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The Nobodies
“Liza Palmer's voice is fresh, exciting, and necessary. She's a must-read author.” —Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Daisy Jones & the Six
If there's one thing Joan Dixon knows about herself, it's that she is a damn good journalist. But when she is laid off from yet another soon-to-be-shuttered newspaper, and even the soulless, listicle-writing online jobs have dried up, she is left with few options. Closer to 40 than 30, single, living with her parents again, Joan decides she needs to reinvent herself. She goes to work as a junior copywriter at Bloom, a Los Angeles startup where her bosses are all a decade younger and snacks and cans of fizzy water flow freely.
For once, Joan has a steady paycheck and a stable job. She befriends a group of misfit coworkers and even begins a real relationship, after years of false starts. But once a journalist, always a journalist, and as Joan starts to poke beneath Bloom’s bright surface, she realizes that she may have accidentally stumbled onto the scoop of her lifetime. Is it worth risking everything for the sake of the story?
Charmingly candid, hilarious, and deeply moving, The Nobodies is a novel about failing but never losing the core of yourself, from a beloved writer at the top of her game.
If there's one thing Joan Dixon knows about herself, it's that she is a damn good journalist. But when she is laid off from yet another soon-to-be-shuttered newspaper, and even the soulless, listicle-writing online jobs have dried up, she is left with few options. Closer to 40 than 30, single, living with her parents again, Joan decides she needs to reinvent herself. She goes to work as a junior copywriter at Bloom, a Los Angeles startup where her bosses are all a decade younger and snacks and cans of fizzy water flow freely.
For once, Joan has a steady paycheck and a stable job. She befriends a group of misfit coworkers and even begins a real relationship, after years of false starts. But once a journalist, always a journalist, and as Joan starts to poke beneath Bloom’s bright surface, she realizes that she may have accidentally stumbled onto the scoop of her lifetime. Is it worth risking everything for the sake of the story?
Charmingly candid, hilarious, and deeply moving, The Nobodies is a novel about failing but never losing the core of yourself, from a beloved writer at the top of her game.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2019
57 people are currently reading
2864 people want to read
About the author
Liza Palmer
21 books557 followersLiza Palmer is the internationally bestselling author of Conversations with the Fat Girl , which has been optioned for series by HBO.
Library Journal said Palmer’s “blend of humor and sadness is realistic and gripping,..”
After earning two Emmy nominations writing for the first season of VH1’s Pop Up Video, she now knows far too much about Fergie.
Palmer’s fifth novel, Nowhere but Home, is about a failed chef who decides to make last meals for the condemned in Texas. Nowhere but Home won the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction in 2013.
Liza's seventh novel, The F Word, came out through Flatiron Books April 25, 2017.
Liza lives in Los Angeles and when she's not drinking tea and talking about The Great British Bake Off, she works at BuzzFeed.
Library Journal said Palmer’s “blend of humor and sadness is realistic and gripping,..”
After earning two Emmy nominations writing for the first season of VH1’s Pop Up Video, she now knows far too much about Fergie.
Palmer’s fifth novel, Nowhere but Home, is about a failed chef who decides to make last meals for the condemned in Texas. Nowhere but Home won the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction in 2013.
Liza's seventh novel, The F Word, came out through Flatiron Books April 25, 2017.
Liza lives in Los Angeles and when she's not drinking tea and talking about The Great British Bake Off, she works at BuzzFeed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
March 28, 2021
I really, really enjoyed The Nobodies! (The title will make sense as the story unfolds.) This was so much more than I was expecting from the brief synopsis. Once again, Liza Palmer, one of my favourite authors, has written an engrossing story, with real characters who have all the usual flaws, problems and issues that most of us face in our daily lives.
Joan Dixon loved being a journalist - she went straight from high school to work for a prominent Los Angeles newspaper as a result of her stellar internship. For almost ten years, Journalism had consumed every moment of her life - until her editors laid her off and none of her freelance articles were being snapped up. So begins Joan's downward spiral into self-doubt and grief. She begins to obsess that maybe she never had the required skills and talent to begin with. Her sense of self-worth is at an all-time low.
