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narcissia's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. 2.5? I liked the concept of Nobody, but the execution didn't do it for me.
Claire is angsty and Nix is self-loathing, which is understandable. But the story spends a little too much time on that and not enough time on the cool stuff like assassins and conspiracies and action. The romance is an insta-love and, though it makes a little sense that they'd each be immediately drawn into a desire for some kind of an intimacy with the only other person in the world who can actually see them, remember them, care about them, and that they would be craving that attention and affection after many years of not having a connection with anyone, I still feel like the relationship development is too intense, too fast. The story takes place in about a week and already there were I love yous and forevers being thrown around. Character development is something that I wanted more of, beyond the feelings of loneliness, angst and self-loathing. I would rather have seen less time spent on the angst and self-loathing (even though I think that stuff should definitely be in there), and more time spent on the working toward a common goal and getting to know each other as the characters develop through their personalities and interactions.
The plot has a pretty quick pace, for the most part. The world building was ehh, but there were some scenes that do stand out in the mind, such as Nix's stark white room. Some of the science could have been better explained, and there were things that went beyond science that didn't make much sense at all, but still could have worked for me if those ideas and the fantastical reasoning behind them had been explored a little more/better.
There are still some fun scenes in the book that I enjoyed and it is quick and decent enough that I finished it, but overall I'm feeling pretty meh about it because I wanted more from it. Nobody had potential but unfortunately I feel like that potential was not met. Others might like the romance and find this to be an adorable story, etc., etc. But I wanted ASSASSINS. I wanted sneaky killers. I wanted vengeance, preferably of the cold and ruthless sort. And I didn't really get that. I got more fluff and less ASSASSIN, and that just wasn't what I was hoping for.
Claire is angsty and Nix is self-loathing, which is understandable. But the story spends a little too much time on that and not enough time on the cool stuff like assassins and conspiracies and action. The romance is an insta-love and, though it makes a little sense that they'd each be immediately drawn into a desire for some kind of an intimacy with the only other person in the world who can actually see them, remember them, care about them, and that they would be craving that attention and affection after many years of not having a connection with anyone, I still feel like the relationship development is too intense, too fast. The story takes place in about a week and already there were I love yous and forevers being thrown around. Character development is something that I wanted more of, beyond the feelings of loneliness, angst and self-loathing. I would rather have seen less time spent on the angst and self-loathing (even though I think that stuff should definitely be in there), and more time spent on the working toward a common goal and getting to know each other as the characters develop through their personalities and interactions.
The plot has a pretty quick pace, for the most part. The world building was ehh, but there were some scenes that do stand out in the mind, such as Nix's stark white room. Some of the science could have been better explained, and there were things that went beyond science that didn't make much sense at all, but still could have worked for me if those ideas and the fantastical reasoning behind them had been explored a little more/better.
There are still some fun scenes in the book that I enjoyed and it is quick and decent enough that I finished it, but overall I'm feeling pretty meh about it because I wanted more from it. Nobody had potential but unfortunately I feel like that potential was not met. Others might like the romance and find this to be an adorable story, etc., etc. But I wanted ASSASSINS. I wanted sneaky killers. I wanted vengeance, preferably of the cold and ruthless sort. And I didn't really get that. I got more fluff and less ASSASSIN, and that just wasn't what I was hoping for.
x_oblivionxx's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
readwithmekt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Claire has never stood out, in fact she has always been someone that others have overlooked. Nix has always known that he is “Nobody” and has been trained from a young age to use this. When Nix is given his next assignment to eliminate a Null, something that he has never questioned before, things begin to change when that Null appears to see him. Claire has finally found someone that appears to see her and she is unwilling to let him walk out of her life. What happens when Nix and Claire are forced together, will Nix question what he has learned, will Claire finally not feel so alone?
