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At First Sight
There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.
That's why they make perfect assassins.
The Institute finds these people when they're young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute's monitoring. But now they've ID'ed Claire and sent seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can't make the hit...
A thrilling and fast-paced love story from a bestselling YA author.
That's why they make perfect assassins.
The Institute finds these people when they're young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute's monitoring. But now they've ID'ed Claire and sent seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can't make the hit...
A thrilling and fast-paced love story from a bestselling YA author.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 22, 2013
1093 people are currently reading
10603 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
46 books54.5k followersJennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.
Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 923 reviews
February 23, 2013
*Minor Spoilers Ahead if that is even possible because everything can be completely guessed in the first few pages*
I deserve an award inmasochism self-control. I finished this ENTIRE book without tearing a single page out and throwing it on the wall. I cannot even begin - at all - how I ever thought I would like this!
Oh, wait! I know! I exactly know!
Assasins. *eyetwitch* The blurb said ASSASSINS.Not pansy-ass teenagers who like playing invisible Sherlock.
Nix is a trained assassin because he is perfect for the job. Nobody can see him, nobody notices him, and he can kill people and easily slip away unnoticed.How then, I wonder did the evil evil people train him to be a killer and notice him enough to use him. FAIL
And Claire. Poor, poor, Claire. You cannot imagine the level of poor she is. Everyone, I mean EVERYONE, in her class wrote "have a nice summer" in her yearbook. *gasp* THE HORROR! But seriously, Claire is never noticed by anyone, never seen, never heard and always ignored.Made me wonder how her doctor even noticed her after she was born. They might have spent hours looking for the invisible baby all over the hospital room
So Claire and Nix are Nobodys. Ignored, forgotten, used, and guess what do they do when they see each other?
THEY FALL IN LOVE!
Hallelujah - the worst bout of instalove I have EVER encountered in the pages of a novel.
Here are two quotes - only two paragraphs apart - from when these two poor souls finally meet.
Great observtional skills, Sherlock.
Gag. Gag. A creeper of a hot guy coming to kill you is NOT romantic. Not even if he IS hot.
In short - Claire's mind is : Oh look, this boy is pointing his gun at me. He can see me. He'll probably kill me but he notices me. That counts as something, doesn't it?
And Nix - God Bless him. He is the WORST SERIAL KILLER I have ever had the misfortune of knowing. He made it sound like a third grader's weekend assignment. Oh, the teacher gave me this paper and I have to do what she says because the teacher says Nulls are evil and it is upto me to kill them. Oh, also the Nulls are evil because they are sadistic bastards who kill others for sport.What does that make you dear Nix?
But The Best Damn Part about this book was *cue drumroll* the face touching.
Never did I have the non-pleasure of reading a book with so much importance given to facetouching since Twishite. It was cute, not.
One of the most recurring happenings(made better by alternative PoV):
Claire: (touches Nix's face)
Nix: (jumps away from her touch) I am a vile, vile monster, a killer, I don't deserve to be touched by someone as pure and beautiful, and wonderful like Claire.
Claire: Oh, No. Nix does not want me to touch him. Nobody ever wants me. I am not beautiful and Nix is so hot. Did I mention Nix is hot? Why would he ever want me. (cries)
Nix: I am a vile, vile monster. Look, I made Claire cry. (touches Claire's face to wipe her tears)
*more facetouching*
Rinse and Repeat.
How Romantic.
Bleh, I have more rant in me - but I'd rather not go down the memory lane anymore.
This book sucks.
Less than 1 star if I could.
Now let me go find something else to read that will rinse its memory from my mind.
PS The Institute (how original) is evil, but you already knew that.
I deserve an award in
Oh, wait! I know! I exactly know!
"There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.
That’s why they make the perfect assassins."
Assasins. *eyetwitch* The blurb said ASSASSINS.
Nix is a trained assassin because he is perfect for the job. Nobody can see him, nobody notices him, and he can kill people and easily slip away unnoticed.
And Claire. Poor, poor, Claire. You cannot imagine the level of poor she is. Everyone, I mean EVERYONE, in her class wrote "have a nice summer" in her yearbook. *gasp* THE HORROR! But seriously, Claire is never noticed by anyone, never seen, never heard and always ignored.
So Claire and Nix are Nobodys. Ignored, forgotten, used, and guess what do they do when they see each other?
THEY FALL IN LOVE!
Hallelujah - the worst bout of instalove I have EVER encountered in the pages of a novel.
Here are two quotes - only two paragraphs apart - from when these two poor souls finally meet.
He's looking at me. He's going to kill me. I'm going to die.
Great observtional skills, Sherlock.
Claire didn't want to think about him. Didn't want to anticipate the killer's touch her own last breath, but there was a tiny part of her - the Romeo and Juliet part, the Heathcliff and Catherine - that thought for the briefest second that maybe this moment was what she'd always been meant for.
Maybe she's been born to die by this boy's hands.
Gag. Gag. A creeper of a hot guy coming to kill you is NOT romantic. Not even if he IS hot.
In short - Claire's mind is : Oh look, this boy is pointing his gun at me. He can see me. He'll probably kill me but he notices me. That counts as something, doesn't it?
And Nix - God Bless him. He is the WORST SERIAL KILLER I have ever had the misfortune of knowing. He made it sound like a third grader's weekend assignment. Oh, the teacher gave me this paper and I have to do what she says because the teacher says Nulls are evil and it is upto me to kill them. Oh, also the Nulls are evil because they are sadistic bastards who kill others for sport.
But The Best Damn Part about this book was *cue drumroll* the face touching.
Never did I have the non-pleasure of reading a book with so much importance given to facetouching since Twishite. It was cute, not.
One of the most recurring happenings(made better by alternative PoV):
Claire: (touches Nix's face)
Nix: (jumps away from her touch) I am a vile, vile monster, a killer, I don't deserve to be touched by someone as pure and beautiful, and wonderful like Claire.
Claire: Oh, No. Nix does not want me to touch him. Nobody ever wants me. I am not beautiful and Nix is so hot. Did I mention Nix is hot? Why would he ever want me. (cries)
Nix: I am a vile, vile monster. Look, I made Claire cry. (touches Claire's face to wipe her tears)
*more facetouching*
Rinse and Repeat.
How Romantic.
Bleh, I have more rant in me - but I'd rather not go down the memory lane anymore.
This book sucks.
Less than 1 star if I could.
Now let me go find something else to read that will rinse its memory from my mind.
Read
December 20, 2012Eff this! This is NOT going to be the last book I read before the end of the world.
DNFing. If I survive, I might continue.
DNFing. If I survive, I might continue.
November 21, 2012
2.5 stars
NOBODY was not exactly what I expected. While Barnes delivered yet another good story that required an advanced imagination, the character development really ruined the book for me.
NOBODY proved to be an incredible world full of science. Everything was described with the use of energy. In this world, there are four types of people. First, there are the Normals. Normals have the ability to mark others and be marked. They have normal energy exchanged when interacting with each other, have the ability to fall in love, and no extra powers because they are simply normal. Secondly there are Sensors. Sensors have enhanced senses. Most have only one of the five senses that is incredibly advanced, but there are the rare few that have all five enhanced senses. This allows them to find the Nobodies of the world. Obviously, third, there are Nobodies. Nobodies are incredibly rare and hard to find. People look past them and don't notice them. They have so little energy that they even have the ability to leave this plane and walk into another world where Sensors can't detect them because they fully relinquish that small bit of energy that they have. Lastly, there are Nulls. Nulls have so much energy that they control everyone around them and make them adore them. They mark everyone with their energy, but can't be marked. While everyone cares for them, they care for nobody but themselves and often turn into evil beings because they are so self-centered. This aspect of the book was incredibly fascinating to me and kept me reading. The plot was so imaginative that I'm literally left speechless.
Both Claire and Nix are Nobodies. Such a thing is a threatening to The Society because two Nobodies can cause a lot of trouble. If a Nobody is not found and controlled by age five, it must be terminated by another Nobody assassin because a team of Sensors cannot easily harm them. Nix was originally sent to kill Claire, but things quickly got out of hand when his bosses at The Society got involved and two enemies suddenly found themselves on the run together. Along the way they discovered secrets that led them to investigate The Society and its purposes all while exploring their newfound abilities and potential romance.
...And that's where the book lost me. All in all, this book took place the course of a week or so, so the characters suffer from a serious case of insta-love. And this isn't any old case of insta-love, it's one that takes place between two incredibly illogical characters. For example... logic says that if a guy is trying to kill you, you don't kiss him within 24 hours of the attempted killing after he walked away from you several times and maybe even considered taking your life again within those 24 hours. Both Claire and Nix had the tendency to be illogical and bi-polar. This is one of those cases when their head was telling them one thing and their heart another, so their emotions would literally snap back and forth with no warning. Instead of dealing with two elder teenagers, I felt as if I was dealing with two little kids most of the time. They acted on impulse and seemed to regret it later. Granted, their actions were because they were never noticed or respected by anyone else in the world, but even with this motivation behind it, I just couldn't agree with how easily they forgot something and went along with something else. If I just got clipped by a car, I wouldn't forget the pain like it was nothing simply because it was convenient, but Claire was easily able to do that. I felt as if I not only lacked a connection with Nix and Claire, but an overall ability to sympathize for them. I only found my heart breaking when I realized Nix would sometimes harm himself in an attempt to feel emotion because he was normally so inconsequential. I wanted so badly to connect with these two, but I just couldn't.
After the first half of the book, the lack of logic begins to recede slightly and is instead replaced by a huge investigation to learn more about The Society. Again, I was intrigued by this part and wish it was written more smoothly with less emotional antics. The last quarter of the book was full of so much action and the ending was truly perfect. I wouldn't have changed anything about the epilogue and that won me back and made me glad I read the book.
All in all, this truly is an imaginative read, but the sheer creativity and thought that was required to create such a world is overruled by overemotional and illogical characters. While I didn't connect with them, I do encourage others to give this book a try. This is a good book for those of you who like a fast paced story with lots of unexpected plot twists, but I'd hold out on getting it until your library orders it.
And it's also a book that makes any reader realize how awesome it would be to have a boy build us a bookshelf.
NOBODY was not exactly what I expected. While Barnes delivered yet another good story that required an advanced imagination, the character development really ruined the book for me.
NOBODY proved to be an incredible world full of science. Everything was described with the use of energy. In this world, there are four types of people. First, there are the Normals. Normals have the ability to mark others and be marked. They have normal energy exchanged when interacting with each other, have the ability to fall in love, and no extra powers because they are simply normal. Secondly there are Sensors. Sensors have enhanced senses. Most have only one of the five senses that is incredibly advanced, but there are the rare few that have all five enhanced senses. This allows them to find the Nobodies of the world. Obviously, third, there are Nobodies. Nobodies are incredibly rare and hard to find. People look past them and don't notice them. They have so little energy that they even have the ability to leave this plane and walk into another world where Sensors can't detect them because they fully relinquish that small bit of energy that they have. Lastly, there are Nulls. Nulls have so much energy that they control everyone around them and make them adore them. They mark everyone with their energy, but can't be marked. While everyone cares for them, they care for nobody but themselves and often turn into evil beings because they are so self-centered. This aspect of the book was incredibly fascinating to me and kept me reading. The plot was so imaginative that I'm literally left speechless.
