A review by readwithmekt
Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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?