She now regrets not going to college and getting her credentials. With no college degree in hand, she has to settle for a job as a copywriter at a "cloud storage" startup firm.
The hero in this story, Thornton Yu, stole my heart: he is young, intelligent, hard-working but he also suffers from self-doubt, a sense of personal failure, and a huge dose of job dissatisfaction.
I really identified with the painful internal struggle that both Joan and Thornton had to work through in order to separate their feelings of self-worth from Society's warped benchmark. (We are all the CEO's of our own lives: my advice: give yourself a raise and take a permanent "time out" from trying to measure up to someone else's ideals of success. )
Joan believes that given time she will get past the bitter disappointment that is her lost vocation. She realizes that she sacrificed being present at so many important milestones in her family's life because she was off pursuing a lead for a news story. And just when the growing friendship between her new workmates - Thornton, Hani and Elise - is filling an empty corner of her heart, the Fates intervene and offer Joan a chance to get back into the journalism game. But this new lead may end up costing her the job which is paying her bills at the moment. She has a choice: does she fall back into her old workaholic patterns, or does she find a better way to expose the truth?
With the encouragement of her wonderful family and with help from her supportive co-workers, Joan decides to conduct an investigation into Bloom. Is the company really delivering on its promises to its investors and customers, or is it all just a hyped up media sham?
What follows is a fascinating window on how a reporter pieces together information and leads to form a compelling news story. But wait! There's more! There is a wicked, wicked twist at the end! I did not see that coming!
This was downright entertaining, and I learned a thing a two about computers and programming, as well as journalism. The sweet relationship between 36 year old Joan (of possible Western European descent) and 24 year old Thornton Yu (of possible Korean or Chinese descent) was a steady slow burn that just raged into a forest fire when their feelings could no longer be contained. Should they risk their newfound friendship and working relationship by giving in to their undeniable attraction for each other? (Hell yes! They certainly had my very enthusiastic vote!)
Hani (who might be Arabic and/or a practicing Muslim) has a lesbian relationship with her co-worker, Elise, who is of Japanese ancestry. (And watch out for the 80's themed party where Joan's 30-something friends finally meet up with her 20-something coworkers - that was a riot!)
There is something for everyone in this story: humour, psychological self-examination and growth, and diverse characters that you really come to care about (and miss!) when you turn the final satisfying page. Two big thumbs up!
(I read this while I was down south on vacation. It is not a light and frothy beach read: Liza Palmer is too intelligent and emotionally astute for "light and frothy." It certainly captured my imagination and whisked me away to another world on those two rainy evenings we had. The plot deals with heavy emotional topics, but Liza Palmer always leaves her readers hopeful and uplifted after a well-fought battle. I will always look forward to this author's novels: she just gets better and better!)
Joan Dixon loved being a journalist - she went straight from high school to work for a prominent Los Angeles newspaper as a result of her stellar internship. For almost ten years, Journalism had consumed every moment of her life - until her editors laid her off and none of her freelance articles were being snapped up. So begins Joan's downward spiral into self-doubt and grief. She begins to obsess that maybe she never had the required skills and talent to begin with. Her sense of self-worth is at an all-time low.
She now regrets not going to college and getting her credentials. With no college degree in hand, she has to settle for a job as a copywriter at a "cloud storage" startup firm.
The hero in this story, Thornton Yu, stole my heart: he is young, intelligent, hard-working but he also suffers from self-doubt, a sense of personal failure, and a huge dose of job dissatisfaction.
I really identified with the painful internal struggle that both Joan and Thornton had to work through in order to separate their feelings of self-worth from Society's warped benchmark. (We are all the CEO's of our own lives: my advice: give yourself a raise and take a permanent "time out" from trying to measure up to someone else's ideals of success. )
Joan believes that given time she will get past the bitter disappointment that is her lost vocation. She realizes that she sacrificed being present at so many important milestones in her family's life because she was off pursuing a lead for a news story. And just when the growing friendship between her new workmates - Thornton, Hani and Elise - is filling an empty corner of her heart, the Fates intervene and offer Joan a chance to get back into the journalism game. But this new lead may end up costing her the job which is paying her bills at the moment. She has a choice: does she fall back into her old workaholic patterns, or does she find a better way to expose the truth?
