“I can’t think of anyone better than Sezin Devi Koehler to write a book about Keanu Reeves. A queer mixed-race reading of John Wick? Yeah. An anti-Brechtian theory of Reeves? Dude. The monosyllable as expressive genius? Whoa. Even the way the book is structured (unironically) using the language of tarot is cosmic, and utterly Keanu. This dive into Keanu Reeves’ oeuvre and fandom is brainy, loving, and deeply fun. There’s something for everyone, from film nerds to literary witches to the occasional hater. It’ll be the most excellent book on your coffee table.”
—Abeer Hoque, author of Olive Witch
“The films of Keanu Reeves and his wholly unique and wildly adored broader star persona provides Sezin Devi Koehler the perfect subject matter for this probing celebration of one of the greatest screen actors of our time and his enduring impact on our lives in very real, meaningful ways. More than mere fandom, Much Ado About Keanu is a rigorous, exciting and contagious masterclass in pop cultural engagement as praxis.”
—Alexandra Heller Nicholas, author of 1,000 Women in Horror, 1898-2018
“Much Ado About Keanu is a deep-dive into everyone’s favorite celebrity. It’s also deeply intellectual, brilliant and so much fun to read. Sezin Devi’s meticulous work here is to be lauded.”
—Nayomi Munaweera, author of Island of a Thousand Mirrors and What Lies Between Us
“How do you deconstruct a vibe? Sezin Devi Koehler does just that with this clever and wonderfully readable take on one of our most beloved artists. What makes Keanu so cool and transcendent, so enigmatic and important? Sezin reveals all with wit and sophisticated analysis. A fine gift for any Keanu lover, which lets face it, is everyone.”
—Holly Sorenson, creator/writer of Step Up: High Water
“In this fascinating volume, penned with deep affection and rigorous scholarly research, Sezin Devi Koehler casts a glowing light on the much adored but widely underestimated actor. As a mixed-raced reader, aware of Keanu Reeve’s own multiracial background, I deeply appreciated Koehler’s refreshing analysis of how Reeve’s work — often whitewashed, the depth overlooked — blasts through stereotypes, challenging both racial and gender norms. Koehler’s love for her subject shines through with every sentence. Her fluid, insightful writing makes you feel like you’re having a delicious up-all-night chat with a brilliant friend. By the time you’re finished reading this book, you’ll want to rewatch all of Reeves’s films. You will never see them the same way again.”
—Lisa Williamson Rosenberg, L.C.S.W., psychotherapist and author of Embers on the Wind and Mirror Me
“I didn’t know I needed this much Keanu Reeves in my life–I’m just glad Sezin Devi Koehler did. With sensitivity and humor, Koehler parses the threads of the Reeves persona and braids together a more complex understanding of the multi-faceted, seemingly ubiquitous cultural icon. The book’s fast-paced, engaging prose leaps deftly from the macro–Reeves’ wide-reaching mainstream influence–to the intimate, often overlooked nuances of his Asian identity. Much Ado About Keanu awakens and delights.”
—Shanthi Sekaran, New Amsterdam writer and author of Boomi’s Boombox, The Samosa Rebellion, and Lucky Boy
“The book is written in Koehler’s personal style yet finds strength in its consistent application of unwavering critical theory. Not everything Keanu Reeves has done is met with overwhelming enthusiasm; a good amount of choices he has made is met with a sobering commentary, reminding us of biases that in good faith may be unconscious. This ranges from his known habit of smoking to the prominent usage of gun violence in nearly all of Reeves’s action output.”
—Anya Couture, Ginger Nuts of Horror
“VERDICT Koehler is passionate and persuasive, but this scholarly work will probably appeal primarily to diehard Reeves fans and film students.”
—Denise Miller, Library Journal