Both Claire and Nix are Nobodies. Such a thing is a threatening to The Society because two Nobodies can cause a lot of trouble. If a Nobody is not found and controlled by age five, it must be terminated by another Nobody assassin because a team of Sensors cannot easily harm them. Nix was originally sent to kill Claire, but things quickly got out of hand when his bosses at The Society got involved and two enemies suddenly found themselves on the run together. Along the way they discovered secrets that led them to investigate The Society and its purposes all while exploring their newfound abilities and potential romance.
...And that's where the book lost me. All in all, this book took place the course of a week or so, so the characters suffer from a serious case of insta-love. And this isn't any old case of insta-love, it's one that takes place between two incredibly illogical characters. For example... logic says that if a guy is trying to kill you, you don't kiss him within 24 hours of the attempted killing after he walked away from you several times and maybe even considered taking your life again within those 24 hours. Both Claire and Nix had the tendency to be illogical and bi-polar. This is one of those cases when their head was telling them one thing and their heart another, so their emotions would literally snap back and forth with no warning. Instead of dealing with two elder teenagers, I felt as if I was dealing with two little kids most of the time. They acted on impulse and seemed to regret it later. Granted, their actions were because they were never noticed or respected by anyone else in the world, but even with this motivation behind it, I just couldn't agree with how easily they forgot something and went along with something else. If I just got clipped by a car, I wouldn't forget the pain like it was nothing simply because it was convenient, but Claire was easily able to do that. I felt as if I not only lacked a connection with Nix and Claire, but an overall ability to sympathize for them. I only found my heart breaking when I realized Nix would sometimes harm himself in an attempt to feel emotion because he was normally so inconsequential. I wanted so badly to connect with these two, but I just couldn't.
After the first half of the book, the lack of logic begins to recede slightly and is instead replaced by a huge investigation to learn more about The Society. Again, I was intrigued by this part and wish it was written more smoothly with less emotional antics. The last quarter of the book was full of so much action and the ending was truly perfect. I wouldn't have changed anything about the epilogue and that won me back and made me glad I read the book.
All in all, this truly is an imaginative read, but the sheer creativity and thought that was required to create such a world is overruled by overemotional and illogical characters. While I didn't connect with them, I do encourage others to give this book a try. This is a good book for those of you who like a fast paced story with lots of unexpected plot twists, but I'd hold out on getting it until your library orders it.
April 3, 2013
Good GOD, I GIVE UP! If you know me at all, you will realize how big of a deal it is for me to NOT finish a book, but seriously, UGH. I could not make it through this one. I made it a little over halfway, then started skimming, then a little more... then I skipped to the last page. If it wasn't from the library, I'd probably throw it across the room. Sorry, I don't understand how there are good reviews of this. I'm not usually this mean, but REALLY?!? How did this get published? I have way too many books to read to be spending time on this one.
September 11, 2022
Update: Time has given me clarity - I'm giving this the 1 star review it deserves.
Original Review:
Let me first say, the only reason I gave this book a 2 star review was because I didn't actually finish it, so I thought maybe I should give good/okay credit to the part I couldn't force myself to read.
I created special shelves just because of this book: Gag Me and Eye Roller.
"But...but how can you not like this book so much when there are so many great reviews for it?" I can just hear you asking. I'll tell you why:
First I'll begin with the good things:
1. Cover
2. Beginning (Good intrigue with assassins and introduction of Claire being a 'Nobody')
3. Potential
4. Alternating POV
Now, the bad:
1. Insta love/connection with the person who's trying to kill her. (Oh wow, look the guy who's pointing a gun at me can actually see me! Wow, he can now properly aim at me and not miss! But he can SEE me. And he's attractive. I'm going to have these intense hard to shake off feelings for him!)
2. The self-loathing (Understandable, I do not disagree, but waaaaaaaay too unbearably stretched out going on and on and on. There is having guilt, then there is wallowing in guilt, and Nix, my dear friends, is a wallower.)
3. "She's too good for me." "All I want is her." "She's everything." "I love her." (GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, MAN! This all happens under the time span of a week. Sure, the book isn't realistic, but just because it is science-fiction doesn't mean the development of feelings is insanely fast-paced.)
4. Halfway through it, I didn't even care if they got together or not. Or even if they got rid of the society or not.
I'm a book owner. I like to own the books. I have books that I haven't finished, but I never really regretted purchasing them. This book, though: WASTE OF MONEY. If you do want to read it and are into the whole cheesy, eye-rolling type of book, I suggest pulling out a library card before pulling out your wallet.
I'm sorry if my review offended you. It's just my opinion. I can see why some people would love this book, I guess. But it had LOTS of potential and could have done so much better.
Original Review:
Let me first say, the only reason I gave this book a 2 star review was because I didn't actually finish it, so I thought maybe I should give good/okay credit to the part I couldn't force myself to read.
I created special shelves just because of this book: Gag Me and Eye Roller.
"But...but how can you not like this book so much when there are so many great reviews for it?" I can just hear you asking. I'll tell you why:
First I'll begin with the good things:
1. Cover
2. Beginning (Good intrigue with assassins and introduction of Claire being a 'Nobody')
3. Potential
4. Alternating POV
Now, the bad:
1. Insta love/connection with the person who's trying to kill her. (Oh wow, look the guy who's pointing a gun at me can actually see me! Wow, he can now properly aim at me and not miss! But he can SEE me. And he's attractive. I'm going to have these intense hard to shake off feelings for him!)
2. The self-loathing (Understandable, I do not disagree, but waaaaaaaay too unbearably stretched out going on and on and on. There is having guilt, then there is wallowing in guilt, and Nix, my dear friends, is a wallower.)
3. "She's too good for me." "All I want is her." "She's everything." "I love her." (GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, MAN! This all happens under the time span of a week. Sure, the book isn't realistic, but just because it is science-fiction doesn't mean the development of feelings is insanely fast-paced.)
4. Halfway through it, I didn't even care if they got together or not. Or even if they got rid of the society or not.
I'm a book owner. I like to own the books. I have books that I haven't finished, but I never really regretted purchasing them. This book, though: WASTE OF MONEY. If you do want to read it and are into the whole cheesy, eye-rolling type of book, I suggest pulling out a library card before pulling out your wallet.
I'm sorry if my review offended you. It's just my opinion. I can see why some people would love this book, I guess. But it had LOTS of potential and could have done so much better.
August 8, 2012
Imagine you were born wrong. Imagine that no matter how hard you tried, no one ever listened to you and seemed to forget your existence the minute you left their sight. And, hell, even when you were in their line of vision, they never really saw you. Imagine that the only thing you've ever wanted was to be loved. To matter. But you won't. You'll never matter to anyone. Ever.
That's a pretty hefty pill to swallow for a fifteen year old. But Claire isn't one to give up. Claire isn't the kind of girl who accepts that she'll always be a nobody.
Now imagine that you've been taught your entire life that you're a nobody. Nothing. You are what you are, and you'll never be anything more. You're dangerous. A killer. That kind of knowledge is powerful. Of course, even the powerful have their weaknesses. Nix's weakness just happens to be Claire.
And...this is where I'm going to stop. Trust me, you don't want me to spoil this one for you. In short: NOBODY is incredible, unforgettable, all kinds of holy-crap-I-want-more-right-now-please-amazing. So good. The characters are extremely well developed; their inner turmoils tangible. I wanted to savor every word on every page.
That's a pretty hefty pill to swallow for a fifteen year old. But Claire isn't one to give up. Claire isn't the kind of girl who accepts that she'll always be a nobody.
Now imagine that you've been taught your entire life that you're a nobody. Nothing. You are what you are, and you'll never be anything more. You're dangerous. A killer. That kind of knowledge is powerful. Of course, even the powerful have their weaknesses. Nix's weakness just happens to be Claire.
And...this is where I'm going to stop. Trust me, you don't want me to spoil this one for you. In short: NOBODY is incredible, unforgettable, all kinds of holy-crap-I-want-more-right-now-please-amazing. So good. The characters are extremely well developed; their inner turmoils tangible. I wanted to savor every word on every page.
Read
July 28, 2015This was so incredibly annoying. Blurb on the back: "Sigh-worthy romance." My ass. Did we read the same book? In what world does a person go from trying to kill someone on one page, to thinking that that person is everything that matters on the next page, then kissing them on the next page? Oh, and excusing the fact that this dude WAS TRYING TO MURDER YOU. This is way too melodramatic and way too cheesy.
I'm seriously getting disappointed with my book choices lately. Maybe I should sit down for a moment, I'm not making good choices with my life.
Happy reading!
I'm seriously getting disappointed with my book choices lately. Maybe I should sit down for a moment, I'm not making good choices with my life.
Happy reading!
February 18, 2019
Check out my blog to see this review and others!
The Good:
I didn’t like anything in this book?
The Bad:
Repetitive. The first 30% was just a rehash constantly of Claire and Nix’s first meeting. Nothing was really happening and I was starting to get bored with the same thing happening over and over again. Did I say it was repetitive? Because the same thing was happening over and over….
Insta-love. As soon as Nix was introduced, I knew it was going to happen. And it did. Suddenly Claire must be totally in love with Nix because he is the only guy ever to realize she exists. I was expecting it but it still didn’t work for me.
Nothing really happens. Nothing really started happening until the 70% mark. I’m surprised I made it through, but then again, I kept starting and stopping and it took me more than two weeks to finish it.
Plot. I knew what was going to happen as soon as Nix couldn’t kill Claire. Nix was going to take down the Society whom he’d trusted his whole life and he wouldn’t want Claire to get hurt, but Claire is stubborn and she gets her way, and everything goes down and Nix and Claire are heroes…. Super predictable. I think this is the plot for every book with an Evil Organization that has being lying to the MC their whole lives.
Implausible? Nix supposedly has been living in “an eight by eight room with no windows and a door that’s padlocked for show.” That’s a direct quote by the way. He doesn’t know what a computer is and I’m seriously doubting he’s seen a TV. The Society (his employers? captors? I don’t know what to call them) only taught him to read so that he can read the files of the people he has been ordered to kill. Yet, he knows a lot of things for a guy who has no contact with the outside world. I would quote, but I suck at taking notes while I read, so I don’t remember where/what he said that made me think that.
Claire. She is constantly wallowing in self-pity because the world ignores her. “Oh God, I’m jealous of farts.” Yup, she said that. I got tired of reading her narrative because after she meets Nix, that’s all she thinks/talks about and it gets annoying.
Nix and his relationship with Claire. Honestly, the way he constantly degrades himself: I don’t deserve to be touched. I don’t deserve to be loved. I don’t deserve to have someone as beautiful as Claire…. is annoying. This review summed up Claire and Nix’s relationship very well:
______________________
Read the original review by Shambhawi P. on Goodreads 🙂
Claire: (touches Nix’s face)
Nix: (jumps away from her touch) I am a vile, vile monster, a killer, I don’t deserve to be touched by someone as pure and beautiful, and wonderful like Claire.