With the encouragement of her wonderful family and with help from her supportive co-workers, Joan decides to conduct an investigation into Bloom. Is the company really delivering on its promises to its investors and customers, or is it all just a hyped up media sham?
What follows is a fascinating window on how a reporter pieces together information and leads to form a compelling news story. But wait! There's more! There is a wicked, wicked twist at the end! I did not see that coming!
This was downright entertaining, and I learned a thing a two about computers and programming, as well as journalism. The sweet relationship between 36 year old Joan (of possible Western European descent) and 24 year old Thornton Yu (of possible Korean or Chinese descent) was a steady slow burn that just raged into a forest fire when their feelings could no longer be contained. Should they risk their newfound friendship and working relationship by giving in to their undeniable attraction for each other? (Hell yes! They certainly had my very enthusiastic vote!)
Hani (who might be Arabic and/or a practicing Muslim) has a lesbian relationship with her co-worker, Elise, who is of Japanese ancestry. (And watch out for the 80's themed party where Joan's 30-something friends finally meet up with her 20-something coworkers - that was a riot!)
There is something for everyone in this story: humour, psychological self-examination and growth, and diverse characters that you really come to care about (and miss!) when you turn the final satisfying page. Two big thumbs up!
(I read this while I was down south on vacation. It is not a light and frothy beach read: Liza Palmer is too intelligent and emotionally astute for "light and frothy." It certainly captured my imagination and whisked me away to another world on those two rainy evenings we had. The plot deals with heavy emotional topics, but Liza Palmer always leaves her readers hopeful and uplifted after a well-fought battle. I will always look forward to this author's novels: she just gets better and better!)
September 14, 2019
Liza Palmer has written a fun and clever tale that made me laugh. A feel-good story that left me wanting to turn up the 80s music and dance around the house. No this book is not set in the 80s, but there is a great scene in the book with an 80s party that is guaranteed to make you want to do the same! Joan was once a successful journalist, but now she’s out of a job and having little luck finding a new one. She is less than thrilled when she finally lands a job as a junior copywriter at a tech start up where all her coworkers are more than a decade younger than her, but hey it’s a job. Lucky for Joan she finds her niche with Thornton, Hani, and Elise. Soon this quad of friends/coworkers discovers that the company they are working for is not everything that it seems and an investigation ensues. Has Joan found her big story? Her way back into journalism? And at what cost?
The strength of the story for me was the characters and their relationships with one another. Not only did Joan have these fantastic coworkers, but she also had a great family and some amazing friends. The investigation (while interesting) took a backseat to everything else and mainly just moved the story forward. Honestly they could’ve been investigating anything, I just enjoyed seeing how they went about it alll. There was so much love, laughter, and camaraderie. There was also romance and love and not only with the obvious characters. An entertaining story that will put a smile on your face and the Moody Blues in your head.
This book in three emoji‘s: 🔍 💞 💻
The strength of the story for me was the characters and their relationships with one another. Not only did Joan have these fantastic coworkers, but she also had a great family and some amazing friends. The investigation (while interesting) took a backseat to everything else and mainly just moved the story forward. Honestly they could’ve been investigating anything, I just enjoyed seeing how they went about it alll. There was so much love, laughter, and camaraderie. There was also romance and love and not only with the obvious characters. An entertaining story that will put a smile on your face and the Moody Blues in your head.
This book in three emoji‘s: 🔍 💞 💻
December 5, 2019
3.5 stars.
When life knocks you to your knees, you can completely fall to pieces or you can hang on to at least a shred of self-esteem and dignity. Joan Dixon may be closer to the former than the latter at this point, since her journalism career continues to go nowhere, she's had to move back in with her parents, and she's applying for jobs that are far, far more junior than she should consider. But what choice does she have?
