put down and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for the ARC!

📚 No Two Persons
✍ Erica Bauermeister
📖 Contemporary Fiction
⭐ 4.75/5

🙏 A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of No Two Persons in exchange for an honest review.

💭"Books spoke to specific people for specific reasons, and it had everything to do with where they were in their lives."
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🎯 What I loved: Every chapter tells the story of a different character, their narratives winding together through the common thread of a book that impacts them. Where I found this style of writing in The Candy House difficult to follow, Bauermeister executed gently tying the stories of an auther, an actor, an intimacy coordinator, a publisher, a widower (and more!) flawlessly. No Two Persons is a thoughtful progression stories that highlight how books integrate themselves into our lives and unify us- even if no two people ever read the same book the same way. It's beautifully crafted like The Scentkeeper but drastically different in terms of style. Bauermeister has a far-reaching range for storytelling that left me completely immersed. I have no doubt that this will be on many 'Best of 2023' lists.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: I was living for the tiny nibbles of characters re-mentioned in some of the later stories. They felt like little Easter eggs! But, I wish there were more of them. Several of the stories left on cliff hangers (especially William's) and I was dying to know what happened next to each of the characters. But, as Bauermeister masterfully writes in the final chapter: "I just don't think life gets tied up with a bow very often."
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Read if you love:
*interwoven but stand-alone stories
*books about books and the power of stories
*truly beautiful writing
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See also: Remarkably Bright Creatures, The Candy House, Thank You For Listening

From discussing books with others, we realize that no two people read the same book. This novel shows the enormous power of a story. Nine people read a novel and the impact it has on each of them is different. A truly lovely story.

If you love the way a good book can make you feel, you’ll love this! Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an early copy of No Two Persons.