Claire: Oh, No. Nix does not want me to touch him. Nobody ever wants me. I am not beautiful and Nix is so hot. Did I mention Nix is hot? Why would he ever want me. (cries)
Nix: I am a vile, vile monster. Look, I made Claire cry. (touches Claire’s face to wipe her tears)
*more facetouching*
Rinse and Repeat.
______________________
Yup. That’s a very very accurate portrayal of their relationship.
Ending. The ending was the most cliche and Disney-ish thing I’ve ever read in my life. Nix gets hurt and Claire is crying, begging him not to leave her, how dreamy his eyes are, how she’ll never see them again, blah blah blah. And then, *drum-roll please*: he pretty much dies (you know those precious seconds where he has pretty much left the world but hasn’t entirely died? that’s what I mean) and two other characters mix their blood together and drip it on him and he suddenly comes back to life with his body healed and all the pain gone. And they live happily ever after. (Have I said that this is the most Disney-ish thing ever? Frozen ends like that, I’m pretty sure Belle and the Beast ends like that, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ends like that… every Disney princess movie probably ends like that.)
Did I mention it was ridiculously repetitive? Because it is. Did I mention it was super cliche (and Disney-like)? Because it seriously is.
The Wrap:
I’m really disappointed because I love the rest of Jennifer’s books. This was the epitome of cliche and I sooo did not like it.
One sentence summary: A cliche filled book with one-dimensional characters and a very predictable plot.
Overall, one very disappointed star:★☆☆☆☆
Quote: “I am everything. I am nothing. I am powerful. I am forgotten.”
The Good:
I didn’t like anything in this book?
Quote: “You can’t tell me I matter and then leave like I don’t.”
The Bad:
Repetitive. The first 30% was just a rehash constantly of Claire and Nix’s first meeting. Nothing was really happening and I was starting to get bored with the same thing happening over and over again. Did I say it was repetitive? Because the same thing was happening over and over….
Insta-love. As soon as Nix was introduced, I knew it was going to happen. And it did. Suddenly Claire must be totally in love with Nix because he is the only guy ever to realize she exists. I was expecting it but it still didn’t work for me.
Nothing really happens. Nothing really started happening until the 70% mark. I’m surprised I made it through, but then again, I kept starting and stopping and it took me more than two weeks to finish it.
Plot. I knew what was going to happen as soon as Nix couldn’t kill Claire. Nix was going to take down the Society whom he’d trusted his whole life and he wouldn’t want Claire to get hurt, but Claire is stubborn and she gets her way, and everything goes down and Nix and Claire are heroes…. Super predictable. I think this is the plot for every book with an Evil Organization that has being lying to the MC their whole lives.
Implausible? Nix supposedly has been living in “an eight by eight room with no windows and a door that’s padlocked for show.” That’s a direct quote by the way. He doesn’t know what a computer is and I’m seriously doubting he’s seen a TV. The Society (his employers? captors? I don’t know what to call them) only taught him to read so that he can read the files of the people he has been ordered to kill. Yet, he knows a lot of things for a guy who has no contact with the outside world. I would quote, but I suck at taking notes while I read, so I don’t remember where/what he said that made me think that.
Claire. She is constantly wallowing in self-pity because the world ignores her. “Oh God, I’m jealous of farts.” Yup, she said that. I got tired of reading her narrative because after she meets Nix, that’s all she thinks/talks about and it gets annoying.
Nix and his relationship with Claire. Honestly, the way he constantly degrades himself: I don’t deserve to be touched. I don’t deserve to be loved. I don’t deserve to have someone as beautiful as Claire…. is annoying. This review summed up Claire and Nix’s relationship very well:
______________________
Read the original review by Shambhawi P. on Goodreads 🙂
Claire: (touches Nix’s face)
Nix: (jumps away from her touch) I am a vile, vile monster, a killer, I don’t deserve to be touched by someone as pure and beautiful, and wonderful like Claire.
Claire: Oh, No. Nix does not want me to touch him. Nobody ever wants me. I am not beautiful and Nix is so hot. Did I mention Nix is hot? Why would he ever want me. (cries)
Nix: I am a vile, vile monster. Look, I made Claire cry. (touches Claire’s face to wipe her tears)
*more facetouching*
Rinse and Repeat.
______________________
Yup. That’s a very very accurate portrayal of their relationship.
Ending. The ending was the most cliche and Disney-ish thing I’ve ever read in my life. Nix gets hurt and Claire is crying, begging him not to leave her, how dreamy his eyes are, how she’ll never see them again, blah blah blah. And then, *drum-roll please*: he pretty much dies (you know those precious seconds where he has pretty much left the world but hasn’t entirely died? that’s what I mean) and two other characters mix their blood together and drip it on him and he suddenly comes back to life with his body healed and all the pain gone. And they live happily ever after. (Have I said that this is the most Disney-ish thing ever? Frozen ends like that, I’m pretty sure Belle and the Beast ends like that, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ends like that… every Disney princess movie probably ends like that.)
Did I mention it was ridiculously repetitive? Because it is. Did I mention it was super cliche (and Disney-like)? Because it seriously is.
Quote: “How can somebody want me dead when no one knows I’m alive?”
The Wrap:
I’m really disappointed because I love the rest of Jennifer’s books. This was the epitome of cliche and I sooo did not like it.
One sentence summary: A cliche filled book with one-dimensional characters and a very predictable plot.
Overall, one very disappointed star:★☆☆☆☆
dnf
December 15, 2015Okay usually I don't DNF so soon into a book, but the writing style just isn't for me. The pacing is really off. It just jumps from POV to POV and i'm LIKE WUT IS HAPPENING. I mean I even took notes while I read the first 60 pages.
here are my receipts:
when i have to take notes after reading 60 pages...there's a problem. everything was so muddled. it's just a really bad case of "This is book is NOT FOR ME"
also this thought process of one of the main characters, Nix, a supposedly super talented, unfeeling assassin thinking about his next target, the female protag, Claire:
HOWEVER, i've heard so many amazing things about this author's later books that i will be reading those - The Naturals series and The Fixer series!
here are my receipts:
when i have to take notes after reading 60 pages...there's a problem. everything was so muddled. it's just a really bad case of "This is book is NOT FOR ME"
also this thought process of one of the main characters, Nix, a supposedly super talented, unfeeling assassin thinking about his next target, the female protag, Claire:
"He had to carry her. Hold her. Marvel at the curve of her cheekbones. Count the ways for her to die. One, for poison. She was so still. Soft. Two, for knives. [...]She was beautiful this Null"
HOWEVER, i've heard so many amazing things about this author's later books that i will be reading those - The Naturals series and The Fixer series!
February 12, 2013
Ugh. This might be a good book for Twilight fans who enjoyed the dynamic of the abusive relationship between Bella and Edward.
This book is about a boy assassin, Nix, who is assigned to kill Claire. So he tries to shoot her but can't, then he tries to strangle her but can't. Then he tells her to kill him but she can't. Then they decide they belong together.
I also got tired of hearing how invisible and nobody-ish they both were. It was like, okay, I get it already!
I got about 1/3 of the way in and just couldn't take it anymore. Just - ugh. It does have 4 stars from Amazon readers, though, so other people are finding redeeming qualities in it somehow.
Release date: January 22, 2013
There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.
That's why they make the perfect assassins.
The Institute finds these people when they're young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute's monitoring. But now they've ID'ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can't make the hit. It's as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are--because no one else can really see them.
This book is about a boy assassin, Nix, who is assigned to kill Claire. So he tries to shoot her but can't, then he tries to strangle her but can't. Then he tells her to kill him but she can't. Then they decide they belong together.
I also got tired of hearing how invisible and nobody-ish they both were. It was like, okay, I get it already!
I got about 1/3 of the way in and just couldn't take it anymore. Just - ugh. It does have 4 stars from Amazon readers, though, so other people are finding redeeming qualities in it somehow.
Release date: January 22, 2013
There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.
That's why they make the perfect assassins.
The Institute finds these people when they're young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute's monitoring. But now they've ID'ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can't make the hit. It's as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are--because no one else can really see them.
July 13, 2018
I really enjoy this author's books. Barnes does a great job of creating these magical realistic stories that make you think they could actually happen. The idea that some people are super charismatic and can bend people to their wills seems pretty realistic to me (Nulls). Some people have that extra charm, magnetism that just draws people in. The Nobodys, who are pretty much invisible (and in the fade actually not solid) is interesting. It's mostly physics, which I really liked. I do feel bad for Claire and Nix, having people not notice you or care about you would be so hard, especially for a child. But they found each other and what they could do is so awesome. This was a quick read and once I started, I read it all in one sitting. I highly recommend all Jennifer Lynn Barnes's books!
March 1, 2013
To see full review click here: http://yalbookbriefs.blogspot.com/201...
Assassins seem to be a popular trend in YA these days. Kristen White recently released Mind Games (a book about sister assassins) and now there's Jennifer Lynn Barnes's Nobody. The book itself has a very interesting summary-ignored individuals becoming assassins. However, what it fails to tell you is you might need your anti-depression meds while you read it.
Oh, dearie me.
This book hit a lot of personal buttons for me. I wasn't exactly the most popular kid in high school and I often felt like an NEP (non-existant person). I know a lot of people have shared this experience and it's not a pleasant one. I was hoping this book would've sort of had an uplifting message for people who are going through this, but nope. Totally the opposite. It triggered some really bad memories for me. And on top of some horrible cliches and insta love, I had to mark it DNF. And I bought the damn thing, I hate it when that happens.
So, the story itself, it's an interesting premises. It could've worked really well, but unfortunately the book suffered from a lot of stupid YA cliches and mistakes. And I think one of the biggest issues was writing it in third person. The tone of the novel was almost clinical. I felt no emotion whatsoever towards these characters. I take that back, I really couldn't stand Nix. He was a sociopath. And as for Claire, blah. But it wasn't the lack of character attachment that got to me in the book, it was the fact that the third person point of view rammed it into our heads that these kids were worthless because they weren't noticeable.
It could make a person have a lot of dark thoughts. I know it did to me.
And I understand the from the premises that this was going to be about NEP's, but I was at least hoping the tone would be a bit more hopeful. That they wouldn't act like not being noticed was a birth defect. If that's the case then I have the cure (Just strip naked on camera and post the video onto Youtube or whatever that should take care of your NEP syndrome. After all, it worked for Kim Kardashian ). Seriously though, it would've helped the book immensely had the tone not be so severe.
Another problem with the book was that it relied heavily on cliche, in particular insta love. How many times do I have to state that I hate insta love before authors learn, I ask? And yes, that question was rhetorical. I understand for the purpose of the story that something had to prevent Nix from killing Claire, but there were other ways to do this. Having him think she was purdy and her think the same about him (Seriously, she refers to him as that beautiful boy. A phrase that should be Barnes's signature since she uses it in like every book-Raised by Wolves anyone?) made the main character's IQ lower tremendously. Seriously, would you want to go out with the guy that tried to kill you? There could've at least been trust issues between the two of them, but no. Just no.
