Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author, Erica Bauermeister, for allowing me to read No Two Persons as an ARC reader. All opinions are my own.
“Wandering is a gift given only to the lost”. With that opening line, Theo is written. Bauermeister creates a novel within a novel. As each character enters, the reader learns more about Theo. The years and characters change as each finds something different in their reading.
I had a difficult time in the beginning, but the more I read, the more I found myself enjoying the book, the plot, the characters, and the writing. This is definitely different from the usual fiction novel, but I believe that Bauermeister has a hit with this book! I loved the ending and how the author left the reader satisfied, but hungry for more. Definitely Recommend !

"No Two Persons" by Erica Bauermeister is a great book. This one was 5 stars for me. I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a great surprise- when you keep wanting to read more.
Alice has wanted to be a writer since she learned to read. Eventually the story she needs to tell found her. That book affected many other people in different ways . The first chapter is about Alice and her book. the other 9 chapters are about how her book changed other people. Let me just say you should read it- this was one of those I couldn't put down.
The author has a great way of telling a story ,it is totally fresh and compelling. I also really enjoyed her book "The Scent Keeper" . I am looking forward to reading more of her books.

Thanks to NetGalley, Erica Bauermeister, and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to r4ead this book in exchange for an honest review.

No Two Persons is based on the premise that every individual who reads a book experiences it based on his or her unique perspective and life circumstances. As the story unfolds, it describes how one book is woven into the lives of 10 people of diverse backgrounds – the author, an assistant, an actor, an artist, a diver, a teenager, a bookseller, a caretaker, a coordinator, and an agent – over a progression of years.

Alice Wein, in borderline mystical fashion, begins writing her novel at the tender age of twenty, completing it after five long years. Like many novice authors, she receives numerous rejections until she finally receives the news that her book, entitled Theo, will be published. The story describes the life of one boy and the hardships he experienced growing into manhood, but it is so much more than that, for it draws the reader into a world of such emotional depth that reader and protagonist become one. And yet, several of the above-mentioned 10 never finish the book, one never getting past the first sentence.

The book is beautifully written with colorful descriptions and evocative prose. While Theo’s story is never fully revealed, there is enough substance to know that the events of his life speak to the individual readers at a profound, alchemical level, serving as a catalyst for a shift in their lives.

This is my first exposure to this author’s work and I intend to check out more of her writing.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

As soon as I read the description for No Two Persons, I knew I wanted to read it, especially after having loved The Scent Keeper so much. As a librarian, I'm frequently asked to recommend a "good" book or give someone guidance on their next read. This can be so difficult because as this book perfectly illustrates books hit everyone differently and may hit different depending on when in your life you read it.

The structure of this book is a little bit more like short stories in a way. You get to dive into each character and see how they interact with the one book that ties them all together. I felt like each one could have been their own full-length book. So it was a little sad each time to leave them behind and move on the next person. I also liked that there weren't really any villains in this book. It was refreshing just to read about good humans, flawed yes, but mostly good at heart.

Bauermeister's writing is so lovely. I enjoy how she focuses so much on our different senses and describes all of them in her writing. She's particularly good with describing scents (see again The Scent Keeper). My one complaint was that there were too many hyphenated run on descriptions, he-who-had-gone-to-Brown, for example. There was at least one in every chapter and I don't know why they annoyed me, but they just did. It did kind of become like a little easter egg hunt as I got further in the book though. But that's being really nitpicky.

This book is truly fantastic and a wonderful reading experience. I think this would make a great book club book as it will really get people thinking. Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

What an amazing book that takes you on a journey with several different characters and several different ways one book can be interpreted. It was very well written and I loved going through the different journeys with each character

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC from Erica Bauermeister. No Two Persons was a 'read now' selection, and I'm so glad I grabbed it up. What's really interesting about this book is the concept. As readers we all innately know that books affect people differently. This is a book, that writes about it. Alice, a writer in her heart, but not in the literal sense has never written anything. After she is devastated by a turn of events, she pours her heart into a very successful first book. On the readers end, we get to see what happens when different people read her book and how it affects them. I highly recommend this book.

