I love books about books and that is essentially what this story is. Mainly one book, that finds itself in the hands of multiple different people in one way or another, and who's underlying message changes their lives.

Though we never find out 100% what the book itself is about, we get to witness the effect it has on each of our characters and how it changes the trajectory of their lives.

This is a quiet story that sneaks up on you and definitely speaks to a bookworm's heart. I loved the writing in this; so many lines reached out to me and tugged at my heartstrings.

Definitely a book you will want to have on your radar.

In a word, outstanding. I’d had an advanced copy from NetGalley for a while waiting to be read. I started hearing some buzz around the book, and much like the fictional readers’ experiences with the novel woven throughout “No Two Persons,” I decided to check it out. I’m so glad that I did. This is a book where you stop and read a line several times not because you didn’t understand the meaning, but because the phrasing was so eloquent. Completely unique and one of the best books I’ve read recently.

No Two Persons continues Bauermeister's use of the "only connect" trope that runs through Joy For Beginners and Lost Art of Mixing. In this title a book, rather than cooking, links the characters.
When Alice, daughter in a dysfunctional family(another recurring theme in the author's work)publishes her first novel, Theo, she sets the action in motion. Each chapter is devoted to a single character and how Theo impacts their life. There's a homeless girl, a new mother, a widower, a literary agent, a movie intimacy coordinator, an angry artist, a free diver, a shy bookseller, a writer and an actor. While the characters never meet as a group, some connections do occur.
Readers too, will make emotional connections in this emotionally manipulative and occasionally tear-producing story that is an ode to the power of a book and to survival.
While I enjoyed No Two Persons, I never felt a clear link between the fictional novel and the actual one and there's a bit of predictably in some of the chapters -
still, a quick, enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for the opportunity to read the advance copy.

I love a book about a book and in the case of No Two Persons, it's how the imaginary book impacts nine readers. Whoa Nelly! This is my kind of metafiction.
We start with the author, Alice, who pours her heart and the loss of her brother into a fictionalized story entitled Theo. From there the book travels from agents, bookstores, and the reading public until it comes full circle. Each of the sections represent someone who's life is altered in some way by the book, even if they never even personally read it.
As the real reader, I connected with many of the readers found within the pages and the places they found themselves in their life. How that it doesn't take reading a whole book, but sometimes a sentence or two can alter how one can see their place in the world more clearly.
Imaginative, thoughtful, and unique, No Two Persons will touch the reader in completely different ways.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an early e-copy. All opinions are my own.

Ah, the meaning of a book. It can be different things for different people, and each person who reads it (or interacts with it) will be impacted in a different way. This book shows how the story unveils itself to the author, then impacts the publishing assistant who pulls it from the slush pile. Then there's the narrator of the audiobook version, the teen girl assigned to read it for class, the widower who finds one last conversation with his late wife through her notes. The artist who only reads the first line and then deconstructs the book to use as part of her masterpiece. And the young man who, in reading the book, begins to process his own traumatic childhood. There are moments of connection or overlap between characters, but overall, their stories are their own and each fascinating in their own right.

This was such an engaging book. I found myself telling people about it as I read it, highlighting the stories of characters that I thought would resonate with them. The author's note at the end provides some insight into her inspiration for various characters, their professions, adventures and life stories.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the delightful reading experience prior to publication!

I saw a review for this on Instagram and was surprised I had not heard of it yet. I've read The School for Essential Ingredients by the same author and have fond memories of that book, but Kari's review made me go directly to Netgalley to request this new one. I picked this up to get a little taste before bed and was sad to have to stop so soon. A few days later I had a chance to get back to it, and I could not put it down! This is a book about books and is the story of one book's author and 9 others who were changed by that book, each story told singularly and completely. The thread of the one book was masterful throughout the chapters and the connection in the last chapter to previous stories was perfect.

