Bonker Doesn't Die

The Carls #1.5

by Hank Green

I am so pleased to present to you my short story "Bonker Doesn't Die." I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this publicly, but the first time I imagined a protagonist named April May, it was for a young readers series I had considered writing called "The Peculiar and Fuzzy Mysteries of April May." They would be stories about a teenager who found people's pets, but in the process, also discovered dastardly plans and uncovered general misdeeds.

I did a bunch of research on how pet detectiving works, and I still think it's a cool idea, but when I had an idea I was more excited about, I poached the character I had imagined as a precocious teen and made her into an adult. I also poached her name. It's weird how all of this works.
Well, one of the problems is, we don't get to see April doing much pet detective work in the duology. Another frequently identified problem, there's NOT ENOUGH ROBIN!! So, I thought I would solve both of those problems with this little story.

"Bonker Doesn't Die" takes place around mid-way through An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and it does contain spoilers for that story!

Thanks so much for supporting the Project for Awesome, and I hope you liked this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Hank

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

26 pages, ebook

Published August 30, 2021

About the author

Hank Green started making YouTube videos in 2007 with his brother, John. They thought it was a dumb idea, but it turned out well. He is now the CEO of Complexly, which produces SciShow, Crash Course and nearly a dozen other educational YouTube channels, prompting The Washington Post to name him "one of America's most popular science teachers." Green co-founded a number of other businesses, including DFTBA.com, which helps online creators make money by selling cool stuff to their communities; and VidCon, the world's largest conference for the online video community. Hank and John, also started the Project for Awesome, which raised more than two million dollars for charities last year. He has written for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, Scientific American, and Mental Floss Magazine prior to his first published novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, due out on Sept 25, 2018.

Reviews

[Sophia]

What a silly little short story, but however much that perk for the Project for Awesome was, it was worth it for me.

[mary]

the way i’m still thinking about hank’s sequel in the carl’s series almost a year after reading it… i will absolutely read this just to have something of his to enjoy. more hank green books soon plz

[Kimberly Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not going to knock it because I love Hank Green. This was obviously written for his fans, and we appreciate it! :)

[Esther Csorba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just an adorable chapter in the already amazing duology written by Hank Green. Worth all the money, and it went to charity. It made me realize how much I enjoyed the books... time to re-read them again! And I can tell you that nobody has a better handle on describing online content creating as Hank Green!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story is only 26 pages. It's a silly little short story. Will it waste your time if you read it? No, it's only 26 pages. Do you need to read it to understand anything or does it give you any more information about the Carls/April's storyline? Also no. Take it or leave it. I still support Hank Green and Project for Awesome!

[Amelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a fun little chapter!
Bonus points because it is about a pig! 🐷


But, was this chapter more about Robin? No. I was a little bit disappointed as I thought we would get to know him a bit more. Apart from his interest in pets on Instagram, I mean.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I'd have enjoyed this short story more if I knew who Hank Green was other than the author of the Carl books I just read (both are excellent). But it's pretty bad as a stand-alone story, and also adds nothing to the series.

[Kevin Stumpf · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand this was a Project for Awesome short story, but it has NOTHING to do with The Carls except April May and Robin make appearances. I also understand the is only 26 pages, but could have been so much more.

[Emilie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I would have enjoyed this more if I was in the circles and knew the things. But, alas, I am not in the circles and I do not know the things.

Also I need more Robin content. The only thing we found out from this is that he likes to follow cute animals on social media.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun 25 page fanfic by Hank Green, basically about Hank Green 😆

Made me learn something about HG and VidCon I feel like I should’ve known already…

[Kimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how meta it was, especially the moments where Hank Green shows up. Very fun concept and I love pigs so that was a bonus.

[Kimberly Cayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like poorly written fanfiction.

[Jackson Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short read and a cute addendum to the Carl series. I enjoyed reading it, but it was certainly no masterpiece like the first book. I owe P4A $10 next year.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was peak metaverse and humorous… I loved it!

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es divertido ver como la idea principal de tu historia se vuelve un detalle sin importancia en la historia como la conocemos.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an incredible story, I loved seeing this time!

[Kati Tuttle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was 🤌

[Kyla Truman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute. Terrible. A fun little read. 😊