After landing an internship at a newspaper right out of high school, she thought she'd have a glorious career as a journalist, but it never materialized. And when a meeting with her old mentor leaves her wondering if she ever really had any talent, she's considering any opportunity, even working as a bar back (she apparently only needs to show one breast, which seems like a good compromise for her).
Joan applies to be a junior copywriter at Bloom, a startup tech company in Los Angeles founded by two college best friends, which is about to go public. She's easily one of the oldest people working there and she finds the culture intriguing, bewildering, and frustrating. She should feel good about the office's fancy coffee machine and the unlimited supply of snacks and beverages, but how can she reconcile a workplace where the employees care more about why the cafeteria stopped carrying a certain variety of ramen noodles than serious issues?
Even as she becomes close with her team, and may even be in the midst of a flirtation with a colleague, the journalist in Joan can't rest. So when she can't quite figure out what Bloom does beyond the buzzwordy descriptions she gets, she asks questions. When the answers to those questions don't satisfy her she starts to dig deeper. And then she realizes there may be some reality behind her sneaking suspicions.
When Joan starts doing some surreptitious investigating, she starts to wonder whether she's subconsciously trying to sabotage her chance at stability. Does she really think there's something worth digging into, and even if it is, could it be worth the possibility of hundreds of people losing their jobs if what she finds signals the end of Bloom? And when her newfound friends join in to help her investigation, should she let them risk their jobs just for the sake of companionship?
The Nobodies is an interesting character study about a woman relentless in her pursuit of her dreams who worries she might not have the stuff to make her dreams come true. Joan is so focused that throughout her life she's neglected relationships, friendships, family, and she wonders if all of those sacrifices were worth it given that she's left with nothing. But does that mean she should give up for good?
This was a quick read, and I enjoyed Liza Palmer's storytelling ability. I'll admit I had trouble figuring out just what Bloom did, too, so Joan's investigation was interesting, but it went on a little longer than it needed to. I loved the supporting characters in this story perhaps a little more than Joan herself, but I was still completely drawn into her story.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
When life knocks you to your knees, you can completely fall to pieces or you can hang on to at least a shred of self-esteem and dignity. Joan Dixon may be closer to the former than the latter at this point, since her journalism career continues to go nowhere, she's had to move back in with her parents, and she's applying for jobs that are far, far more junior than she should consider. But what choice does she have?
After landing an internship at a newspaper right out of high school, she thought she'd have a glorious career as a journalist, but it never materialized. And when a meeting with her old mentor leaves her wondering if she ever really had any talent, she's considering any opportunity, even working as a bar back (she apparently only needs to show one breast, which seems like a good compromise for her).
Joan applies to be a junior copywriter at Bloom, a startup tech company in Los Angeles founded by two college best friends, which is about to go public. She's easily one of the oldest people working there and she finds the culture intriguing, bewildering, and frustrating. She should feel good about the office's fancy coffee machine and the unlimited supply of snacks and beverages, but how can she reconcile a workplace where the employees care more about why the cafeteria stopped carrying a certain variety of ramen noodles than serious issues?
Even as she becomes close with her team, and may even be in the midst of a flirtation with a colleague, the journalist in Joan can't rest. So when she can't quite figure out what Bloom does beyond the buzzwordy descriptions she gets, she asks questions. When the answers to those questions don't satisfy her she starts to dig deeper. And then she realizes there may be some reality behind her sneaking suspicions.
When Joan starts doing some surreptitious investigating, she starts to wonder whether she's subconsciously trying to sabotage her chance at stability. Does she really think there's something worth digging into, and even if it is, could it be worth the possibility of hundreds of people losing their jobs if what she finds signals the end of Bloom? And when her newfound friends join in to help her investigation, should she let them risk their jobs just for the sake of companionship?
