The Nobody People by Bob Proehl is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. The book takes on all sorts of issues while delivering an excellent story. There are some slow parts that really at times can get confusing to connect the dots. Also there are a LOT of loose ends left hanging, and in a way that felt unfinished rather than cliff-hanger'ed but this is suppose to be a two part series. I recommend this book to anyone that likes science fiction stories and are into super heroes.

This was a good way to start off my 2020 reading. I've read several books in this general storyline of people getting superpowers (its a fun thing to think about) but this one took an interesting slant by focusing a lot on how the world handles it, especially the United States. It felt pretty realistic to me, unfortunately. I loved some of the powers too-like bubbleboy. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But it ended up being just flat. set in a world where more and more people have abilities, or superpowers. As a group, they have stayed hidden, but during this book they come out into the open. There is obviously push-back and trails and tribulations. There are many different interwoven story lines here and I think that is part of my issue with it. With all the different plot lines, there is no end game. While overall it was and interesting story, I just had no idea where it was going. Most of the time in books you know some sort of end goal, but with this one, I really had no idea. After awhile, I didn’t really feel like picking it up because I had no idea where it was going.

Great storytelling and characters. This reminded me of X-men. I will recommend this book to customers.

This book is not about the X-Men, but you might be forgiven for forgetting that fact as you crack open this 400+ page . . . not doorstopper, because I don't think it quite qualified there, but it's definitely a book of great girth. (Whatever the proper term for that would be.) The Nobody People calls its superpowered humans Resonants instead of mutants, but there are so many parallels that it's impossible to really talk about this book without mentioning its clear inspiration. (Primarily, but not just the X-Men; the author clearly had a lot of fun peppering this book with a plethora of tiny SFF references, from Doctor Who to The Magicians to what I could swear was a dash of The Highlander. But those are easter eggs at best; the X-Men clearly lie at the bones of this story.)

The problem with that, though, is that I didn't feel the author really did anything new with its inspiration(s). It's not an interrogation of the X-Men, or an expansion of the ideas behind that series, though it definitely explores similar (in places, identical) themes of prejudice and power. It's a book that's about many of the same things, and I don't know that lampshading the similarities did anything to elevate this into something more original.

There were things I enjoyed here--there's an almost Stephen King-ish quality to the writing, not in the 'horror' sense but in the episodic attention to characterization--but I also felt the pacing dragged. This is a decently long book, and it often felt even longer, to the point where there were times I had to force myself to keep reading (and not to skim).

Overall, I'd say this is one of those books that I could see others enjoying a lot, but just wasn't entirely my cup of tea.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nobody is defined as no one of importance. So are the people in this novel really nobody? Avi Hirsch and his wife Kay have a daughter Emmeline who is precocious or at least appears to be. As other abilities start to appear Avi doesn’t know how to cope with the school Emmeline goes to. Emmeline meets other people like her. She attracts people that have several abilities like her. They have a school and invite her to attend. She will also live there. Her parents can come and visit her. When the government learn about these people with several abilities, they become afraid. Why? The government decides they should live separately from normal people. When people learn about the people with abilities, there are people who are okay with ot and many others who aren’t. There are demonstrations and killings.

There is so much more to this story but I will stop as there are some surprises you won’t expect. It is a good novel but I did find it confusing at times as it seem to jump around and use more words than needed. It didn’t stop me from reading it! I know this is the first of a two book set. I hope that it will answer questions I still have. At times, this horror novel is a mystery and action. Th novel has domestic terrorism, bigotry, and many other forms of prejudice. The humans were very realistic ( those with and without abilities) causing the characters to become my friends in that I wanted certain good things to happen to them. The ending is climatic.

I really adored this book from the first sentence. Proehl takes his time slowly cracking open the world and characters for the reader so that we always know just enough to keep going, but not enough to fully satisfy us. I will say the pace lagged a bit in certain places, but I enjoyed the characters so much that I didn't really mind. I would sum this book up as "X-Men but literary," which is an excellent thing to be in my book. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Proehl's next book. Overall, a very gripping, beautifully-written story that I will be handselling and talking about for a while.

It took me a while to get through this one. I’m not exactly sure why I wasn’t thrilled and not in the mood, but part of it probably had to do with the fact several characters have their arcs develop throughout the book, without enough screen time for each. When this happens Moreover, while there will be a second volume, and I didn’t expect everything to be solved here, some of these arcs were also cut short, without any proper ‘aftermath’ time being given. It’s akin to someone being deemed as super important because they will save us all, then that person suddenly refuses to do it, or dies, or is out of the picture for any other reason, and… that’s all. It’s supposed to be bad, but no one really dwells on it. It felt very strange.

