Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published: January 22, 2013 (Egmont USA) / Hardcover
Grade: 3.5 stars out of 5
Sixteen year old Claire has always felt invisible and unmemorable, but she never knew why. So when a boy is staring straight at her, Claire is shocked and elated. That is, until the boy points a gun at her.
Nix is a trained assassin. He has never been caught and planned to never be for he is a Nobody –an ignored, unloved, practically invisible being. His next target is said to be Claire: a Null that feels no empathy, no compassion, a defective selfish being. But when his eyes meet hers, he feels a connection. He shouldn’t feel this way for a girl he just met, but he can’t help it. And what he has been told about Claire goes against what he has witnessed. Nix starts to question everything that he has been told….
Together, Claire and Nix will find the truth.
As a huge fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s
Raised by Wolves trilogy, I was excited to read an ARC of
Nobody.
Nobody, however, fell short of expectation, but had moments of wonders and positive glee.
Nobody is a fast-paced novel that can be easily finished in less than a day. If I didn’t have classes to attend I would’ve just kept plowing through the novel. Barnes’s writing draws me into her story and cajoles me to continue even if my mind says to sleep. Barnes’s writing style is brisk, but coupled with long sentences that paint the scene and emotions:
“A new mantra. New words, pumping through his veins, forming a strange duet with the old one.
Less than—
Shadow—
Less than—
Air—
Nothing—
Claire.”
I have a preference for these short brisk sentences mostly because I can be easily distracted. But these sentences have an amplifying effect that builds up emotions—anxiety, fear, happiness, etc. That said and done, Barnes’s writing might be distinct, but shortly finishing
Nobody I quickly forgot about it. Perhaps Barnes’s exemplification of her characters being a nobody has extended to her entire novel.
Claire’s metamorphosis from a timid girl to a strong, take-action, fighting woman progressed far too quickly for my liking. Mayhap those traits were always there, but my initial judgment of Claire did not match her actions. Which can be a good thing, but in this case the development of Claire occurred too rapidly, which of course is a bad thing. Aside from that I do value Claire as a good support to Nix. She’s compassionate, understanding, determined and at times stubborn, and not one to be the damsel in distress. She is a multidimensional character whom I find interesting.
Nix, on the other hand, developed at a much relatively “normal” pace. As the book is split into both POVs it was easy to follow Nix’s thinking patterns and his viewpoint on life and his actions. Nix’s POV is more angst ridden than Claire’s and borders on that typically bad boy, “woe is me, you are too good for me” mindset. A Cliché, overdone, becoming a bore type of character. But hey, Nix is a man who takes action; when he says he’ll kill someone he will probably do so. I appreciate that.
Together, Claire and Nix have chemistry that sizzles and sparks. Typically I abhor insta-romance/love, but for Claire and Nix it was easier to believe. As a Nobody, they never experienced attention or affection. This joy of being around someone who sees you can quickly transform into love.
But enough about love.
Overall I find the novel more enjoyable as I read it, but forgettable as I finish. The climax was…shy of being explosive. The ending was neat and compact, leaving very little questions left to be answered. It’s a picture perfect ending for the two of them that makes sense. I
repeat: the ending did not come from left-field just to smack you across the face. It makes sense to what Barnes has set up throughout the novel. Hallelujah!
Jennifer Lynn Barnes's
website
Purchase your own copy of
Nobody:
Amazon /
Barnes and Noble /
Indie Bound
Source: thank you Media Masters Publicity and Egmont USA for a review copy
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