“wandering is a gift given only to the lost"

This novel reminded me of the things we take for granted and that includes books themselves and the impact they have on our lives. In No Two Persons, we get to see the story of one particular book from its origin, through its publishing and audiobook process, and the way it changed the readers' lives.

I was surprised at author's ability to write unique and thoughtful stories for the characters in a limited number of pages. Even though some of the characters' stories were less impactful in my opinion, I really loved the way they interacted with the novel in their own special way. My personal favourites were the diver and the teenager, who in my opinion could have their stories turned into separate novels.

[ARC provided by NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest, voluntary review]

Engaging right from the start. I loved this tale, which read like a collection of short stories, all with the common thread of how a single book can impact the lives of many. Highly recommend!

No Two Persons

I so excited to learn that Erica Bauermeister has this new novel coming out in May, so imagine my delight when I received a copy from @netgalley and @stmartinspress. Thank you!

If you’ve read some of Bauermeister’s earlier books, you’ll know she excels at writing stories that highlight and interweave the lives of disparate characters around a central theme. This book’s theme is the idea that “no two persons ever read the same book.” Thus, the story takes us through the writing process, through publication in its different forms, and the reception of the work. Nine different characters are all connected through the book “Theo,” sometimes in surprising ways.

This book is stunningly beautiful, thought-provoking and at once heart-warming and heart-breaking. A shorter novel that makes exquisite use of every single word, I highly recommend this work to anyone who loves books, and especially character-driven stories.

One book, 9 different readers - how does one book impact people differently? Alice always wanted to be a writer. After a tragedy hits her family she leaves the life path she was on to dedicate herself to writing her book, a book about a boy named Theo. This novel brings us through 9 different stories that are intertwined and connected to this book about Theo.

When I first received the copy of this book I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it. I don’t normally love books with so many points of views. This book is basically many mini stories that all are loosely tied together. Somehow the author was able to turn this book into a beautiful story that had me intrigued from the first page. Over all I really enjoyed reading this but I did find some of the stories lacked depth and character development and I did enjoy some more than others.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I so loved this book about how a single book touches the lives of 9 others as well it’s author. I could read a book about each of its characters. I was so invested in each one. Put this on your May TBR. This is the my second 5⭐️ read by this author. If you haven’t read her last book The Scent Keepers, I highly recommend.

This is a compilation of vignettes of very different characters who read the same book and how it affected each of them. It is all tied up neatly at the end, and is a very different, yet interesting read. Being in various book clubs, it is easy to see how one book can hit different people in very different ways, whether due to their stage of life, current situation, or frame of mind. In a unique way, this book focuses on that thought, and is a very enjoyable look at what one work of fiction may mean in the lives of many people. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

Rating 4.5⭐️/5

No Two Persons is such an aptly named book. If you are a reader, this book resonates so much. I felt exposed multiple times while reading this book. It makes you pause and think.
Books and the stories within books has such an impact on us readers and there were many so many truth bombs within this novel that I had to pause at times and went “Ooh”.
No two persons reads the same book and feels the same about the different characters and instances. This book is a gift to the book reading community for us to read and appreciate that no two persons feel the same about a book. Each story touches people’s lives differently and that’s okay.
This book follows 10 different people and how a book named “Theo” touches each person differently in a series of interconnected short stories. It was so profoundly written showing the perspective of each character depending on their stage in life and the circumstances.
Highly recommend!!
I am not usually a fan of short short stories or too many POV’s but I feel this book couldn’t have been done any other way. Looking forward to read more books by Erica Bauermeister. Thanks to St Martins press and netgalley for this advanced readers copy.

