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A review by justabookishreader
Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What a wonderful, beautifully told love story.
Going into this book, I assumed this was going to be a small little sapphic boarding school rom-com. It is so much more than that. Sophie tackles some very serious topics that impact teenagers, whether adults think they do or not. This (in my opinion) would be classified as upper YA, and discusses everything from social media and drugs to sexuality and politics. Each handled with grace and thoughtfulness. There is almost an undercurrent of grief and loss, Sophie never lets you forget the trauma that other characters went through. Right when you might have "forgotten" it gets brought back up - not in a harsh or dramatic way, but in a way that makes perfect sense. And honestly its just another aspect of the character development we see throughout the novel.
Much of the story focuses on Rose's complete lack of control of just about any situation. Throughout, we see her bit by bit, taking back that control. At the beginning she is dreading the idea of ever being Queen. By the end, she has decided what kind of ruler she will be - taking back her own narrative.
As far as Danni Blythe, who I believe we do get less page time with, she goes from shy and timid and terrified to even think about playing piano in front of someone else to standing in front of reporters and not batting an eye. I believe that it is the mix of having to hide her and Rose's relationship, while juggling social media and being involved with a princess in the first place that push her towards stepping into, or at least accepting, the spotlight.
Really, simply put, this is a story about being brave enough to be yourself, to be in the public eye, and not regretting it a single time.
Going into this book, I assumed this was going to be a small little sapphic boarding school rom-com. It is so much more than that. Sophie tackles some very serious topics that impact teenagers, whether adults think they do or not. This (in my opinion) would be classified as upper YA, and discusses everything from social media and drugs to sexuality and politics. Each handled with grace and thoughtfulness. There is almost an undercurrent of grief and loss, Sophie never lets you forget the trauma that other characters went through. Right when you might have "forgotten" it gets brought back up - not in a harsh or dramatic way, but in a way that makes perfect sense. And honestly its just another aspect of the character development we see throughout the novel.
Much of the story focuses on Rose's complete lack of control of just about any situation. Throughout, we see her bit by bit, taking back that control. At the beginning she is dreading the idea of ever being Queen. By the end, she has decided what kind of ruler she will be - taking back her own narrative.
As far as Danni Blythe, who I believe we do get less page time with, she goes from shy and timid and terrified to even think about playing piano in front of someone else to standing in front of reporters and not batting an eye. I believe that it is the mix of having to hide her and Rose's relationship, while juggling social media and being involved with a princess in the first place that push her towards stepping into, or at least accepting, the spotlight.
Really, simply put, this is a story about being brave enough to be yourself, to be in the public eye, and not regretting it a single time.