The Nobodies is an interesting character study about a woman relentless in her pursuit of her dreams who worries she might not have the stuff to make her dreams come true. Joan is so focused that throughout her life she's neglected relationships, friendships, family, and she wonders if all of those sacrifices were worth it given that she's left with nothing. But does that mean she should give up for good?
This was a quick read, and I enjoyed Liza Palmer's storytelling ability. I'll admit I had trouble figuring out just what Bloom did, too, so Joan's investigation was interesting, but it went on a little longer than it needed to. I loved the supporting characters in this story perhaps a little more than Joan herself, but I was still completely drawn into her story.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
August 21, 2019
This is a terrific read if you are looking to be entertained. I sat down expecting to fall asleep (that was the goal), it was fast paced and intriguing enough that 6 hours later I finished it! The writing was pretty good, although certain sentences were structured that they emphasized the wrong word in a sentence but more than likely that will be resolved as I had an ARC. I liked that the writing was active and stayed in the present tense leaving the reader sitting in the passenger seat, engaged in the action.
The characters were empathetic and likable (except the ones, you weren't supposed to like, of course). That said, they were written a tad on the superficial side, we were told things to provide insight, however, they seemed to be a bit flat to me.
I liked the story, however, I expected it to have more depth and detail. The basis was computer hardware driven but the explanations were super vague; the story was very superficial to the story as well. In the end, this is a romance. Two wounded people find each other and their sensitivity toward the other encourages them to remove the walls they have kept in place, enabling each one to experience a new level of intimacy. That was the main story and the computer intrigue was the vehicle used to move the story forward. Thus, the focus of this tale is far more on a romance (there were other romance's as well focused on homosexual couples), than an intriguing mystery and exposé of a fraudulent corporation.
Ms. Palmer's writing was a delight and I would definitely read her again. She incorporates humor through most of the story, which usually is entertaining and light-hearted. This is an excellent beach reading material or just when you need some lighter material. For me, this wavered between 3 and 4 stars rating, some may find this tale worthy of the higher rating, I may be an outlier.
Thank you to the author, Liza Palmer and Flatiron Books for the fun opportunity to review the ARC release of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion. It was a delight.
The characters were empathetic and likable (except the ones, you weren't supposed to like, of course). That said, they were written a tad on the superficial side, we were told things to provide insight, however, they seemed to be a bit flat to me.
I liked the story, however, I expected it to have more depth and detail. The basis was computer hardware driven but the explanations were super vague; the story was very superficial to the story as well. In the end, this is a romance. Two wounded people find each other and their sensitivity toward the other encourages them to remove the walls they have kept in place, enabling each one to experience a new level of intimacy. That was the main story and the computer intrigue was the vehicle used to move the story forward. Thus, the focus of this tale is far more on a romance (there were other romance's as well focused on homosexual couples), than an intriguing mystery and exposé of a fraudulent corporation.
Ms. Palmer's writing was a delight and I would definitely read her again. She incorporates humor through most of the story, which usually is entertaining and light-hearted. This is an excellent beach reading material or just when you need some lighter material. For me, this wavered between 3 and 4 stars rating, some may find this tale worthy of the higher rating, I may be an outlier.
Thank you to the author, Liza Palmer and Flatiron Books for the fun opportunity to review the ARC release of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion. It was a delight.
October 13, 2019
While this book has enjoyable writing, it was quite disparaging to the main character in a not quite loveable way and even moreso about her 'millennial twentysomething' coworkers.
