This novel is about one book and the impact it has on nine different people around the US. Told in a Love, Actually type of way where you focus on a different person at different times, with characters from previous chapters making appearances and intertwining, this books showcases how meaningful a book can be. Author Alice writes a book called Theo that takes the world by storm. As different people connect with it in different ways, you can see that even if everyone is reading the same book, no two people see it in the exact same way.
💭Thoughts💭
I loved the way that this was written where we focus on someone new each part. There were certain characters I wanted to stay with longer, and certainly some that I wanted to skip past. Overall I loved this book and only felt that it dragged a small bit.
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⌛️Favorite Moment⌛️
I loved that the book meant so much to so many. I also loved that we only really knew the bare bones of the book at first and learned more and more through each character. I also loved learning about different things through the characters jobs and passions : free diving, intimacy coordinator, publisher, etc.
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🎉 Theme Ideas 🎉
Pick your favorite character from the book and do something that they would do! Go swimming (Alice’s brother or Tyler), make some art (Miranda), listen to an audiobook (Rowan) or organize your bookshelves (Madeline)!

I really enjoyed this and flew through it in two days. I loved the perspective of 9 different readers telling how a single book affected their lives. Bauermeister is a very talented writer who is able to make you feel and understand people from very different backgrounds. Highly recommend this book.

An interesting collection of short stories that demonstrate the power of the book and how it echoes across various people

There is something so unique and magical about Erica Bauermeister’s writing. The Scent Keeper was one of my favourites the year I read it and this was an instant hit for me too.

This book spoke to me in so many ways. A perfect book for book lovers. A good reminder how books impact everyone in different ways.

It almost read like a fictional book of essays. Each chapter it’s own short story but all revolving around one thing - a book.

So many bookish quotes and gems - I enjoyed tabbing my way through!

No Two Persons was hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read.

I felt seen and heard.
The premise revolves around a novel and how it affects different people that are loosely connected. Each chapter is from a different pov (the writer, the teenager etc). Some hit harder than others but I truly enjoyed each and every story.

What a book. What amazing writing and what a heartfelt storyline. I read it all night in one sitting. So impressed and obsessed!

Love love love and appreciate the early copy here!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for my gifted copy.

I don't know why I waited so long to read this one, I loved it! 1 book, 9 readers, and 10 lives changed. I think I waited so long to read this one because the many characters put me off. I am definitely glad I gave this one a chance. Book Lovers like myself are going to love this one!

This is a story for readers, and also one that can make reluctant readers consider how the same words impact each of us differently. Alice Wein writes a novel about a broken boy, Theo, who finds his way to whole. What follows is a journey through the lives and reading experiences of ten of her readers, from different walks of life, so willing and others reluctance, to be drawn in to her words and Theo’s world. This is a story about connection, about how one story can bring people together and help them see where and how they fit in the world.

This was such a wonderful book! I absolutely loved the premise- short stories all centered around the relationship with one person and a book that is unique to each person. I particularly loved the homeless high school girl and the diver. Such a creative writing technique!

This is an absolute must read for all book lovers. I feel like each time you read No Two Persons, you will get more out of it.

Thank you @macmillanaudio for my gifted audiobook.

I really like books about books and this one was no exception. The way Alice's book and story wove throughout everyone's stories in the book was very special. It really showed the impact of a book and how it can affect people and their lives/decisions and I truly loved that. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC.

I don't typically love short stories and this book just seemed to be a collection of short stories that all tied together, chapter by chapter. That being said, this book was so, so good. I literally read it in a day and couldn't put it down.

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

Pretty cool book about perspectives. How we are similar and different. A lady is trying to publish a book. She's worked hard on it and now needs help finishing the project. Each person she asked to read it comes from a different place and gives different advice.

A love letter to readers and books. A unique way to show how impactful literature is and meaningful to all kinds of people. A good read for any bookworm

6/10

I wanted to love this book. I love the concept of “no two people read the same book.” After all, when reading a book we don’t even ever really know what the author was thinking or feeling when they penned the words. Even more, we each bring our history and our beliefs to everything we read.

This book doesn’t follow a character as it evolves as much as it follows a book.