I have read many of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s books and this one ranks pretty high up in the order. This was an engaging and engrossing book. I was having a hard time getting through any books and I knew that I needed to read this for book club, it got me out of my reading slump. I had this on my tbr and was really excited when it was one of the options for this month's pick. I read the bulk of this book in one sitting. It read younger than some of her other books that I have read but I still really enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed the development of Nix and Claire. I enjoyed that there was a process, at least for Nix, to get to the trust point. It felt honest that he would have the trust issues that he does and that he would question more about relationships than others. Claire was relatable in another way, that someone who has been starved for affection and love would cling onto the first person that showed any interest also felt right. I loved how much Claire loved books. It was really fun to have a character who loves books as much as me. The part where Nix builds her a bookcase is one of my favorite scenes in the book.
The world building was interesting. The premise of this book is different from things I have read in the past. The idea of having different types of people classified as Nobody, Null and Normals was interesting. I felt that it took some of the stereotypes that are in the world and put a slightly different spin on them.
Overall this was an enjoyable quick read. At the beginning there were times when it was a little slow but once I got a quarter of the way in things really started to pick up and I couldn’t put it down. The pace was medium. The chapters were longer than in others books she has written. This was a fun sci-fi read to get me out of my slump. I am excited to talk about it at my book club meeting this month and hear what others think.
Have you read Nobody? What did you think?
jesseeeka98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
mandiestarr2's review against another edition
4.0
original review on http://fangirlsoffiction.blogspot.com/2013/03/nobody-book-review.html
Okay, so first off, the cover of this book is awesome. You know when your browsing the filled shelves of the bookstore and a book just pops out and grabs your attention? Well, that's what this book did to me. So you
see an eye, a gorgeous blue eye that is targeted on a girl. How does that not draw you in? So naturally once you find this certain book, you read the back of the book. So like any interested book lover, I read the back. Once I did, I fell in love all over again...
Claire isn't special. She goes by unnoticed. Nobody pays attention to her and nobody gives her the time of day, except Nix. Nix is a nobody. He's invisible to the normals and a threat to the nulls. (People who aren't really people) Nix has been trained by the sensors, the only people who can detect nobodies, as a killer. That is all he's ever known how to do, but all that changes when he meets Claire.
Nix sees Claire. He makes her feel like a somebody, he makes her feel special.
Claire sees Nix. She makes him believe that people can love him. That maybe he is more than a killer. Together, two nobodies(literally) will fight back against the people who made Nix the killer that he thinks he is. Filled with action, mystery, and romance Nobody is an AMZING book that everyone should read.
Okay, so first off, the cover of this book is awesome. You know when your browsing the filled shelves of the bookstore and a book just pops out and grabs your attention? Well, that's what this book did to me. So you
see an eye, a gorgeous blue eye that is targeted on a girl. How does that not draw you in? So naturally once you find this certain book, you read the back of the book. So like any interested book lover, I read the back. Once I did, I fell in love all over again...
Claire isn't special. She goes by unnoticed. Nobody pays attention to her and nobody gives her the time of day, except Nix. Nix is a nobody. He's invisible to the normals and a threat to the nulls. (People who aren't really people) Nix has been trained by the sensors, the only people who can detect nobodies, as a killer. That is all he's ever known how to do, but all that changes when he meets Claire.
Nix sees Claire. He makes her feel like a somebody, he makes her feel special.
Claire sees Nix. She makes him believe that people can love him. That maybe he is more than a killer. Together, two nobodies(literally) will fight back against the people who made Nix the killer that he thinks he is. Filled with action, mystery, and romance Nobody is an AMZING book that everyone should read.
readintowonderland's review
2.25
I hate to say it, but I found this book quite disappointing. Honestly, this book was incredibly hard to follow and did not meet the caliber I expect from Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I have loved every other one of her books but this one did not hit the mark. That said the concept of this book was absolutely fascinating and gave a lot for readers to consider. The power of flying under the radar is immense. The ending of this book is thrilling and jam-packed with action.
bethanypaisley's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
e_knight's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
There was something a bit off-putting about this book that I can’t quite put my finger on - that may have been part of the theme, shall I say, of the book, but it didn’t quite work for me nevertheless. I felt like there was a lot of fluff towards the end, too, but it was a really interesting premise and I did like the complexities of the main characters!