Maybe the bothering was (originally) derived from the fact that I too am a millennial but like, so is Joan?? So what the fuck is all that about?? And why is she trying to big up cultural references to Thornton that she was barely around for herself (if at all)?? Really wish that people would do research before shit talking because you're 36 Joan*, you are a millenial too!!! I know you know how to use technology, the first one mobile phone came out in '83, the first home computer dropped in '77 -- sure they weren't as prolific then because cost and the corporate world but one was sure to have filtered down to your orbit by the time you hit high school if not sooner WHY ARE YOU LYING TO YOURSELF
*I'm yelling at Joan here in place of Liza because I'm pretty sure this applies to her too as she fucking works at //BuzzFeed// of all places
ALSO Thornton is 26 not 24 do better math for a book released in 2019
ALSO ALSO what was that ending
Maybe the bothering was (originally) derived from the fact that I too am a millennial but like, so is Joan?? So what the fuck is all that about?? And why is she trying to big up cultural references to Thornton that she was barely around for herself (if at all)?? Really wish that people would do research before shit talking because you're 36 Joan*, you are a millenial too!!! I know you know how to use technology, the first one mobile phone came out in '83, the first home computer dropped in '77 -- sure they weren't as prolific then because cost and the corporate world but one was sure to have filtered down to your orbit by the time you hit high school if not sooner WHY ARE YOU LYING TO YOURSELF
*I'm yelling at Joan here in place of Liza because I'm pretty sure this applies to her too as she fucking works at //BuzzFeed// of all places
ALSO Thornton is 26 not 24 do better math for a book released in 2019
ALSO ALSO what was that ending
September 9, 2019
Thank you to Flatiron and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Nobodies
By: Liza Palmer
*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Nobodies is a story of doubt and acceptance. Joan is a single woman in her late thirties who has lost her job and is living with her parents. Joan is less than thrilled and feels like a failure. She was a journalist before and wants to be again. Opportunities are extremely slim. She questions whether she ever had any talent at all. Joan ends up as a junior copywriter at a hip tech start up called Bloom where the differences between millennials and late thirties are obvious. Joan is lost but fortunate to work with a small pod of people whom she likes, including a romantic intrest with a younger man. Joan asks a question at a company meeting, and the two founders, Chris and Asher, dance around an answer. Later, they meet with her. Joan suspects something is wrong at Bloom. The founders know her background and are assessing Joan as possibly undercover. I wanted to scream while reading this! Chris demeans Joan in the worst way saying she's definitely not a threat. Chris makes Joan feel small, insignificant and angry. Honestly, to appreciate his level of condescension you have to read it yourself. Chris is the classic millennial entitled rich better than you guy. I hate this character with a vengeance. Joan is positive these guys are lying. With the help of coworkers and friends, Joan investigates Bloom to find out if the company is what it claims. I wonder if Joan really wants answers, or is she looking to restart her career? Joan finds answers about Bloom and herself. She realizes she is too critical and negative about herself. She's made mistakes, but you can't unring the bell. There is nothing to do but accept and keep moving. Joan can be a somebody if she will allow herself to just be who she is without wondering what might have been. She is good enough. Don't we all do this? I loved this story. Finally, I've read something authentic about the almost, or already, 40ish generation. I laughed at so many things I relate to at this age. I felt everything Joan felt. So many of us are lost in the tech world and feel like nobodies who have been left behind. Self doubt is creeping up. We were important, once. But, y'all, we are somebodies! Think about all the knowledge and life skills you possess that millennials are lacking. Tech can't solve everything. I'm older, but I do matter. So do you! The Nobodies is a must read full of thought provoking questions, humor, a bit of romance and pure delight. Read this book!
