Thank you to #Netgalley for granting me an ARC on this novel. Normally I do not enjoy books written with individual stories in it, but I do love this author and I really enjoyed this book. I liked how one story connected all the stories continuing on in this book, different lives and how they were affected by the first story. Well done!

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

This quote that appears on the dedication and is explained even more in the Author’s Note had me really thinking for a moment and truly is what is at the heart of this book. No Two Persons is not really one story, but rather the story of ten different characters, each of whom is touched by the novel, Theo, in a different way. We hear the story of the author, then nine other people who find the book in their hands for various reasons, and learn what the book means to them based on the context of their lives the moment the book finds them. In each story, we learn more about each character and how exactly this one book changed their life. What is so special and so magical is the idea behind the opening quote: despite each of them reading the same book, they each find a different meaning in it based on their current circumstances. And how beautiful is that? To make it all even better, as you read you start to find some of these characters are interconnected, despite finding the book in different years and different locations around the US.

This book is one that will stick with me for a long time and will likely be one I continue to recommend for years to come. In fact, immediately after closing it, I was already texting people telling them this NEEDED to be their next read. Not only is the premise such a unique love letter to books and how they can change us, but the writing itself is beautiful. I was fully immersed in this story from the moment I picked it up, and could not stop until I was finished. I can without a doubt say that this will be one of my favorite books of 2023.
The audiobook is read by multiple narrators which is perfect as we hear each unique story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copy.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

This wasn’t an immediate home-run, but it did gradually grow on me and I appreciated its uniqueness. Although this wasn’t my first book by the author (I read The Scent Keeper and really enjoyed it), I seemed to struggle with her writing style with this latest novel.

I loved the premise that no two people have ever read the same book. We all interpret books and art differently based on our distinct life experiences or current mindset. At the center of “No Two Persons” is a book-within-a-book called: Theo. Each chapter is a quick vignette highlighting the various people involved in the creation of the novel and then individual readers impacted by the book after its publication.

We begin with the author, Alice, as she formulates her debut novel. From there, we move onto the literary assistant who plucks the book from obscurity and advocates for its release. Then we have the actor who brings the audiobook to life with his narration. After that, there are various readers from all across the US who stumble upon the novel over the years and form a unique connection to it. Each reader has a hurdle they’re trying to overcome and “Theo” finds them at a pivotal time. None of them read the book in the same way and each person is able to gather from it what they need to make a significant change in their life.

My favorite chapters were the first three that involved the actual publishing industry (the final chapter as well). I loved learning how the novel was concocted and distributed, and I wish we had stuck with that theme more. However, we then switched gears and meet 4-5 separate readers and while these sections were still interesting in the moment, I wanted more depth. Each chapter is essentially a short story and there just wasn’t enough time to really develop these characters and understand why the book moved them so much.

In the end, I did enjoy this but wanted more of an emotional punch.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an electronic Advanced Reader Copy of this title.

I was intrigued as soon as I read about the concept of this book, and I'm so glad I was approved to read it through NetGalley. This story may be fictitious, but it truthfully demonstrates the power of books and words as it follows one singular story and shows how it affects multiple people. The writer, a homeless teen, an artist, and a free diver are only a few of the 9 humans we meet along the way. It is beautifully simple yet complex, and will make the reader think twice about where the stories they read come from, and how many others they have touched.

A story about what happens when different people read the same book. Some become inspired to change something in their lives–job/relationship/attitude. Some find hatred in themselves or things and people around them. Some fall in love with the words and binge the story; while others go slowly and savor it because they don’t want it to end.

I found this to be a beautiful read. I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter and every character.

This book is a representation of your art making a difference to the world around you. Even if you are not confident in your art–whatever form that might be–if you share it it will connect with someone. Be vulnerable in your art and your truth will show and will be appreciated by others.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
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One book. Nine readers. Ten lives changed.
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This book was such a lovely story. There are ten people and we read about each person’s interaction with a book simply called “Theo”. We start with the author and her story of writing the book. We move through an assistant, a bookseller, a student, a caretaker, an actor and several more. Each section feels like it could be a moving short story and yet they are all connected simply through this one book.
My favorite sections were The Student, The Author and The Agent.
There were a lot of great quotes throughout the story about life in general and having a love for reading. Any book lover would enjoy this book.
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is not a typical book I would read but I absolutely enjoyed it! We follow the story of a book’s inception, its publication, and its impact on readers, near and far, across multiple years. It's amazing how one person's writings can impact generations and stand the tests of time. It makes you think about different things you've read and the longevity. I would recommend this and probably will read it again!