If you had told me this was a book of interconnected short stories, I would have run directly the other way. It is - but it really isn't. I am SO glad Bookstagram made me do it, and I will be purchasing a copy of this and highlighting passages so that it can live on my favorites bookshelf.

Pros: My favorite thing about this book was that it examines how each person experiences the same piece of art/music/literature differently because of their life experiences. I also liked the structure of the book—that each chapter is how a new character experiences the book written in the first part. It made me think of the structure of Homegoing, which is a good thing.

Cons: This is one of those books that although I thought it was fine, I think other readers will love it. (There was nothing wrong with this book—I just didn’t connect to the characters like I think other readers will.)

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

I am not rating this book because I could not finish it. The premise was so intriguing, but the structure just didn’t work for me. I loved the idea of a book resonating deeply with different people for different reasons and the opening story about the author is compelling. But as the stories went on, I found myself struggling to enjoy how they each started out in difficult spots and found themselves healed or in new places after reading (or being exposed to) the book. I started dreading the next reader knowing it would start bleak. This structure may change, but at the 30% mark I just didn’t want to keep going. Seems like I’m in the minority here, though!

The premise of this book sounded so wonderful, but ultimately it just didn't connect for me. In full transparency, I'm not a big short story lover and I just didn't find that this book had a strong enough thread of connection between the stories to get me past that. I found myself skimming in many areas to finish it out - but so glad so many others had such a great reading experience! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this.

No Two Persons has such an interesting premise, and the individual stories within flowed together beautifully. It opens with Alice, who has an uncomfortable relationship with her family and believes she is meant to be a writer. One day, a boy comes to her mind, and she knows she is meant to write his story. What follows are the stories of several other individuals and the impact that Alice’s book has on each of their lives. Each person takes a different message from the book, which is a fascinating thought.

The individual stories felt like a group of novellas, as we got to know each person’s background and one main thing happening in their life. The characters vary from a free diver to a widower to a bookseller, and there are connections between several of the characters that tie the stories together.

I feel this book would be excellent for someone who loves short stories, since it essentially felt like a group of short stories tied together. I loved the message that books and art in general touch us all in different ways and that we can each find our own interpretation. This book was unique and unlike anything else I have read recently. I did prefer some of the character chapters over others.

Thank you to NetGalley and to St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a high unique and interesting read. Unlike anything I've read before. Kind of hard for me to get into but super cool.

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC! This review is shorter than my average reviews because there is honestly not much to say other than… what a MASTERPIECE! I do not know where to start, and am honestly at loss of words but WOW…. Delightful, satisfying, and so hauntingly human, No Two Persons is divided into accounts of ten people’s very different lives and personal experiences, and how they find resonance and solace in one very special book throughout the course of years in very different ways. Not only was this such a unique reading experience, it honestly warms my heart because it reminds us exactly the power that fiction and literature hold: a tool that can bring people together regardless of their backgrounds and differences.

One of the quotes that really stood out to me was, “If you think about it, every story — even the most fantastical — is grounded in things we already know, and every book is about questions that have already been asked.” Yes, I’ll just let you all sit with it for a bit. I personally think it beautifully summarizes the value of every story… that a piece of reality and truth is tethered into every work of fiction, and every story exposes a piece of the author’s own experiences and lives.

Honestly, there is not much I can express in words other than WOW. Definitely one of the best reads I’ve had so far this year, and I truly believe that the only way to really understand what I’m talking about is to pick up the book and read it for yourself!

I think this hit the same emotions as Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow for me, a priority purchase for libraries.

Have you ever wondered how others are impacted by a book that you have read? This book explores that. This book is like nothing I have read before!!

I loved that the book gave a bit of a back story to everyone that was impacted by Theo. This book follows how a debut novel "Theo" leaves its mark on the lives of 9 different people: the WRITER, the ASSISTANT, the ACTOR, the ARTIST, the DRIVER, the TEENAGER, the BOOKSELLER, the CARETAKER, the COORDINATOR, and the AGENT.