The Nobodies
By: Liza Palmer
*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Nobodies is a story of doubt and acceptance. Joan is a single woman in her late thirties who has lost her job and is living with her parents. Joan is less than thrilled and feels like a failure. She was a journalist before and wants to be again. Opportunities are extremely slim. She questions whether she ever had any talent at all. Joan ends up as a junior copywriter at a hip tech start up called Bloom where the differences between millennials and late thirties are obvious. Joan is lost but fortunate to work with a small pod of people whom she likes, including a romantic intrest with a younger man. Joan asks a question at a company meeting, and the two founders, Chris and Asher, dance around an answer. Later, they meet with her. Joan suspects something is wrong at Bloom. The founders know her background and are assessing Joan as possibly undercover. I wanted to scream while reading this! Chris demeans Joan in the worst way saying she's definitely not a threat. Chris makes Joan feel small, insignificant and angry. Honestly, to appreciate his level of condescension you have to read it yourself. Chris is the classic millennial entitled rich better than you guy. I hate this character with a vengeance. Joan is positive these guys are lying. With the help of coworkers and friends, Joan investigates Bloom to find out if the company is what it claims. I wonder if Joan really wants answers, or is she looking to restart her career? Joan finds answers about Bloom and herself. She realizes she is too critical and negative about herself. She's made mistakes, but you can't unring the bell. There is nothing to do but accept and keep moving. Joan can be a somebody if she will allow herself to just be who she is without wondering what might have been. She is good enough. Don't we all do this? I loved this story. Finally, I've read something authentic about the almost, or already, 40ish generation. I laughed at so many things I relate to at this age. I felt everything Joan felt. So many of us are lost in the tech world and feel like nobodies who have been left behind. Self doubt is creeping up. We were important, once. But, y'all, we are somebodies! Think about all the knowledge and life skills you possess that millennials are lacking. Tech can't solve everything. I'm older, but I do matter. So do you! The Nobodies is a must read full of thought provoking questions, humor, a bit of romance and pure delight. Read this book!
July 31, 2019
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Oof. I don't know what to say. I think this book was supposed to be about the death or journalism and impostor syndrome. However, it jumped all around and I maybe went am I supposed to care about this or no? And then it had a weird ending and then love and I maybe went ah well at least I am done. I loved so many of Liza Palmer's older works and now I am feeling iffy about reading her anymore. The main character didn't grab me and I wish that she had done a fish out of water storyline with chick lit elements. I would have eaten that all up.
"The Nobodies" follows Joan Dixon as she starts a new job as a junior copywriter for a new tech company called Bloom. We find out that Joan is in her late 30s and until recently had a job as a journalist. However, stories/jobs dried up and her writing doesn't seem to be hitting the same beats anymore. Starting at Bloom Joan starts again and she finds something she didn't have before, a solid group of work friends. However, Joan starts wondering about Bloom and starts digging to find out what the founders of Bloom are really up to.
So here's the thing. The book positions you to like Joan, but I honestly felt exhausted by her. She beats herself up about every last thing. We get that she feels like a failure with having to leave her chosen career behind, but I didn't get hard hitting journalist from her. I was actually surprised that Palmer had her as only having a high school degree and somehow turning a story from high school into her getting hired by a major newspaper. It just felt off. And when Palmer talks about some of the stories she worked on I didn't get it. Her digging into Bloom was boring to me and I liked it better when she was hanging with friends and dealing with her new love interest.
I thought the development of the coworkers (Thorton, Hani, and Elise) was very good. I got very quickly that they were a great core group and they all worked very well together. I wish that Palmer had developed Joan's parents a little more (beyond they are nursery owners) and her brother. And even her best friend Lynn needed more development I thought.
The writing was good, I think though reading about Joan and her constant doubts was exhausting after a while. You find out that her problem is that she doesn't get that she's good enough (impostor syndrome) and that she has a hard time with actually going forward and being good and believing in herself. I think that's a good message, I just needed the storyline to be tighter. Focusing so much on Bloom, servers, etc. made my head spin. And this is from someone who gets how servers work. It was just boring and I even went does this matter a few times.
The ending totally made me laugh. I don't know. I think Palmer is trying to say something about how the tech culture is toxic, full of lies, and also how in the end it doesn't matter because people don't pay attention past a 24 hour news cycle. However, we have our young quad planning on taking evil tech bro down. It was a weird way to go.
Oof. I don't know what to say. I think this book was supposed to be about the death or journalism and impostor syndrome. However, it jumped all around and I maybe went am I supposed to care about this or no? And then it had a weird ending and then love and I maybe went ah well at least I am done. I loved so many of Liza Palmer's older works and now I am feeling iffy about reading her anymore. The main character didn't grab me and I wish that she had done a fish out of water storyline with chick lit elements. I would have eaten that all up.