I also struggled to get through and not skim. Not sure if it was the style (present-tense narrative is fine with me in small doses, but not for hundreds of pages). Or the apparent ‘main character’ who turns out to be sidelined pretty quickly, and wasn’t super pleasant to read about anyway. Or the plot jumping between characters but without really giving a feeling of cohesion. Probably a mix of all. In the end, the story deals with heavy themes (acceptance & rejection, internment for people with powers instead of trying to integrate everyone in a new society, being killed just for being different…), that affect the characters a lot, but… I didn’t really care about the characters. In fact, to the risk of sounding awful, the one character I enjoyed reading about the most was Owen Curry. Yes, that one. Also the circus/freakshow subplot. I guess that’s quite telling.

It wasn’t a bad story in itself. Depressing in parts, sure, because we already have enough of that intolerance crap in our real world out there. But that doesn’t make a story bad. As far as I’m concerned, though, the above made it a slog for me, so it was okay-ish in the end, but I can’t say I absolutely liked it.

Trigger Warnings: Animal death. Violence of varying kinds.

If you are familiar with the X-Men series – whether comic book, animated, or live action – then you already have a decent grasp of the kind of world that The Nobody People is set in. And if you saw the first X-Men movie in the late 90’s, the overall plot of the book is almost exactly like that. Right down to the Resonant/Mutant powered device that causes a great deal of the general population to change.

The Nobody People is told from a variety of viewpoints, which means there is a LOT going on throughout the book. Even then though there are times where the narrative drags and more than once I considered not finishing the book. Also, when the book ends it does so very abruptly leaving quite a few plot threads dangling. Thankfully the conclusion is set to be published soon and one can only hope that the author will bring them to a decent conclusion.

For me, The Nobody People was one of those books that while the premise was interesting, the execution was lacking. It wasn’t a great book but it wasn’t an awful one either – it was simply okay. Generally when I start a series, I see it through to the end. I don’t think I will with this one.

The Nobody People: A Novel by Bob Proehl
9/3/2019 (Del Rey Books)
Bob Procehl’s new novel is a more deeply-realized telling of the “mutants with powers” story than the X-Man saga, with a tone that harks back to tales like A.E. Van Vogt’s Slan, or Nancy Kress’ Beggars in Spain by an author with terrific storytelling ability. Bishop was one of the engineers working on the first atomic bomb when he realized he had paranormal abilities that set him apart from normals. He wasn’t alone, and as time went by there were more and more like him, with the curve trending upwards. They’ve been hiding in plain sight, but the secret is bound to come out, so Bishop recruits Avi Hirsch, a more-or-less washed-up war correspondent, to tell their story to the world. He wants to use Avi, but even more important is Avi’s daughter, whose powers as a ‘Resonant’ are just emerging. The Nobody People does the setup for what’s probably a trilogy but handles its part of the arc with satisfying completeness.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Nobody People is practically X-Men with subtle changes to not be outright plagiarism.

Long winded and dull at times.

1 out of 5 stars. Do not recommend.

Slow to start and packed with so many different characters, I had started this one months ago and set it aside after 10% because I wasn’t really feeling it. Someone whose taste I trust convinced me to pick it up again and I’m so glad I did.

Fans of the X-men series will love this one and fans of complex character stories where you get to follow along as individuals navigate being different in a changing world will love this one too. Yes, there’s a shit ton of characters and storylines and maybe a few too many perspectives, but they’re distinct and fully fleshed out.

There’s a twist that I wasn’t expecting and the cliff hanger definitely left me eager for the sequel. Can’t wait to read what’s next.

The Nobody People. The title is a little misleading as these characters are definitely NOT "nobodies". The community structure they must live in is definitely dangerous for them even though their only crime is being different. There are always stages in your life when being different moves from being a bad thing to a good one, but we do not see that far into the future here. This is a two part story, Nobody People is the first part, a very good story that promises to be even better in the second half.

Ok, so this is a book with a LOT going on. Told from multiple viewpoints, and having multiple storylines, it did get confusing at times, so it wasn't a book to be rushed or read when there were distractions afoot.

That said - woo, what fun! The whole "there are people with special abilities and we have to stay hidden or normal people will be frightened of us" is an established trope, but this held its own. It has some incredible characters and I wish we had a little more backstory on some of them.

The pacing felt inconsistent - sometimes it was hurtling along, and then other times it dragged. It was worth hanging in there for the parts that hurtled along.

And then it ended. Boom. Like someone closed the book on my fingers.

Now, I knew going in this was a two-parter, but the ending came up so quickly and abruptly I didn't know what to think! (I think if the second book is like the first, this could have been a trilogy and some of the holes could be filled in - like I said, there are a lot of storylines to squeeze into one book.)