We learn that a story can speak to people in different ways and sometimes can change the course of their lives by having a profound impact on them, or the way the perceive things after reading it.

"No two persons ever read the same book." Yet, the same book can powerfully connect with many readers for different reasons. Erica Bauermeister takes us on a beautiful journey following one story from reader to reader.
As the book lands in the hands of another person, we step for a long moment into their lives savoring how the story involves, impacts, then influences them. Each character is a story within a story. And each time I resisted coming to the end of our time together. These people stay with you, long after you've moved onward.

One of Erica's strengths is character building, capturing just the right amount of detail to connect us with them and them to each other.

Just while thinking what I wanted to say in this review, I spent another hour re-reading sections from several stories. Captivating. Just captivating.

This book is unlike anything I’ve read before. Although the story is woven together as one, it reads like nine short stories, but don’t let that sway you. Alice’s book is born again as each person takes in her words and the meaning that was meant for them. Just lovely. Theo will capture your heart too.

This is not my first Erica Bauermeister book, and it won’t be my last.

Highly recommend. Thank you Net Galley for the digital ARC.

I have never read a book like No Two Persons... nor have I ever considered the journey Bauermeister takes the reader on. But! That was absolutely not a bad thing.

I loved this book from beginning to the end. Every single word, every single story, every single experience shared... was perfection.

I loved how Theo was born... the necessity of Wein writing Theo's story. But I loved more the journey that Theo then takes... from the publisher, to the actor who makes his reading of the story simply perfection, to the people who then read Theo... and how it affects each of them uniquely... in the most incredible ways. Yes, there were tears shed, and more than an audible gasp or two... oh my... it was just so brilliantly done!

This book has moved to the top of my First Quarter favorites. This book would be the perfect book club selection... it is so full of food for thought and is utterly discussable!

I highly recommend!

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the copy of the book which will be published May 16, 2023.

No Two Persons is all about the impact that a singular story can have on different individuals across time. The fictional novel Theo is shared with an assortment of characters. There are threads that run throughout, but the reading experience feels like viewing a series of vignettes that are somewhat intertwined. While it did not give me the magical feeling that has kept her previous book on my shelves for many years it is a unique and interesting story. No excerpts from Theo are shared, which I find a little frustrating, but the essence of the story can be gleaned through the reading. Her writing style is beautiful and descriptive as it always is. This is a book for book people-those who love and read books for either professional or personal reasons. Just as no two people stand in the same river (as the saying goes), no two people can experience a transformative book in the same way. Thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book

This book is an absolute gem! The author describes this special book as being about the serendipitous routes a book can take. This is the story of an author and nine people who are profoundly affected by her debut novel. Some are readers, some are in the book industry, but all are changed in some way by Alice’s poignant novel. I’ve seen this book described as ten short stories, but that doesn’t do justice to the unexpected and satisfying ways the threads of the stories come together.

Above all, this book is a love letter to bibliophiles everywhere. It pays homage to the joy and meaning that reading brings to our lives. It celebrates the way prose comes alive and weaves its way into our hearts, leaving us forever and wonderfully changed. “No two persons ever read the same book,” but many book lovers will find reading this book to be an utter delight!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.

This book...it's been a long time since I finished a book and wanted to turn to the first page and start it all over again. This book is a love letter to books, to readers, to writers, to agents, and to the ways that a book can come into one's life in a myriad of different ways.

Although this is a series of 10 different chapters/characters encountering one book over 10 years and sometimes intertwining with each other, the main character is the book. It was a joy to start a new chapter and meet a new character and you knew that this book was going to show up at some point in their story.
My favorite chapter was Rowan, the actor. Because I have such an affinity for audio books, I loved his devotion to the recording of the book.

This is a fascinating and masterfully done story structure. I'm so excited to have read this before it was released and want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity and honor to read the ARC. I can't wait for this one to get out into the world and for others to experience the absolute gem that it is.