The Nobody Code

by Miciah Bay Gault

One fateful night in the 1990s, Dinah, a small-town Vermont teen, sneaks out on a mission to jump on the neighbor’s forbidden trampoline. There she comes upon a handsome, seductive boy named Rex, who leads a group of underground vigilante teenagers who call themselves "Nobody." Dinah falls under Rex's sway and joins the group. She'll do anything to impress him, even when it's dangerous. After an incident orchestrated by Rex results in steep repercussions for herself and others, Dinah leaves the town and her adolescent years behind.
     Now, twenty years later, Rex has long vanished. Dinah is married with a baby and a job at the local zoo. But she is not at peace, and it seems as if someone from the past won’t let her go quietly. When mysterious clues start appearing, animals at the zoo go missing, and an old conspirator barely survives a suspicious fire, Dinah’s paranoia gets the best of her, and she takes the baby and drives back to her hometown to investigate. Although Dinah reunites with old friends, the forces out to get her make it painfully Dinah must repent and face her enemies alone.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

372 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 11, 2026

Reviews

[Melissa Horrigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe this book was just too deep for me, but this review is my honest opinion.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the early copy.

I really liked the concept of the “Nobody Code” and the stories connected to the idea of the Nobody. Some of the themes were very interesting, especially the way the author wrote about women and the conflicting expectations placed on them—being expected to be innocent but also sexy, strong but agreeable, and everything in between. That aspect felt very real and thoughtful, and it was one of the parts of the book that stood out to me the most.

Unfortunately, I struggled a lot with the structure of the story. The narrative jumps around frequently with very little warning, and I often felt like I was trying to catch up with what was happening. By the end, I was left feeling more confused than satisfied. The epilogue didn’t really clear things up for me and instead seemed to add even more questions. It’s possible the deeper meaning just went over my head, but I finished the book feeling like a lot was never fully answered.

There was also a strong focus on animals throughout the story. I’m guessing this was meant to add symbolism or depth, but for me it started to feel a bit overwhelming and pulled me out of the main story at times.

Overall, I can appreciate the ambition and the ideas behind this book, but the execution made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story. I’m sure some readers will enjoy digging into the deeper meaning, but it ended up being a confusing read for me.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story follows Dinah, who, as a teenager in the 90s, becomes entangled with a mysterious underground group called “Nobody” led by the charismatic and manipulative Rex. After a dangerous incident changes everything, she leaves her hometown behind. But twenty years later, now married with a baby and working at a zoo, strange events begin pulling her back toward the past she thought she escaped.

The strongest aspect of the book for me was its themes. There’s this unsettling quality running through the entire story that perfectly captures the feeling of being haunted by your adolescence and the choices you made when you were young. The small-town setting, the eerie influence of Rex, and the strange “Nobody” group all created this nostalgic but dangerous feeling that I really enjoyed.

I also appreciated the commentary on womanhood, identity, and motherhood woven throughout the story. Dinah’s struggles with guilt, marriage, expectations, and the lingering pull of her past gave the book a lot of emotional depth beneath the mystery.

This was an interesting read for me because it contained elements I genuinely loved, while other parts kept me at a slight emotional distance. I’m still a little conflicted on how I fully feel about it, but it’s definitely one of those books that lingers in your mind afterward. It’s strange, haunting, atmospheric, and emotionally messy.


Thank you so much Union Square & Co., and Miciah Bay Gault for the #gifted copy!
All opinions are my own 🖤

[Emily Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I read it after a few duds and it completely brought me out of my reading slump. The mystery was just so weird and unique that I had to keep reading, and the ending completely blew my mind. One of those books you want to read again as soon as you finish, so you can watch all the pieces coming together, and the clues you missed the first time. It's also just wonderfully atmospheric and transporting, a real small-town Vermont feel, stocked with locals who feel real and complex, specific settings you can really picture - a very lived-in, built-out world. I can't wait till everyone else reads this book so I can talk about it with people!!

[Cara Gores · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bold, vivid story that defies convention, while weaving a gorgeous mystery around the reader. New mother Dinah is balancing work at a zoo with a toxic boss, a strained marriage, and the memories of a moment in New York that could mean everything or nothing. With all this mounting pressure, plus strange happenings that remind her of her teenage years when she was involved in a unique group, Dinah must pause and finally face her past. Told in lush prose that intermingles fairy tales, mystery, and literary fiction, this is a story that will keep you turning pages.

[Karyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flitting from past (high school) to present (young baby) we follow Dinah as she comes to grips with her unfinished past, by going back to her teenage town. It’s a slow book, with some themes and images that were just too inaccessible.

A very mixed read for me. I loved the premise of the story, but it was incredibly disjointed and I didn’t find all the threads pulled together satisfactorily.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Union Square & Co. for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.