I loved the characters and the individual storylines - I'll be waiting for the next book to see how the author pulls it all together.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

There is a lot happening in this book as well as a lot of characters to keep straight. Some of the story lines felt rushed with no follow-up as to how the characters felt or reacted afterwards. But all-in-all, the story was well written and really interesting. I loved learning about the characters' different abilities and seeing how they used them. I'm really excited that there is going to be a sequel coming out next year!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

First, the obvious -- at it's most basic, The Nobody People is the X-Men in novel form. There are a group of people with special abilities (Resonants); one of the first Resonants, Kevin Bishop, has created a special school (Bishop Academy) where teenage Resonants can be around others like them and can learn how to harness and improve their abilities; some Resonants use their abilities for illegitimate, illegal, or violent purposes; once their existence is widely known, sections of society, including elements of the media and government, fear them and persecute them, ranging from insults and minor acts of violence to murder, and with the government, efforts to pass registration laws and other measures to control and oppress the Resonants.

The author does a good job of portraying the internal debate between the Resonant leaders about whether and how to reveal their existence to the world and how to respond to public reaction once their existence is known. He also does a good job of portraying the fear that many people experience when confronted with those who are "different" and the horrible ways that people react in efforts to "protect" themselves, including portraying their acts of oppression and prejudice as ways to "help" or "protect" the other.

The author did a good job with character creation. Two of the main "normal" characters, Avi and Kay, are people readers will like and despise at the same time. My favorite characters are Fahima, the Muslim lesbian scientist Resonant (hitting multiple categories of "other"), and Emmeline, one of the youngest Resonants and potentially the most powerful/dangerous.

Unfortunately, the author tries to do too much with the book and instead does not enough. He jumps forward in time considerably and does not really explain what has happened in the interim. More significantly, he creates storylines/events that are inconsistent with the characters and world he has created. The Resonants are able to communicate with each other through the "Hive" and there are Resonants on watch for threats to their safety, but somehow it takes more than a year before the Resonant leaders realize that the government has a portable device that can inhibit the Resonant's abilities. Resonants are being arrested or kidnapped and sent to internment facilities throughout the US that, in an age where nothing stays secret for long, especially if the government is involved, manage to stay secret from everyone not directly involved for over a year, until after Congress passes a Resonant Internment Act. Emmeline's ability is the least well understood and most potentially dangerous and the leaders at the Bishop Academy want to learn more about it, but then she temporarily drops out of the story, only reappearing when it is necessary to use her ability as a weapon. While a decent book, The Nobody People had the potential to be much better. I will probably read the sequel when it is released in 2020 just to find out how it ends. but I fear the two-part series will be overall underwhelming.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was so confusing! There was way too much going on with the separate story lines throughout. For a book that wasn't super long, I either wished it was longer, or that it was broken up into different books so that each storyline felt more complete .However, I really loved the premise of this book. X-Men are my absolute favorite super heroes, and this definitely reminded me of them more than a little bit. That's why I give this book more stars. It felt so much like X-Men that it's all I was thinking of while reading this. I mean, there's even a school for these kids with powers. There will be a sequel but I'm not sure I will continue with the series because of the structure and content of this book.

If you enjoy the X-Men - school for powered kids, older powered person instructing as well as doing PR for powered people trying to get the normal folks not to freak out, always on the edge of war, etc., - this should be right up your alley.

My major complaint with this is it is too long. It *felt* long - like I might not ever get to the end. There were pieces about various characters that weren't integral to the plot that could have been shaved off to tighten the story up. There are threads of the story, and characters, that you don't hear from for whole sections of the book. You almost forget they exist. For me, it's never a good sign when I find myself sighing "Is this ever going to end?"

That said, I liked the story. I was invested in finding out what was going to happen. I didn't necessarily like any of the characters, but I was eager to see who was pulling strings and how the main characters would respond. By the end of this, a lot of the main folks from this book were dead. So I am curious to see how the next book will shape up.

I felt like this book does a great job with diversity. There are characters of different races and sexual identities, and those elements of the characters felt fully integrated. I never felt like any of them were wedged in just to check off the diversity box. The comparisons of powered people as a minority group to racial and sexual identity minorities, hate crimes, lynchings, etc. are obvious and addressed directly.

(Sexual references, drinking/drug use, language, violence, LGBTQ+)

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Proehl wrote a book that was quite more epic in scale then I was expecting. The pace and scope of the novel changes frequently and enough twists and turns to keep me interested throughout. I’m looking forward to the second book!

I finished this book and immediately went to see when the second book in the series would be out. Fall of 2020. I have quite a wait but I believe if this first book is any indicator it will be well worth it. The world building was excellent and I really felt that I got to know the characters. Several kids with special powers are being forced out of isolation...but the question is by who? Is it the government? The story builds up by taking us thru what makes these kids so special and toss ideas around about why they are being pushed out of hiding. This was an X-Men suspense style book that really immerses you into it and makes you HAVE to know what happens next.