So, a book that makes me feel bad about myself, has cruddy characters, insta love, and an abusive hero. Do you really think I'm going to finish it?
Hell NO!
Best Feature: Well written/interesting concept. That's two things but considering both of them are so small, I decided to combine them together. The summary makes this book look exciting, but it's cliche drivel. However, event though it's cliche it's decently written. The purple prose that often accompanies cliche books doesn't make an appearance here so that is a definite plus.
Worst Feature: Depressing shit. This book is depressing ya'll. I can only imagine how reading it would be for someone currently going through these feelings. Yes, I peaked at the ending and it does seem a bit hopeful. But really, really, tell someone just because they aren't noticeable/they don't belong that there's a genetic defect. That you should be eliminated. And I don't think the use of third person helped here either.
Appropriateness: Um, no. No. No. No. This is going to be a regurgitation of what I said in the worst section part of the review, but I'm twenty-five years old have been out of high school for years and this book instantly sent me back to those feelings of not belonging. The book goes on and on about how nobody's (people who are ignored) are defective, that there's something wrong with them and they should be eliminated. Tell me, how is someone who feels like their a non-existant person in school is going to feel after reading this book? You know what's really ironic, Barnes is a psychology professor. This book though did nothing for my mental health.
Assassins seem to be a popular trend in YA these days. Kristen White recently released Mind Games (a book about sister assassins) and now there's Jennifer Lynn Barnes's Nobody. The book itself has a very interesting summary-ignored individuals becoming assassins. However, what it fails to tell you is you might need your anti-depression meds while you read it.
Oh, dearie me.
This book hit a lot of personal buttons for me. I wasn't exactly the most popular kid in high school and I often felt like an NEP (non-existant person). I know a lot of people have shared this experience and it's not a pleasant one. I was hoping this book would've sort of had an uplifting message for people who are going through this, but nope. Totally the opposite. It triggered some really bad memories for me. And on top of some horrible cliches and insta love, I had to mark it DNF. And I bought the damn thing, I hate it when that happens.
So, the story itself, it's an interesting premises. It could've worked really well, but unfortunately the book suffered from a lot of stupid YA cliches and mistakes. And I think one of the biggest issues was writing it in third person. The tone of the novel was almost clinical. I felt no emotion whatsoever towards these characters. I take that back, I really couldn't stand Nix. He was a sociopath. And as for Claire, blah. But it wasn't the lack of character attachment that got to me in the book, it was the fact that the third person point of view rammed it into our heads that these kids were worthless because they weren't noticeable.
It could make a person have a lot of dark thoughts. I know it did to me.
And I understand the from the premises that this was going to be about NEP's, but I was at least hoping the tone would be a bit more hopeful. That they wouldn't act like not being noticed was a birth defect. If that's the case then I have the cure (Just strip naked on camera and post the video onto Youtube or whatever that should take care of your NEP syndrome. After all, it worked for Kim Kardashian ). Seriously though, it would've helped the book immensely had the tone not be so severe.
Another problem with the book was that it relied heavily on cliche, in particular insta love. How many times do I have to state that I hate insta love before authors learn, I ask? And yes, that question was rhetorical. I understand for the purpose of the story that something had to prevent Nix from killing Claire, but there were other ways to do this. Having him think she was purdy and her think the same about him (Seriously, she refers to him as that beautiful boy. A phrase that should be Barnes's signature since she uses it in like every book-Raised by Wolves anyone?) made the main character's IQ lower tremendously. Seriously, would you want to go out with the guy that tried to kill you? There could've at least been trust issues between the two of them, but no. Just no.
So, a book that makes me feel bad about myself, has cruddy characters, insta love, and an abusive hero. Do you really think I'm going to finish it?
Hell NO!
Best Feature: Well written/interesting concept. That's two things but considering both of them are so small, I decided to combine them together. The summary makes this book look exciting, but it's cliche drivel. However, event though it's cliche it's decently written. The purple prose that often accompanies cliche books doesn't make an appearance here so that is a definite plus.
Worst Feature: Depressing shit. This book is depressing ya'll. I can only imagine how reading it would be for someone currently going through these feelings. Yes, I peaked at the ending and it does seem a bit hopeful. But really, really, tell someone just because they aren't noticeable/they don't belong that there's a genetic defect. That you should be eliminated. And I don't think the use of third person helped here either.
Appropriateness: Um, no. No. No. No. This is going to be a regurgitation of what I said in the worst section part of the review, but I'm twenty-five years old have been out of high school for years and this book instantly sent me back to those feelings of not belonging. The book goes on and on about how nobody's (people who are ignored) are defective, that there's something wrong with them and they should be eliminated. Tell me, how is someone who feels like their a non-existant person in school is going to feel after reading this book? You know what's really ironic, Barnes is a psychology professor. This book though did nothing for my mental health.
dnf
December 4, 2017I read the prologue, the first chapter, skimmed the first 25% and the last chapter/epilogue.
Honestly, I can't fathom how bad this book is. It reads like a kid's first melodramatic, over-the-top fan fiction, not like a real book. There's lots of infodumping, instalove, telling, and illogic. Just wow.
Some representative quotes:
Both POVs drive home just how sad and pathetic their lives are to a degree that's comical. There's a long scene about how Claire goes to the pool and the attendants won't give her a towel. This book could have been a damn comedy.
That may be the most TSTL thing I've ever read. She's been kidnapped by this guy who has already tried to kill her twice, and she's thinking about romance. He's explicitly SAID he's going to kill her.
CALM YO TITS, BOOK.
Yes, I used the kindle search to look for the love confessions. Yes, it was worth it. That's fucking impassioned right there.
THE FIXER books are amazing, and I really can't believe this is the same author. Unless you're reading for lols, I can't in good conscience recommend this.
Honestly, I can't fathom how bad this book is. It reads like a kid's first melodramatic, over-the-top fan fiction, not like a real book. There's lots of infodumping, instalove, telling, and illogic. Just wow.
Some representative quotes:
Claire Ryan was a ghost, a nothing, a nobody. Invisible would have been an upgrade.
Oxygen was invisible, but it got breathed all the same. Sound waves were heard. Even clandestine farts had the distinction of being smelled.
Oh, God. I'm jealous of farts. Claire uncrossed her legs and fell backward, allowing her head to thunk viciously against her bedroom's wood floor. I envy the noxious, gaseous secretions of the human backside.
Both POVs drive home just how sad and pathetic their lives are to a degree that's comical. There's a long scene about how Claire goes to the pool and the attendants won't give her a towel. This book could have been a damn comedy.
Claire couldn't move. She couldn't run. She couldn't think of anything but the boy stalking toward her. Claired didn't want to think about him. Didn't want to anticipate the killer's touch, her own last breath, but there was a tiny part of her—the Romeo and Juliet
part, the Heathcliff and Catherine—that thought for the briefest second that maybe this moment was what she'd always been meant for.
Maybe she'd been born to die by this boy's hands.
Situation: What would it be like to have an out-of-body experience? To watch someone kill you?
When she was dead, would he put flowers on her grave? Would she haunt him, now and always?
"The game ends now."
The words brought Claire back to the present. To the terror. To the chilling understanding that death was never romantic; there was a difference between being stalked and being wooed.
That may be the most TSTL thing I've ever read. She's been kidnapped by this guy who has already tried to kill her twice, and she's thinking about romance. He's explicitly SAID he's going to kill her.
For a moment Nix, resembled a shepherd who'd seen the messiah. Awe colored his every feature. Even his tattoos seemed to glow with some kind of inner joy.
CALM YO TITS, BOOK.
"You tamed me, Claire. I love you, just so you know."
The dam inside her broke, and Claire repeated the words back to him, felt them, meant them.
Yes, I used the kindle search to look for the love confessions. Yes, it was worth it. That's fucking impassioned right there.
THE FIXER books are amazing, and I really can't believe this is the same author. Unless you're reading for lols, I can't in good conscience recommend this.
July 7, 2025
An extremely dark, YA novel which should be considered R-rated for torture and murder
This young adult novel has a depressing and frequently horrifying setup. In this paranormal world, there are people called Nobodies who are so energetically distorted that ordinary people rarely notice them at all, and if they do catch even the slightest impression of a Nobody, they forget it within seconds. If trained properly, Nobodies can literally become invisible by entering a state called the “fade.” This makes them the perfect assassins.
Nobodies are usually discovered young and then trained by a secret organization called the Institute. It is run by people called Sensors, who can detect energy, which allows them to locate Nobodies and Nulls. Nulls, in contrast to Nobodies, have so much energy that they overwhelm others, compelling loyalty and adoration, but caring nothing for anyone. They are highly effective criminals. Normals are simply ordinary people.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has lived her life completely unnoticed. A huge portion of the book is spent watching her desperately try to get someone, anyone, to notice her. Even her own parents often forget she exists. She has no idea that she is a Nobody.
Seventeen-year-old Nix, a Nobody raised by the Institute since he was four, has been trained as their top assassin. When Sensors finally detect Claire, the Institute sends Nix to eliminate her. (It is never explained why they want her dead. I can only guess that perhaps they already have all the Nobodies they need, so they murder any excess?) However, the moment Nix sees Claire, he cannot kill her. Claire and Nix are both shocked as they stare into each other’s eyes, unable to look away. For each of them, the other is the only person who has ever fully seen and interacted with them in a positive way. Before long, Nix realizes his handler at the Institute lied. He was told Claire is a sociopathic Null, but she is actually a Nobody like him.
From there, the story turns into a violent, chaotic, and continuously angst-ridden tale. These two damaged teens go on the run, uncover dark secrets about the Institute, and fall desperately in love, largely because they are the only ones in the world who could possibly care about each other.
For me, this was barely a 2-star read. I could not suspend disbelief enough to accept the frustrating inconsistencies of the magical world building. The concept of Nobodies is interesting in theory, but it completely falls apart under even the most superficial scrutiny. For example:
If Nobodies are unnoticeable to the point of being functionally invisible to everyone, including their parents, how does a baby Nobody survive? Who feeds and cares for an infant that no one is able to pay attention to? The people who train young Nobodies to "fade," a process by which they magically become insubstantial and truly invisible to the real world, achieve this through torture. Nobodies as young as four or five are nearly drowned and buried alive in shallow graves in order to make them so terrified that they instinctively fade to a state where physical matter cannot touch them. But how do the brutal trainers consistently hold a focus on a Nobody sufficient to physically restrain them and remember to keep them imprisoned, given that they are supposed to be impossible to perceive or physically interact with? Supposedly, all this torture has turned Nix into a completely devoted and obedient assassin for the Institute. But why would he feel loyalty to his torturers? In the magic of this world, only a Null could compel a Nobody to obey, yet Nix’s evil overlords are all Sensors.
There are other aspects of Nix that I also found hard to swallow. Nix is so depressed by his Nobody status that he cuts himself, leaving scars. Somehow, he also has tattoos, one for every person he has assassinated. It is never explained who is tattooing an invisible boy. Nix constantly tells himself he is nothing and nobody, which is something he only needs to do in order to fade, not to sit alone in his prison cell at the Institute where he does nothing to amuse himself. He just sits and waits until he is summoned, like some kind of robot in a state of stasis. He does not read, study, or learn anything. I do not think any human being, and there is no indication that Nix is not human, could survive that kind of sensory and intellectual deprivation.