In the first chapter, Alice (a college student) writes a book that she calls Theo.

Each consecutive chapter is a short story in itself that dives into a different persons experience with the book, Theo, and how it has an influence on their lives.

Neat concept, right?
Unfortunately it didn’t play out well for me. There wasn’t really an arc to the story. After the first chapter I found the book very hard to pick up - mostly because there was nothing for me to care about.

You don’t get to know any of the characters long enough to be emotionally invested, and there isn’t anything about the novels book (Theo) that makes you want to keep reading.

Erica is clearly a good writer, it’s just that this book of hers left me with a whole lot of “meh” and more than a dollop of joy that I finally finished.

#netgalley #notwopersons

No Two Persons
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Author: Erica Bauermeister

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: This was a beautifully written, slightly poignant story about how ten lives are changed from just one story over the span of years. This was a book in a book story but unique as I have not read one like this before. An author finally gains the courage to write a book and then this book goes to the assistant for review for publication, then after its published goes to a variety of people, an actor, a diver, an artist, a teenager, someone who cares for others, a coordinator, back to the publishing agent, and the bookseller. Each of these lives are affected by reading this story. Just one of the most beautifully, poignant stories I have read in a few years.

The story is narrated by the writer and nine readers, from their respective POVs. The storyline is character driven, rather than plot driven. The characters were well developed, even if they only have a short vignette, with compassion, emotion, and relatable. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, thought-provoking, and just absolutely brilliant! The story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. While usually I do not like a short story type of novel, I really loved this one. I just felt like I could relate one way or another with each of the characters. I also loved how some of the characters showed up in other character’s stories, showing that this really is a small world. When I would have to stop the book, I could not wait to go back to the book. This book definitely had me thinking about it afterwards and I think it will for a long while.

This was a very unique story, one that has not been done before. While we as readers, read books differently, and our life experiences shape how we will interpret the book, this really brings that to light and I loved see this fresh perspective on it. This is one my top books for this year, without a doubt. I HIGHLY recommend picking up.

Alice's debut novel affects nine readers in nine different ways.

This was an intriguing premise but unfortunately it fell flat for me, possibly because I'm not a fan of short stories, and that's ultimately what this was. Perhaps if the nine stories had been tied together better at the end, I would have liked it more.

The Scent Keeper (4 stars) remains my favorite book by this author.

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister takes the reader on a journey with other readers. If anyone has wondered how a book can impact different people, this is the book for them. Bauermeister did a good job capturing the reader’s attention. No Two Persons is beautifully crafted with wonderful imagery and interesting character personality. Bauermeister has a way of making the reader feel like he or she is in the story standing right next to the characters. Additionally, a great book is one that can make someone feel a full range of emotions from happiness and lighthearted joy to sadness and anger, and Bauermeister did not disappoint with No Two Persons. This book was a joy to read.

A special thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced Reader Copy of No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This review can be found on Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5152674440

"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. ... 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."In the beginning of Erica Bauermeister's No Two Persons, a character named Alice births a novel called Theo, and each subsequent chapter tells the story of someone who reads (or otherwise subsumes) Theo and how the novel affects each of them. It's a book about a book, but it's also about serendipity and how story can change us, connect us, incrementally heal us. The structure works, but   I would have liked to have spent more time and gone a little deeper with some characters. If you like novels built of short stories, if like me you're a fan of books like Winesburg, Ohio and Olive Kitteridge, then No Two Persons should be on your tbr list.
[Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

I love, love, loved this book about books! No two persons ever read the same book - or have the same experience with the same book. This was a lovely exploration of so many people encountering one work of literature. I enjoyed every minute!

This book simply blew me away. This is a true book lovers book and it is so unique. My favorite thing about books is how one book can mean so many different things to so many different people. The story almost reads like ten short stories to hat all come back to this one book, yet they are connected.
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We get the author’s story in how the book came to life, the tired mother who championed the book, the publisher, the teen who had to read it in class and others but my favorite was audiobook narrator’s section. This is a brilliant book that weaves what one single book can mean to so many. I absolutely love this one and wish the book that touched all their lives was a book I could read myself!
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Huge thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.