"No two persons ever read the same book." The premise of this book by Erica Bauermeister dives into how a book can affect each person differently, from the author, to the agent who discovers it, to the person who uses the pages as art. I really enjoyed this novel of interconnected vignettes, it was interesting to read how one novel, Theo, is read and interpreted over many years. The way that each chapter focuses on one person and how they find Theo at that exact time in their life allows us to experience the novel from multiple points of view. I especially enjoyed how some characters pop up later in the book in other vignettes. No Two Persons is a powerful and poignant book and a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

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

Erica Bauermeister is a wonderful writer who has again written such a beautiful story about how one book touched so many people’s lives. It started with the origins of how it became a story in the first place from the perspective of the author who wrote the book, ending with the life of the literary agent who published it.

I loved reading about the perspective of each individual who read the story and the impact this book made on their lives.

The end; it's good. You have to read the book before you get there but it’s worth the ride to finally see what comes.

It’s an original story that pushes the idea of how many people are affected by one book. The book, “Theo,” within the book is presented by the writer, Alice Wein. It’s about a boy that has a harsh childhood and wants to somehow escape. Sad stories are typical and I wish I had known a little bit more about what was happening.

There are a series of chapters with stories from those who are connected to “Theo.” The author skillfully presents a glimpse from the POV of a bookseller, the literary agent and one of her assistants, the narrator of the audible version, a book reviewer and a few readers.

The stories were engaging. It’s like going to a book event with a series of authors and each one is entertaining. The characters came from all streets of life; most with a passion for books. One mother said books were like giant neighborhoods where every family is different. And, no two persons have identical take aways.

My thanks to Erica Bauermeister, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced book with an expected release date of May 2, 2023.

This book was simply so good. This book speaks to book lovers because it’s about the exact thing that makes those readers love books. It’s about how books change lives- how they’re interpreted, how the context of our lives changes the essence of the book, and how people of all differences can come together with a single book. We saw children, mothers, boys, and others as their lives were changed by this book. It made me think of the wonderful books I have read in my life that have affected me deeply. It is a love letter to books and it is very beautifully written.

I’ve read books by this author before, and I think this might be the best one. At first it read like a book of stories and I wasn’t sure that I was gonna like it. I didn’t know if it would hold my attention. I put it down for a couple days only to pick it up again and then I couldn’t put it down. I read it through to the end without stopping. It was so exciting when I started seeing the connections between each person’s story. The stories are good on their own, but they all do connect. The title of the book, no two persons, refers to the fact that every book has a different meaning to each reader. By the time you get to the end, you can really see the truth in this. I was honored to receive a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. This review is given freely, in my own opinion.

Adore the concept behind this book and the stories it wove together into a brilliant tapestry. The ten characters truly demonstrated the power of words and how one book can be translated so differently based on a person’s walk of life. The book itself was beautifully written, almost lyrical at times and the characters were enthralling and relatable. I was left speechless after finishing and will absolutely recommend this to anyone who asks.

Writing: 5/5 Characters: 4.5/5 Plot: 4/5
A pretty interesting premise — in the first chapter, Alice Wein writes, and manages to publish, a deeply felt book, drawing on her own emotional experiences. It is titled “Theo.” Each of the next nine chapters (extending over a number of years) is a story about an individual who interacts with the book in a way that has a significant impact on his or her life: the Assistant who discovers the manuscript, the actor who narrates the audio book, a blocked artist, a driven diver, a deserted teenager, a bookseller, a ghost town caretaker, an intimacy coordinator (my favorite), and a book agent.

Each story is deeply personal; several brought tears to my eyes. While I didn’t find the book depressing, many were quite poignant. As the stories continue, we learn more about the book itself from it’s opening line — “wandering is a gift given only to the lost” — to succinct summaries of its development and denouement. Kind of clever embedding a book within a book without actually having to write it! I did find one story trite (I won’t tell you which — it may not feel that way to you!)

I greatly prefer novels to short stories, so I was a little disappointed that this wasn’t really a novel. On the other hand, I read them all (I often stop after the first few in a story collection). Bauermeister is a lovely writer, and the characters have real depth. And I have always liked the concept of books and how subjective each reader’s experience is. As an aside, I also really like the cover!