As for Claire, she has spent her life trying to get someone, anyone, especially her parents, to notice she exists. But again, if her parents have forgotten she exists, how would they even know they have a daughter? Why would their household be set up so that Claire has her own room, clothing, and food?
The relationship between Nix and Claire did not feel like a romance to me. It seemed more like trauma bonding. Within twenty-four hours of Nix trying to kill her, they are kissing. It is the kind of instant, desperate attachment that makes me cringe, especially given the violent circumstances.
Because the entire tone of the book is relentlessly grim, the supposedly upbeat ending consists of Nix declaring that they are living happily ever after. However, the means by which this so-called HEA is achieved continues to involve magical rules that make little sense.
In short, I found this major downer of a story illogical, repetitive, and emotionally exhausting. The characters often seemed impulsive and inconsistent, and the romance felt forced. The idea of people who are quite literally overlooked by everyone else had potential, but the execution did not hold together for me.
I obtained free access to this novel in ebook format via Hoopla.
This young adult novel has a depressing and frequently horrifying setup. In this paranormal world, there are people called Nobodies who are so energetically distorted that ordinary people rarely notice them at all, and if they do catch even the slightest impression of a Nobody, they forget it within seconds. If trained properly, Nobodies can literally become invisible by entering a state called the “fade.” This makes them the perfect assassins.
Nobodies are usually discovered young and then trained by a secret organization called the Institute. It is run by people called Sensors, who can detect energy, which allows them to locate Nobodies and Nulls. Nulls, in contrast to Nobodies, have so much energy that they overwhelm others, compelling loyalty and adoration, but caring nothing for anyone. They are highly effective criminals. Normals are simply ordinary people.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has lived her life completely unnoticed. A huge portion of the book is spent watching her desperately try to get someone, anyone, to notice her. Even her own parents often forget she exists. She has no idea that she is a Nobody.
Seventeen-year-old Nix, a Nobody raised by the Institute since he was four, has been trained as their top assassin. When Sensors finally detect Claire, the Institute sends Nix to eliminate her. (It is never explained why they want her dead. I can only guess that perhaps they already have all the Nobodies they need, so they murder any excess?) However, the moment Nix sees Claire, he cannot kill her. Claire and Nix are both shocked as they stare into each other’s eyes, unable to look away. For each of them, the other is the only person who has ever fully seen and interacted with them in a positive way. Before long, Nix realizes his handler at the Institute lied. He was told Claire is a sociopathic Null, but she is actually a Nobody like him.
From there, the story turns into a violent, chaotic, and continuously angst-ridden tale. These two damaged teens go on the run, uncover dark secrets about the Institute, and fall desperately in love, largely because they are the only ones in the world who could possibly care about each other.
For me, this was barely a 2-star read. I could not suspend disbelief enough to accept the frustrating inconsistencies of the magical world building. The concept of Nobodies is interesting in theory, but it completely falls apart under even the most superficial scrutiny. For example:
If Nobodies are unnoticeable to the point of being functionally invisible to everyone, including their parents, how does a baby Nobody survive? Who feeds and cares for an infant that no one is able to pay attention to? The people who train young Nobodies to "fade," a process by which they magically become insubstantial and truly invisible to the real world, achieve this through torture. Nobodies as young as four or five are nearly drowned and buried alive in shallow graves in order to make them so terrified that they instinctively fade to a state where physical matter cannot touch them. But how do the brutal trainers consistently hold a focus on a Nobody sufficient to physically restrain them and remember to keep them imprisoned, given that they are supposed to be impossible to perceive or physically interact with? Supposedly, all this torture has turned Nix into a completely devoted and obedient assassin for the Institute. But why would he feel loyalty to his torturers? In the magic of this world, only a Null could compel a Nobody to obey, yet Nix’s evil overlords are all Sensors.
There are other aspects of Nix that I also found hard to swallow. Nix is so depressed by his Nobody status that he cuts himself, leaving scars. Somehow, he also has tattoos, one for every person he has assassinated. It is never explained who is tattooing an invisible boy. Nix constantly tells himself he is nothing and nobody, which is something he only needs to do in order to fade, not to sit alone in his prison cell at the Institute where he does nothing to amuse himself. He just sits and waits until he is summoned, like some kind of robot in a state of stasis. He does not read, study, or learn anything. I do not think any human being, and there is no indication that Nix is not human, could survive that kind of sensory and intellectual deprivation.
As for Claire, she has spent her life trying to get someone, anyone, especially her parents, to notice she exists. But again, if her parents have forgotten she exists, how would they even know they have a daughter? Why would their household be set up so that Claire has her own room, clothing, and food?
The relationship between Nix and Claire did not feel like a romance to me. It seemed more like trauma bonding. Within twenty-four hours of Nix trying to kill her, they are kissing. It is the kind of instant, desperate attachment that makes me cringe, especially given the violent circumstances.
Because the entire tone of the book is relentlessly grim, the supposedly upbeat ending consists of Nix declaring that they are living happily ever after. However, the means by which this so-called HEA is achieved continues to involve magical rules that make little sense.
In short, I found this major downer of a story illogical, repetitive, and emotionally exhausting. The characters often seemed impulsive and inconsistent, and the romance felt forced. The idea of people who are quite literally overlooked by everyone else had potential, but the execution did not hold together for me.
I obtained free access to this novel in ebook format via Hoopla.
October 15, 2023
2.5⭐️ The pace doesn’t pick up until well through halfway… but the whole experience felt like watching a B-rated/low-budget scifi movie. Even so, the premise was quite intriguing and I cared enough about what happened to the Nix + Claire and whether they got HEA, to see it through.
Not really the quality I was expecting from JLB… but this is what I get from my obsession with backlists.
overall, I think it’s a fair read for a YA scifi romance standalone.
Not really the quality I was expecting from JLB… but this is what I get from my obsession with backlists.
overall, I think it’s a fair read for a YA scifi romance standalone.
February 12, 2013
Click here for a chance to win NOBODY and EVERY OTHER DAY, both by Jennifer L. Barnes.
What can I say about this title? The ideas in it were interesting (Nobodies and Nulls), some of it lagged on the beginning (plus it was a tad depressing) but it quickly picked up it's pace once our two main characters meet. The cover may be as easily dismissible as a Nobody, but the content grabs as much attention as a full on Null. Overall Nobody is a good title but for me it didn't make me think "fireworks!" more like a good title to pass the time, and well worth the read because it's such a quick one.
Nobodies are people who are forgettable, barely there, less than air. Claire has felt all this and much more her entire life. She is nothing but a reminder sticky note on the back of her parent's front door, not worth more than a "Have a nice summer!" cliche phrase on her yearbook. Always alone, she has never had the chance to share an actual connection with somebody, that is until Nix points a gun at her head. Nix is the boy who is less than shadow. Ever since he was a little boy he has been taught what his value is- zero. He is the Society's weapon and nothing more. And he damn well knows it. He isn't worth other's attention, or even love, so imagine his surprise when his next target looks him right at the eye and screams. The society is supposed to protect humanity from all the evil Nulls in the Earth, and that is why they trained Nix since he was a little boy to hate them and kill them. Only, nothing is ever as easy or black and white as that, is it?
On the other side of the spectrum are Nulls and Sensors. Nulls are the exact opposite of Nobodies. They are attention whores, everybody loves them and do whatever they want. Only they are empty inside, they only care about their needs and wants, screw everybody else. Sensors are people who have the ability to find Nulls and Nobodies. Woopdedo, I guess someone had to.
So you can imagine how depressing this novel is at the beginning. Specially when it comes to Nix. Claire is depressing as well, but damn the girl tries. She tries her little heart out to be something more, to leave a mark on somebody, to matter at least a little bit. Always making promises to herself that next year will be different, only to disappoint herself again. I felt for Claire. Haven't all of us at some point felt like that? Like if you were to disappear the world could go on just fine without you? Like you are not leaving your print? Well, that is on one level what Nobody deals with. It also deals with you being okay with the fact that everyone is alone, once in a while, and that you have to learn how to happy in your own skin. I appreciated this as the introvert I am- extroverts (nulls? ;) )might disagree a tad.
Nix, is well, the tortured hero. Like, seriously tortured. He has a lot of things to deal with in this book alone, and I think he handled it as best as he could. I am not in love with him or anything, but I can see myself respecting the guy. I didn't connect with him like I did with Claire.
The romance in the novel is what people are calling "insta-love". They meet, they have an instant attraction to each other (hello? They are both nobodies! Nobody has ever paid attention to them their entire lives! How do you think you would react?) and then soon they are ready to die for one another. In the context of the novel I think it works. It has valid reasons why it should, not everybody is going to be a fan (specially the people who automatically hiss at the mention of the word) but then again life isn't perfect. I say given the circumstances I am letting the insta love slide (they love each other in less than a week... I am not helping my case am I?).
Nobody is action packed. It only lags a bit at the beginning and after that is a quick read. The ending was entertaining, with a few twists you wouldn't have expected. As to Nobody not having a sequel, has this been confirmed? I mean, it doesn't necessarily need one, but at the same time it totally does. The way things ended left a lot to the imagination when it comes to the future of humanity.
Final Verdict: Quick read with interesting material. You must give it a try, maybe download a sample first and see if it rocks your boat!
What can I say about this title? The ideas in it were interesting (Nobodies and Nulls), some of it lagged on the beginning (plus it was a tad depressing) but it quickly picked up it's pace once our two main characters meet. The cover may be as easily dismissible as a Nobody, but the content grabs as much attention as a full on Null. Overall Nobody is a good title but for me it didn't make me think "fireworks!" more like a good title to pass the time, and well worth the read because it's such a quick one.
Nobodies are people who are forgettable, barely there, less than air. Claire has felt all this and much more her entire life. She is nothing but a reminder sticky note on the back of her parent's front door, not worth more than a "Have a nice summer!" cliche phrase on her yearbook. Always alone, she has never had the chance to share an actual connection with somebody, that is until Nix points a gun at her head. Nix is the boy who is less than shadow. Ever since he was a little boy he has been taught what his value is- zero. He is the Society's weapon and nothing more. And he damn well knows it. He isn't worth other's attention, or even love, so imagine his surprise when his next target looks him right at the eye and screams. The society is supposed to protect humanity from all the evil Nulls in the Earth, and that is why they trained Nix since he was a little boy to hate them and kill them. Only, nothing is ever as easy or black and white as that, is it?
On the other side of the spectrum are Nulls and Sensors. Nulls are the exact opposite of Nobodies. They are attention whores, everybody loves them and do whatever they want. Only they are empty inside, they only care about their needs and wants, screw everybody else. Sensors are people who have the ability to find Nulls and Nobodies. Woopdedo, I guess someone had to.
