I saw this book over the summer at a local bookstore, Laguna Beach Books, and immediately wanted to buy it. Being on a student budget, it was a little pricey for me at the time, but I put it on the good ole Christmas list and it was with much joy that I opened it up on Christmas Day. I did not have the time to read it on my short break back home, but took it with me to France so I could peruse it at my leisure. I am glad I did because it really helped me out during a tough time. I do live in Paris these days but it’s still my daily life. I’m far away from friends and my support system and good lord I miss the SUN! Paris is an incredible place to visit, but for a homebody like me, adjusting to being back has been much harder than I thought it would be. I hit a low a few days before my birthday this year, feeling terribly, terribly alone. On one of my worst days, I picked this book up and John Green’s pensive writing was able to bring a smile back to my face. 

This book was not what I expected it to be. It is literally a series of reviews of random things that we have or experience during our human lives. I was surprised by this, but it ended up being just what I needed to read. Green reviews things from air conditioning to sunsets to a specific soccer match from the 1980s. The subjects of the essays are truly all over the place, but they are bound together by a common train of thought, one that carries the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic and the impending doom of climate change. But it also contains so much hope for a day that will be better and brighter and we are the ones who can make that happen. I have been a fan of many of Green’s books in the past and this was just as wonderful and as soul soothing as those books have been. For my review of Reviewing the Anthropocene, I gave John Green 4/5 stars because his books are wonderful but sometimes, they make me cry. I hope you have the chance to give any of Green’s books a read and happy reading.