Such an interesting concept for a story and very well done! No Two Persons follows ten different stories intertwined by one book and the impact it had on each of the ten lives. It's a beautiful story of the importance of books and stories in our lives and that we can all lead different lives but still be effected by that same story. It's the journey books themselves take in our world. And it was beautifully done!

Loved how all the storylines are connected by the book the author wrote. Books impact people in different ways and can sometimes can give you perspective. Some of the characters knew each other which adds to that character's development. On the other hand, if you don't like the story jumping so many times, it may not be the book for you. Definitely worth the read!

A powerful exploration of the meaning of books and stories in one's life

The story of a writer and how she turned tragedy into an extraordinary novel. The lives the novel touches and what the story means to people in all walks of life.

I wanted to really love and be touched by this novel but it didn't hit the way i was expecting it to. But many of the individual stories were quite powerful and impactful.

Almost an anthology of stories on a common theme, a book titled Theo, this culminates into an engaging story overall.

No Two Persons tells the story of one book and the ten lives it touches. First, with the author who always had a dream of publishing a book. Her story leads into other, sometimes interconnected, stories where the book features in different ways.

As a book lover, I truly enjoyed this unique take on reading and books. Books come into our lives and can shape it in so many ways – and that can look very different to different people. I feel that No Two Persons really brought this to the surface and celebrates the affect books can have on people.

I both listened and read to this book. The audio experience is especially nice with a cast of narrators.

Special thanks to the NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

I finished NO TWO PERSONS a few weeks ago, and it easily has taken my top spot for favorite book of this year (out of 52 so far). I loved this book. It’s a book about books, made for book lovers, but not in a cheesy way at all. There is such great depth to these characters and their stories and how their lives are individually impacted by the same book. The writing is beautiful and the way the characters are linked and come together at the end is so perfect. I was so immersed, I wanted to go quickly, but at the same time I didn’t want it to end. This is one of the most unique books I’ve read in a long time and I can’t say enough good things about it. I will be buying a physical copy to reread and tab so many things!

I had a very hard time finishing this book. It was essentially short stories about people who had encountered the same novel. I would start to get into a character, and then that chapter would end and the author would introduce a new character. In the end it was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

I love a "book within a book" premise and enjoyed The Scentkeeper so much that I knew I had to pick up this title. RBC author Erica Bauermeister is a brilliant writer and storyteller. This was a memorable and engaging read

This book starts with a quote, "No two persons ever read the same book," and then goes on to prove this exact point. The story begins with Alice who writes a book, but it is more than that. You learn about Alice, who she is, and what motivates her. The following chapters are different people who read her book and how the story affects them. Each of these different people are a rich story in itself, and I would have been happy with more, lots more, on each of these different stories, as each of these sections were so good all on their own. While the characters seem unrelated, it becomes obvious there are little connections among multiple characters, so you get little glimpses into what happens next for several of the characters. This book is very clever and definitely proves that no two persons ever read the same book. An excellent read and one I highly recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy. My opinions are my own.

To quote Lara “THIS ONE”.

No Two Persons is an incredibly special novel that brought me to tears several times. Words can’t express how much I love this book and how much of an impact it had on me. I took my sweet time savoring every beautiful written sentence and each person's story. In just 320 pages, my hope for humanity was restored. I love how each character was going through something and the different ways the book helped them; as well as how each person's story weaved together by the end. This will forever be one of my favourite books and a book I’ll always recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Truth-Telling Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
The way authors take a concept, create their tales and then put it out takes true grit. It is a huge endeavor and one to be admired. I have read in the past the troupe of a single item that is the vehicle for many to tell their story.

This time it is a debut novel that touches nine people, each in a different way as reading is subjective in nature. We are there to see how each of these specific experiences impacts the readers.