So you can imagine how depressing this novel is at the beginning. Specially when it comes to Nix. Claire is depressing as well, but damn the girl tries. She tries her little heart out to be something more, to leave a mark on somebody, to matter at least a little bit. Always making promises to herself that next year will be different, only to disappoint herself again. I felt for Claire. Haven't all of us at some point felt like that? Like if you were to disappear the world could go on just fine without you? Like you are not leaving your print? Well, that is on one level what Nobody deals with. It also deals with you being okay with the fact that everyone is alone, once in a while, and that you have to learn how to happy in your own skin. I appreciated this as the introvert I am- extroverts (nulls? ;) )might disagree a tad.
Nix, is well, the tortured hero. Like, seriously tortured. He has a lot of things to deal with in this book alone, and I think he handled it as best as he could. I am not in love with him or anything, but I can see myself respecting the guy. I didn't connect with him like I did with Claire.
The romance in the novel is what people are calling "insta-love". They meet, they have an instant attraction to each other (hello? They are both nobodies! Nobody has ever paid attention to them their entire lives! How do you think you would react?) and then soon they are ready to die for one another. In the context of the novel I think it works. It has valid reasons why it should, not everybody is going to be a fan (specially the people who automatically hiss at the mention of the word) but then again life isn't perfect. I say given the circumstances I am letting the insta love slide (they love each other in less than a week... I am not helping my case am I?).
Nobody is action packed. It only lags a bit at the beginning and after that is a quick read. The ending was entertaining, with a few twists you wouldn't have expected. As to Nobody not having a sequel, has this been confirmed? I mean, it doesn't necessarily need one, but at the same time it totally does. The way things ended left a lot to the imagination when it comes to the future of humanity.
Final Verdict: Quick read with interesting material. You must give it a try, maybe download a sample first and see if it rocks your boat!
February 6, 2013
MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
Claire is used to being ignored, passed over and pretty much invisible. So when she is almost murdered in her bedroom and makes eye contact with the gunman, she can't believe she is really the intended target. The boy with the gun usually gets away unnoticed and he is shocked when he tries again and she stares him down. No one ever notices Nix and that is part of his skill set and charm. He soon realizes that Claire is just like him -- a Nobody -- and she is the most gorgeous girl he has ever laid eyes on. Claire feels the same way and it is really love at first sight which is pretty amazing considering these two are never noticed at all.
Nix really doesn't understand why the secret society he works for as an assassin wants this girl gone. So he does something he has been trained not to: question authority. Of course, this sets him on a new life path and he takes Claire with him in order to save her from the Society and their evil plans for world domination. Of course, Claire readily agrees to go along since no one will miss her anyway. Her parents continually forgot about her throughout her life anyway.
The pair go on a whirl wind of a race to survive the Society and unravel the plans they have to take down Claire and now Nix. Claire discovers that she is better than Nix at disappearing and learns that being invisible has its advantages. I really enjoyed this sweet romance built on a bit of a paranormal thriller and mystery. The pair prove that in being nobody they are unique and someone. I found this stand alone just a true treasure and would really enjoy reading about Claire and Nix again in the future. Parents: There is some kissing, cartoon violence and some language.
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
Claire is used to being ignored, passed over and pretty much invisible. So when she is almost murdered in her bedroom and makes eye contact with the gunman, she can't believe she is really the intended target. The boy with the gun usually gets away unnoticed and he is shocked when he tries again and she stares him down. No one ever notices Nix and that is part of his skill set and charm. He soon realizes that Claire is just like him -- a Nobody -- and she is the most gorgeous girl he has ever laid eyes on. Claire feels the same way and it is really love at first sight which is pretty amazing considering these two are never noticed at all.
Nix really doesn't understand why the secret society he works for as an assassin wants this girl gone. So he does something he has been trained not to: question authority. Of course, this sets him on a new life path and he takes Claire with him in order to save her from the Society and their evil plans for world domination. Of course, Claire readily agrees to go along since no one will miss her anyway. Her parents continually forgot about her throughout her life anyway.
The pair go on a whirl wind of a race to survive the Society and unravel the plans they have to take down Claire and now Nix. Claire discovers that she is better than Nix at disappearing and learns that being invisible has its advantages. I really enjoyed this sweet romance built on a bit of a paranormal thriller and mystery. The pair prove that in being nobody they are unique and someone. I found this stand alone just a true treasure and would really enjoy reading about Claire and Nix again in the future. Parents: There is some kissing, cartoon violence and some language.
March 23, 2023
It was good!! It’s different to what I normally read but i liked it a lot. The plot was good and the book overall was super well written.
Took me a little while to get into but then it was okay.
The epilogue at the end of the book seemed kinda pointless tho but 🤷♀️
Took me a little while to get into but then it was okay.
The epilogue at the end of the book seemed kinda pointless tho but 🤷♀️
January 21, 2013
This is a book I have no doubt will get mixed reviews. It's a book that in some ways is hard to take and depressing. It's also a book that is uplifting and encouraging. It's very psychological and that is why I think it will be a hit with some and a miss with others.
It does start out quite depressing. We have all had the feeling that no one cares, that we are invisible (or want to be), that we just can't be seen by the people we care the most about. Take that emotion and multiply it by at least 100. That is a Nobody. Someone who cannot be seen, heard, or even remembered. Claire is a Nobody but she hasn't learned it yet. However, with her assassin's help, she is about to find out and find a whole new world open to her.
Now there are 3 different kinds of unusual people in this book besides the "norms". All of it has to do with energy we produce and impress upon another person. Besides the Nobody which was described above, we have the Nulls. These are dangerous people. These are those people who are psychopathic in nature, quite enigmatic, and manipulative to the core. They have no compassion or morals and are quite willing to do what they can to get what they want. This group often includes politicians and serial killers. These are the groups Nix, Claire's assassin, thinks he is only targeting. The other group is sensors. These people have the capability of seeking out Nulls and Nobodies but are susceptible to both. These differences between the types of "other" is important in the book.
Now for the uplifting part. I won't go into the whole story, but I have to say that as depressing as Claire was in the beginning, I felt she was stellar throughout the book. Things that would have crushed the average person did not crush Claire. Sure, she felt unsure and even incapable of doing anything (if you were unable to affect anyone, how much self-esteem would you have?), but she always pressed on using self-made techniques to get her through any situation. She found courage she never had and also helped Nix find who he was and break through his broken-ness. I found this part interesting and enjoyed it. However, you must read a bit more into the book before you get there and the beginning might almost be too depressive to some. You DO get there and really it doesn't take too long.
The story, especially with Nix reminds me of a Buffy, TVS tv show, Out of Mind, Out of Sight. Where the girl was ignored so much she became invisible and the government took her over an made her an assassin. Unlike that story, this one has a romance within the storyline that I think will thrill some. I really enjoyed this romance and even though they were young, it didn't feel like that. In fact, it felt more mature than some YA romances but it makes sense because these characters had to grow up so fast.
I give this book 4 stars. I enjoyed the psychological aspects of the story, but I realize that it may not be for everyone. I recommend it to those that also enjoy these aspects as well as those that like sci-fi flavored romance as well as Ms. Barnes writing. I really enjoyed the way she wrote. I also recommend it to older YA crowds as well as adults. I just think it would fit with them better. However, if a younger person reads it, I think it would be fine. It has some violence in it, but less than most programs.
It does start out quite depressing. We have all had the feeling that no one cares, that we are invisible (or want to be), that we just can't be seen by the people we care the most about. Take that emotion and multiply it by at least 100. That is a Nobody. Someone who cannot be seen, heard, or even remembered. Claire is a Nobody but she hasn't learned it yet. However, with her assassin's help, she is about to find out and find a whole new world open to her.
Now there are 3 different kinds of unusual people in this book besides the "norms". All of it has to do with energy we produce and impress upon another person. Besides the Nobody which was described above, we have the Nulls. These are dangerous people. These are those people who are psychopathic in nature, quite enigmatic, and manipulative to the core. They have no compassion or morals and are quite willing to do what they can to get what they want. This group often includes politicians and serial killers. These are the groups Nix, Claire's assassin, thinks he is only targeting. The other group is sensors. These people have the capability of seeking out Nulls and Nobodies but are susceptible to both. These differences between the types of "other" is important in the book.
Now for the uplifting part. I won't go into the whole story, but I have to say that as depressing as Claire was in the beginning, I felt she was stellar throughout the book. Things that would have crushed the average person did not crush Claire. Sure, she felt unsure and even incapable of doing anything (if you were unable to affect anyone, how much self-esteem would you have?), but she always pressed on using self-made techniques to get her through any situation. She found courage she never had and also helped Nix find who he was and break through his broken-ness. I found this part interesting and enjoyed it. However, you must read a bit more into the book before you get there and the beginning might almost be too depressive to some. You DO get there and really it doesn't take too long.
The story, especially with Nix reminds me of a Buffy, TVS tv show, Out of Mind, Out of Sight. Where the girl was ignored so much she became invisible and the government took her over an made her an assassin. Unlike that story, this one has a romance within the storyline that I think will thrill some. I really enjoyed this romance and even though they were young, it didn't feel like that. In fact, it felt more mature than some YA romances but it makes sense because these characters had to grow up so fast.
I give this book 4 stars. I enjoyed the psychological aspects of the story, but I realize that it may not be for everyone. I recommend it to those that also enjoy these aspects as well as those that like sci-fi flavored romance as well as Ms. Barnes writing. I really enjoyed the way she wrote. I also recommend it to older YA crowds as well as adults. I just think it would fit with them better. However, if a younger person reads it, I think it would be fine. It has some violence in it, but less than most programs.
January 25, 2023
I would say I hate it but the synopsis was so relatable. I too am an unseen Nobody; for ever since I was a wee lass, I began developing trinkets and very geniusly innovating. In my early years of grade school, I had already finished high school—not because I was smart, but because I was incredibly smart and invented a Time Machine. Then, later in my teen years, I invented an invisibility cloak. I wear it everywhere. So I am very much unseen. Ntm I incinerated my broth certificate—that is, the validation ticket I use to get free chicken broth at my local food shoppes. Either that, or I accidentally typed ‘broth’ instead of ‘birth’—another certificate which is now gone—confirming the disproving of my existence. Chicken broth is not that good and I shouldn’t renew my broth certificate this year. What a waste of a Benji and a buck.
So yea this book will rock ur world if your childhood was like mine
So yea this book will rock ur world if your childhood was like mine
April 5, 2013
I want to congratulate myself for managing to finish this one. Like Nix and Claire reading this book made me want to fade away as well...it was depressing because NOBODY's are depressing creatures. Almost every page tells of how insignificant Nix and Claire feels. I get it but it is just too much that I couldn't even bring myself to feel sorry for them.
Less than nothing. Less than air. Their mantra give this book a dark suicidal aura. The author can write but her characters has no development whatsover. Nix and Claire run hot and cold and they love to torture themselves and us readers O_o They are an anomaly of energies that the only thing that i can comprehend out of their abilities is that they can become more invisible like ghost and can walk through walls and such. They are like the unwanted and forgettable. Their state of mind is giving me a headache. I got the sense of relief for the last 5% of the book with their search and rescue mission and destroying The Society and all that jazz. But the epilogue gives us a warning that things are not yet finish....aaaaand i wouldn't care to pick up any sequel after this.
Less than nothing. Less than air. Their mantra give this book a dark suicidal aura. The author can write but her characters has no development whatsover. Nix and Claire run hot and cold and they love to torture themselves and us readers O_o They are an anomaly of energies that the only thing that i can comprehend out of their abilities is that they can become more invisible like ghost and can walk through walls and such. They are like the unwanted and forgettable. Their state of mind is giving me a headache. I got the sense of relief for the last 5% of the book with their search and rescue mission and destroying The Society and all that jazz. But the epilogue gives us a warning that things are not yet finish....aaaaand i wouldn't care to pick up any sequel after this.
August 1, 2016
1,5. La historia prometía porque es algo que me resulta muy original y podría haber dado mucho juego, sin embargo se ha quedado en un gran meh.
March 2, 2015
It was okay overall. I liked the very end, even though it was predictable. I was very confused in the middle and the end but my questions were answered. I'm very glad I'm done the book though.
June 13, 2024
Not my favorite read, it was fast-paced with a good twist at the end, but it felt like the plot lacked depth. Still a good book, just not great.
August 3, 2025
Enkel og rask å lese. Utrolig søt og konseptet er veldig fascinerende. En godt bygd opp og godt gjennomført bok. En skult diamant i mine øyne.
February 6, 2013
Nobody is nothing like I thought it would be - this is definitely something that I would not have picked up. I am so very happy that I agreed to review it.
I did struggle with the first part of the book, and even though there were things that made me cringe and not understand, it kept me intrigued enough to get through the first 18 chapters, which in my opinion, is when it started to finally flow, connect and got really, really interesting.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes' spin on sci-fi has really blown me away. The realistic secret-organization and characters that she created are like no others that I have ever read before.
First, here's a brief description of what a Nobody is...
a Nobody is a person that has a DNA glitch that allows them to go unintentionally undetected. No one remembers them; they are easily forgotten and no one cares for them. If aware of their abilities, Nobodies can make themselves invisible, enough to be able to walk through things. Nobodies are rarely ever spoken to, acknowledged, touched... or loved.
Claire is your typical teen trying to get by. But no matter what she does, every one seems to forget about her. And she doesn't understand why. What did she ever do to the world? Why is she ignored? Forgotten? To the point that her parents have to leave sticky notes around the house in order to remind themselves to inquire about her. She is left alone all the time. Maybe they never wanted to have a child.
But Claire tries to keep an upbeat attitude full of hope. Her books are her solace, her escape, her friends. She daydreams of a day that something will happen to her and no one will be able to look away.
My heart broke for Claire. Her loneliness rips into you. Why would people not take the time to speak to this smart and pretty girl? Claire has her moments, but only allows herself small periods of self-pity. She's hopeful of something happening to change things for the better.
Until she meets Nix.
Nix.
Nix grew up under the secret-organizations trainers and tutors. From his first memory, he was constantly told that he was nothing and that no one would ever care for him. That he is unlovable because he is a Nobody. He was raised to be an assassin. To kill Nulls. Nulls are soulless people - they can't show emotion, they don't care nor love. Nulls are very selfish and they have the ability to manipulate everyone around them to do their bidding. Nix has to keep the Normals, regular humans, safe. The Sensors, humans with one or more special sense (heightened sense of smell, hearing, etc.) track them down and only Nix is able to get rid of Nulls.
His newest Null assignment is Claire.
But Claire sees Nix. And she knows what he's about to do. But, he's looking right at her.
Nix sees Claire. He must do what he was assigned to do. But she's looking right at him.
I do not consider this an insta-love situation at all. The shock of having eye-contact with someone - something that has never happened in their entire lives - this will bring on a huge amount of curiosity A connection of familiarity, understanding. Jennifer Lynn Barnes' writing really impressed me - the way she was able to break Nix down. Build Claire up. Make them stronger, and weaker. Claire and Nix's relationship is undeniable. The fact that they are similar and quite possibly the only one's to exist draws them together, but can also tear them a part.
What if there are other Nobody's out there?
What about Nix's other assignments? Were they all Nulls?
SO many questions! So many twists and turns! It turned into a page-turner for me and I enjoyed it very much! I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to read something out of their comfort zone, who likes sci-fi, suspense and mysteries.
I do have to warn you, there are a few graphic descriptions to some of Nix's assignments and past that made me cringe and squirm a bit. But overall, a great read indeed!
I did struggle with the first part of the book, and even though there were things that made me cringe and not understand, it kept me intrigued enough to get through the first 18 chapters, which in my opinion, is when it started to finally flow, connect and got really, really interesting.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes' spin on sci-fi has really blown me away. The realistic secret-organization and characters that she created are like no others that I have ever read before.
First, here's a brief description of what a Nobody is...
a Nobody is a person that has a DNA glitch that allows them to go unintentionally undetected. No one remembers them; they are easily forgotten and no one cares for them. If aware of their abilities, Nobodies can make themselves invisible, enough to be able to walk through things. Nobodies are rarely ever spoken to, acknowledged, touched... or loved.
Claire is your typical teen trying to get by. But no matter what she does, every one seems to forget about her. And she doesn't understand why. What did she ever do to the world? Why is she ignored? Forgotten? To the point that her parents have to leave sticky notes around the house in order to remind themselves to inquire about her. She is left alone all the time. Maybe they never wanted to have a child.
But Claire tries to keep an upbeat attitude full of hope. Her books are her solace, her escape, her friends. She daydreams of a day that something will happen to her and no one will be able to look away.
My heart broke for Claire. Her loneliness rips into you. Why would people not take the time to speak to this smart and pretty girl? Claire has her moments, but only allows herself small periods of self-pity. She's hopeful of something happening to change things for the better.
Until she meets Nix.
Nix.
Nix grew up under the secret-organizations trainers and tutors. From his first memory, he was constantly told that he was nothing and that no one would ever care for him. That he is unlovable because he is a Nobody. He was raised to be an assassin. To kill Nulls. Nulls are soulless people - they can't show emotion, they don't care nor love. Nulls are very selfish and they have the ability to manipulate everyone around them to do their bidding. Nix has to keep the Normals, regular humans, safe. The Sensors, humans with one or more special sense (heightened sense of smell, hearing, etc.) track them down and only Nix is able to get rid of Nulls.
His newest Null assignment is Claire.
But Claire sees Nix. And she knows what he's about to do. But, he's looking right at her.
Nix sees Claire. He must do what he was assigned to do. But she's looking right at him.
I do not consider this an insta-love situation at all. The shock of having eye-contact with someone - something that has never happened in their entire lives - this will bring on a huge amount of curiosity A connection of familiarity, understanding. Jennifer Lynn Barnes' writing really impressed me - the way she was able to break Nix down. Build Claire up. Make them stronger, and weaker. Claire and Nix's relationship is undeniable. The fact that they are similar and quite possibly the only one's to exist draws them together, but can also tear them a part.
What if there are other Nobody's out there?
What about Nix's other assignments? Were they all Nulls?
SO many questions! So many twists and turns! It turned into a page-turner for me and I enjoyed it very much! I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to read something out of their comfort zone, who likes sci-fi, suspense and mysteries.
I do have to warn you, there are a few graphic descriptions to some of Nix's assignments and past that made me cringe and squirm a bit. But overall, a great read indeed!
April 13, 2013
For Dusty Bookshelf Challenge 2013:
Has been on my to-read list since January 2013
I won this book as a prize, so I feel I should actually take the time to write a review about it. :)
I'm a Paranormal/Fantasy/Dystopian YA girl, but I was intrigued by the description of this book because it was YA with a bit of a sci-fi twist. It read in many ways as a YA Contemporary, though this didn't bother me, even though that isn't my usual fare. There was enough exciting odd stuff going on to keep me absorbed.
The premise of the book is basically that all people have energy, but a rare fer are born with various energy abnormalities - Nulls, who can give their energy easily to others, which makes them very influential, but cannot absorb energy from anyone else - which kind of makes them sociopaths. Then there are the opposite, the Nobodies, who cannot give their energy to anyone, and who therefore are incapable of having anyone care about them at all.
So in this world, we are introduced to Nix, a Nobody, who is used by the dubious Society to exterminate Nulls, once their lack of empathy leads them to start killing people. He has been taught his whole life that no one is even capable of loving him, so he accepts his lot in life bitterly. But then he meets Claire, another Nobody, who has no idea why her parents do things like abandon her in supermarkets and forget to even bother to come home and check on her. Nix meets Claire because he has been sent to him her, but finds himself unable to do it, because she's the first person who has ever really seen him. (Nobodies are able to exchange energy because their energy signature is the same.)
We have a bit of an annoying stretch of the book in which Nix is convinced that Claire is, indeed, a Null (since that's what his perceived job is - killing Nulls), and the reason she effects him so is her master manipulative powers (even though none of the Nulls he killed could do this to him - they never even saw him coming), yet he actually saves her life so HE can be the one to kill her, when he's finally able to. It's only after he just can't kill her and gives up that he realizes that actually she's not a Null - she's like him.
Then we have an equally annoying stretch of angsty "OMG she's the only person who I can ever really be with and without me she'll be ignored and unloved but NOOOO I'm a killer and I'm not good enough so I have to leave even though that will hurt her blah-blah-blah..."
Once all that is out of the way, the story really picks up and is quite engaging. It is very much worth trudging through the first fifty-or-so pages of bleakness and angst. The first part of the story is very bleak, because it is told in alternating narratives by Nix and Claire, who are about as alone as anyone can possibly be. (This bleakness is understandable, but still a bit troubling to read.) Once they decide to work together to figure out the true aim of The Society (since obviously they weren't just sending him out to kill Nulls), that bleakness is replaced by some great tension, mystery and a sweetness as the relationship between the two characters matures and becomes very tender and romantic.
Lots of excellent twists and turns toward the end definitely make for a satisfying reading experience.
P.S.: I know a few people might complain about the "insta-love" factor in this book, but to me, it seems completely logical that two people who are the only ones in the world who are even capable of loving the other would immediately be very drawn to one another and fall in love. And it still took them a while to be together. Plus, deep affection an happen quickly sometimes, especially in highly emotionally-charged situations.
Just my take. :)
Has been on my to-read list since January 2013
I won this book as a prize, so I feel I should actually take the time to write a review about it. :)
I'm a Paranormal/Fantasy/Dystopian YA girl, but I was intrigued by the description of this book because it was YA with a bit of a sci-fi twist. It read in many ways as a YA Contemporary, though this didn't bother me, even though that isn't my usual fare. There was enough exciting odd stuff going on to keep me absorbed.
The premise of the book is basically that all people have energy, but a rare fer are born with various energy abnormalities - Nulls, who can give their energy easily to others, which makes them very influential, but cannot absorb energy from anyone else - which kind of makes them sociopaths. Then there are the opposite, the Nobodies, who cannot give their energy to anyone, and who therefore are incapable of having anyone care about them at all.