I think this one’s for all the book lovers out there, and for those who understand the ways in which stories can move and shape us. “Books answered the questions she couldn’t ask people.”
As cliche as it sounds, No Two Persons is like unraveling an onion. Each character is connected to the overarching story, yet they’re individually unique to themselves (much like how the outside of an onion can be slimy and gross while the inside is perfect…okay I’m done with the onion analogy now).
Each character felt raw and real. No frills or nonsense. Simply every day people you may be able to relate to and, if you didn’t relate to them, ones you could learn from.
I think my only negative note about this book was the amount of characters in the story, yet they really are kind of necessary to the whole plot line, so I’m not even sure I should count that as a negative. It’s really a personal preference there. If I kept a flow chart it probably wouldn’t have bothered me.
Overall, it’s one I’d keep on your radar. I think it’s going to be one of those love it or hate it books, but I’d lean more towards the love it side

I read Erica Bauermeister’s previous novel The Scent Keeper a couple years ago and absolutely adored that book. Two of the things I had loved about that book were the story itself (with its unique structure, interesting subject matter, and fascinating characters) as well as the gorgeously lyrical and immersive writing. Given this experience, it’s probably no surprise that when I was approved for an ARC of Bauermeister’s newest work No Two Persons, I was ecstatic knowing that I would be in for another mesmerizing read. While in the end, the experience was a little different from what I expected, I still really enjoyed this one overall.

In this book, Bauermeister once again employs a unique structure — this time, through a series of linked short stories — to explore the impact that one book has on 10 different people, starting with the young author who writes the book, Alice Wein. Each story presents characters from different walks of life who are struggling in some way (whether it’s with love, relationships, grief, illness, financial insecurity, etc.) but then they encounter Alice’s book, simply titled Theo, which opens the door to a different perspective — and in some cases, a much-needed path forward — for each person. I found it fascinating how Bauermeister was able to weave Theo so seamlessly into each character’s story and adapt it to meet the situation they were in. As I was reading each story, I knew Theo was going to make an appearance somehow, but I didn’t know when or how, which made me want to keep reading to find out (and then marveling to myself afterwards how brilliant each instance was). Each story also gave us insight into Theo’s plot and while we never got the full story arc of course, enough details were revealed that it made me wish it were a real book, as it was one that I’d definitely be interested in reading.

As an avid reader, I definitely resonated with the messages in this book — that no two persons will read the same book in the same way; that certain books have a way of meeting the reader where they’re at in their lives; that some books have the power to change lives, but sometimes, we need to be willing to let them in and give them a chance. In that sense, this was also an ode to books and reading, which I absolutely appreciated.

The other thing I really liked about this book was the writing, which was beautiful and lyrical, similar to what I saw in The Scent Keeper. I also found it refreshing that this book was written from the third person perspective — which normally wouldn’t matter to me, but because most of the books I’ve read lately were written from the first person point of view, it was nice to finally read something where I got to see things from all the different characters’ perspectives instead of having to remain in one character’s head through the entire story.

My one complaint — which I always have with short story collections (though more accurately speaking, this was actually a “novel in stories” where various characters cross over into each other’s story) — is that each story is incomplete, so we only get glimpses into each character’s background. This made it hard to form a connection with the characters, which is important for me seeing how much I love character- driven stories — though having some of the stories be linked to each other (i.e. the writer, the agent, the publishing assistant for the same book all have their own stories) as well as having some of the characters “pass through” each other’s stories did help.

Overall, I enjoyed this one immensely, though I didn’t love it the way I did The Scent Keeper. Having said that, I still highly recommend this one, especially with its interesting structure and the way it explores various life situations that will likely resonate with many readers. I also think that people who love books and recognize the importance of reading will really appreciate this one.

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Erica Bauermeister's newest novel is a departure from traditional novels in that it is a basically a collection of 10 short stories and an epilogue. At its core the book is about Alice, an author, and her book Theo. Each short story is told from the perspective of different readers of Alice's book over a span of several years. Like many short story collections, I enjoyed some more than others. In each short story, I did enjoy getting to know a little bit more about Alice's book and her main character, Theo.
At its heart this novel does show how one character can be interpreted and accepted by different readers based on where they are in life or who they have been in life.

Readers of literary fiction, short stories, and lovers of books for being books will find something to love about this novel.

I received a dARC of this work from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and interpretations are my own.