So in this world, we are introduced to Nix, a Nobody, who is used by the dubious Society to exterminate Nulls, once their lack of empathy leads them to start killing people. He has been taught his whole life that no one is even capable of loving him, so he accepts his lot in life bitterly. But then he meets Claire, another Nobody, who has no idea why her parents do things like abandon her in supermarkets and forget to even bother to come home and check on her. Nix meets Claire because he has been sent to him her, but finds himself unable to do it, because she's the first person who has ever really seen him. (Nobodies are able to exchange energy because their energy signature is the same.)
We have a bit of an annoying stretch of the book in which Nix is convinced that Claire is, indeed, a Null (since that's what his perceived job is - killing Nulls), and the reason she effects him so is her master manipulative powers (even though none of the Nulls he killed could do this to him - they never even saw him coming), yet he actually saves her life so HE can be the one to kill her, when he's finally able to. It's only after he just can't kill her and gives up that he realizes that actually she's not a Null - she's like him.
Then we have an equally annoying stretch of angsty "OMG she's the only person who I can ever really be with and without me she'll be ignored and unloved but NOOOO I'm a killer and I'm not good enough so I have to leave even though that will hurt her blah-blah-blah..."
Once all that is out of the way, the story really picks up and is quite engaging. It is very much worth trudging through the first fifty-or-so pages of bleakness and angst. The first part of the story is very bleak, because it is told in alternating narratives by Nix and Claire, who are about as alone as anyone can possibly be. (This bleakness is understandable, but still a bit troubling to read.) Once they decide to work together to figure out the true aim of The Society (since obviously they weren't just sending him out to kill Nulls), that bleakness is replaced by some great tension, mystery and a sweetness as the relationship between the two characters matures and becomes very tender and romantic.
Lots of excellent twists and turns toward the end definitely make for a satisfying reading experience.
P.S.: I know a few people might complain about the "insta-love" factor in this book, but to me, it seems completely logical that two people who are the only ones in the world who are even capable of loving the other would immediately be very drawn to one another and fall in love. And it still took them a while to be together. Plus, deep affection an happen quickly sometimes, especially in highly emotionally-charged situations.
Just my take. :)
February 7, 2013
My review:
Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes was an interesting book. The idea of the plot was very original and it was an entertaining read.
Plot:
Claire is a teenager girl that nobody seems to notice. She has no friends and even her family tends to forget about her existence and needs sticky notes to remind them about her.
Everything changes when she one day meets Nix. Nix introduces Claire to the world of Nobodys, Nulls, Sensors and the organization who leads them - The Society. Nobodys are people whos DNA makes them different, they cannot be seen, cannot be remembered and cannot be loved. Nulls are manipulating sociopaths who can influence minds of other people and make them do what is useful. Sensors are people capable of finding Nobodys and Nulls.
Nix has been raised by The Society and he is assassin whose task is to eliminate Nulls. His next target is Claire, but for his big surprise, Claire can see him. That leads Nix to the decision, that Claire can't be a Null. Nix just can't kill her and saves her life from the hands of The Society. When Nix and Claire find out, that The Society has learned how to create Nulls using a dark mysterious matter, they are determined to change that.
This was the part which I loved about Nobody - the idea of the plot itself. The idea of Nulls and Nobodys was interesting, especially thinking how much indifference there is around us.
What I was disturbed by was the extensive repetition of sentences and ideas. It seemed to me, that the author tried too hard for readers to understand, that Nobodys are not meant for anything good and love in their lives. In the beginning it might have been necessary, but reading the same sentences for twentieth times made me consider if the author has underestimated the readers' intelligence. My biggest problem was with the writing style which seemed little over the edge with that.
The second problem I had with Nobody was pacing, The first half of the book went slow and the second half of the book was totally action-filled. I do love action-filled scenes, but the balance in the novel was off.
What I liked was that the author used two points of views - both Claire's and Nix's voices came out clearly.
Characters:
The characters which you get biggest insight in were Claire and Nix. The rest of the characters had almost no significant importance.
Claire was understandable. I understand her pain when nobody really remembered her or saw her and I can relate to her happiness about finding Nix, a person who is like her. I also got the point author made with Nix and his baggage from past. It can't be easy to find out that you have been manipulated to assassin wrong people. Therefore I can understand Nix's internal battles.
What I did have difficulties with believing was not their love story itself, but how quickly it developed. I did not buy the insta-love, especially because Nix was out to kill Claire and right after that, he starts deeply caring for her and she fells in love with him. It seemed too much of the Stockholm syndrome even though I know that was not the author's intention. The dynamics and the depth and growth of the relationship was missing. The idea was good, but I don't think the author gave enough page-space for the reasons behind their emotions. I did not feel that while reading.
Generally:
Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes was definitely an enterntaining science fiction read. The idea of the plot and the setting were brilliant, but the writing style did not fit well with my taste.
Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes was an interesting book. The idea of the plot was very original and it was an entertaining read.
Plot:
Claire is a teenager girl that nobody seems to notice. She has no friends and even her family tends to forget about her existence and needs sticky notes to remind them about her.
Everything changes when she one day meets Nix. Nix introduces Claire to the world of Nobodys, Nulls, Sensors and the organization who leads them - The Society. Nobodys are people whos DNA makes them different, they cannot be seen, cannot be remembered and cannot be loved. Nulls are manipulating sociopaths who can influence minds of other people and make them do what is useful. Sensors are people capable of finding Nobodys and Nulls.
Nix has been raised by The Society and he is assassin whose task is to eliminate Nulls. His next target is Claire, but for his big surprise, Claire can see him. That leads Nix to the decision, that Claire can't be a Null. Nix just can't kill her and saves her life from the hands of The Society. When Nix and Claire find out, that The Society has learned how to create Nulls using a dark mysterious matter, they are determined to change that.
This was the part which I loved about Nobody - the idea of the plot itself. The idea of Nulls and Nobodys was interesting, especially thinking how much indifference there is around us.
What I was disturbed by was the extensive repetition of sentences and ideas. It seemed to me, that the author tried too hard for readers to understand, that Nobodys are not meant for anything good and love in their lives. In the beginning it might have been necessary, but reading the same sentences for twentieth times made me consider if the author has underestimated the readers' intelligence. My biggest problem was with the writing style which seemed little over the edge with that.
The second problem I had with Nobody was pacing, The first half of the book went slow and the second half of the book was totally action-filled. I do love action-filled scenes, but the balance in the novel was off.
What I liked was that the author used two points of views - both Claire's and Nix's voices came out clearly.
Characters:
The characters which you get biggest insight in were Claire and Nix. The rest of the characters had almost no significant importance.
Claire was understandable. I understand her pain when nobody really remembered her or saw her and I can relate to her happiness about finding Nix, a person who is like her. I also got the point author made with Nix and his baggage from past. It can't be easy to find out that you have been manipulated to assassin wrong people. Therefore I can understand Nix's internal battles.
What I did have difficulties with believing was not their love story itself, but how quickly it developed. I did not buy the insta-love, especially because Nix was out to kill Claire and right after that, he starts deeply caring for her and she fells in love with him. It seemed too much of the Stockholm syndrome even though I know that was not the author's intention. The dynamics and the depth and growth of the relationship was missing. The idea was good, but I don't think the author gave enough page-space for the reasons behind their emotions. I did not feel that while reading.
Generally:
Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes was definitely an enterntaining science fiction read. The idea of the plot and the setting were brilliant, but the writing style did not fit well with my taste.
February 11, 2013
US/CAN Giveaway for a hardcover of Nobody and a paperback copy of Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Ends 22/02/13. http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
3.5 Stars!
Nobody follows the life of Claire and Nix. Claire has been invisible all her life, people don't take notice of her and people seem to forget all about her. She walks the halls of school going through day to day life, knowing no-one cares for her - even her parents have to remind themselves that she's there. It's a sad life for her. Then we have Nix, another Nobody but he's a dangerous Nobody. Nix makes the best assassin because no-one can see him and when the Institute gets wind of Claire's presence, they give Nix the job to take her out. But when Claire and Nix meet, something happens and suddenly they have each other....
I'm going to put this straight out there, Nobody is a strange read - one that I struggled to get into to start with. The story is told in a third person narrative and each chapter is based on either Claire or Nix and there quite small - too small in my opinion. It was very hard to get a grip on the story or what's going on and it wasn't until about 25% that I started to enjoy and understand the story. I felt that the whole Nobody/Nix/Institute needed explaining more and a little bit better. What was also hard to get into was the way the story was wrote, it's almost lyrical;
"I'm the killer. I am death to all I seek. I am Nobody."
Nobody.
He said it like he meant it. Like he believed it. Like it was the reason for the shadows in his eyes and the scar across his neck.
Like this boy - this beautiful, insane, gun-toting boy- could possibly understand what it felt like to be truly invisible. To not matter. To anyone. Ever.
but once I got used to this, I found the story started to flow a lot better.
Now the characters, there not the most well developed characters I've read about and honestly, I put that in my little negative column to start with, however, once I started to understand the story, I found this wasn't a negative at all, it was actually a positive. With the characters being Nobodies they have no life, no love, no joy, no nothing. So to have had them them well developed it would have been a fault, because their personalities wouldn't have fit the story. I believe the author did a great job portraying just how unloved these characters were.
In all, I did enjoy Nobody. It was certainly different from any other story I've read and despite the rocky start I had, it did become a compelling and interesting read. However it's a story that I don't think will be for everyone but I'm glad I read and enjoyed it.
3.5 Stars!
Nobody follows the life of Claire and Nix. Claire has been invisible all her life, people don't take notice of her and people seem to forget all about her. She walks the halls of school going through day to day life, knowing no-one cares for her - even her parents have to remind themselves that she's there. It's a sad life for her. Then we have Nix, another Nobody but he's a dangerous Nobody. Nix makes the best assassin because no-one can see him and when the Institute gets wind of Claire's presence, they give Nix the job to take her out. But when Claire and Nix meet, something happens and suddenly they have each other....
I'm going to put this straight out there, Nobody is a strange read - one that I struggled to get into to start with. The story is told in a third person narrative and each chapter is based on either Claire or Nix and there quite small - too small in my opinion. It was very hard to get a grip on the story or what's going on and it wasn't until about 25% that I started to enjoy and understand the story. I felt that the whole Nobody/Nix/Institute needed explaining more and a little bit better. What was also hard to get into was the way the story was wrote, it's almost lyrical;
"I'm the killer. I am death to all I seek. I am Nobody."
Nobody.
He said it like he meant it. Like he believed it. Like it was the reason for the shadows in his eyes and the scar across his neck.
Like this boy - this beautiful, insane, gun-toting boy- could possibly understand what it felt like to be truly invisible. To not matter. To anyone. Ever.
but once I got used to this, I found the story started to flow a lot better.
Now the characters, there not the most well developed characters I've read about and honestly, I put that in my little negative column to start with, however, once I started to understand the story, I found this wasn't a negative at all, it was actually a positive. With the characters being Nobodies they have no life, no love, no joy, no nothing. So to have had them them well developed it would have been a fault, because their personalities wouldn't have fit the story. I believe the author did a great job portraying just how unloved these characters were.
In all, I did enjoy Nobody. It was certainly different from any other story I've read and despite the rocky start I had, it did become a compelling and interesting read. However it's a story that I don't think will be for everyone but I'm glad I read and enjoyed it.
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