"The Nobodies" follows Joan Dixon as she starts a new job as a junior copywriter for a new tech company called Bloom. We find out that Joan is in her late 30s and until recently had a job as a journalist. However, stories/jobs dried up and her writing doesn't seem to be hitting the same beats anymore. Starting at Bloom Joan starts again and she finds something she didn't have before, a solid group of work friends. However, Joan starts wondering about Bloom and starts digging to find out what the founders of Bloom are really up to.
So here's the thing. The book positions you to like Joan, but I honestly felt exhausted by her. She beats herself up about every last thing. We get that she feels like a failure with having to leave her chosen career behind, but I didn't get hard hitting journalist from her. I was actually surprised that Palmer had her as only having a high school degree and somehow turning a story from high school into her getting hired by a major newspaper. It just felt off. And when Palmer talks about some of the stories she worked on I didn't get it. Her digging into Bloom was boring to me and I liked it better when she was hanging with friends and dealing with her new love interest.
I thought the development of the coworkers (Thorton, Hani, and Elise) was very good. I got very quickly that they were a great core group and they all worked very well together. I wish that Palmer had developed Joan's parents a little more (beyond they are nursery owners) and her brother. And even her best friend Lynn needed more development I thought.
The writing was good, I think though reading about Joan and her constant doubts was exhausting after a while. You find out that her problem is that she doesn't get that she's good enough (impostor syndrome) and that she has a hard time with actually going forward and being good and believing in herself. I think that's a good message, I just needed the storyline to be tighter. Focusing so much on Bloom, servers, etc. made my head spin. And this is from someone who gets how servers work. It was just boring and I even went does this matter a few times.
The ending totally made me laugh. I don't know. I think Palmer is trying to say something about how the tech culture is toxic, full of lies, and also how in the end it doesn't matter because people don't pay attention past a 24 hour news cycle. However, we have our young quad planning on taking evil tech bro down. It was a weird way to go.
June 30, 2019
When she's on her game and in her true voice, Liza Palmer is one of my favorite Women's Fiction writers. She has a unique blend of sincerity, snark, humor and poignancy, wrapped up in wildly creative plots. Lately she is writing a lot about hitting middle age and measuring your dreams against reality (a topic I can still relate to as I hit, uh, older middle age).
Joan has lost her financial and emotional security as her journalism prospects have dried up, and in desperation she takes a job as a junior copywriter at a Millennial-filled tech company called Bloom. When her journalistic instincts tell her there's something rotten going on underneath the motivational speeches and free snacks at Bloom, she enlists the help of her new boss and colleagues, all of whom are at least a decade younger, to dig out the truth. But is she pursuing a worthwhile story or going on a wild goose chase in a futile attempt to prove to herself that she hasn't lost her touch?
Joan is easy to root for. She's a hard worker and a good friend. I liked the way her self-esteem issues aren't easily traced to parental dysfunction - she has a perfectly lovely family, who have taken her in while she's putting her life back together, and an especially close relationship with her brother. Sometimes it's not as important to figure out why you don't believe in yourself, as it is critical to figure out how to start believing in yourself. And of course there is the valuable lesson that you can't do everything on your own - you are stronger with help from your friends.
The secondary characters, including Joan's family, friends and new colleagues, are all well developed (at least one of them is crying out to be the subject of a sequel) and two of them provide a cute secondary romance. The primary romance, between Joan and a younger Bloom colleague who bond over shared low self-esteem and the desire to find their true professional passion, felt slightly lackluster to me, partially because the object of Joan's affection was pretty much perfect so there wasn't much suspense about whether or not they would end up together despite the age difference.
The generation gap between characters is played for gentle humor. Palmer isn't here to rag on Millennials for their kombucha and buzzwords (okay, maybe just a little); as she says, "I came in here looking to make fun of a generation of people because they appear to be doing work that is thought of as silly or unimportant. The truth is, they're doing the same work people have done throughout the ages with the same level of thoughtfulness...Unlike us, however, they have an eye and a respect for innovation and looking to the future instead of proclaiming that 'this is how we've always done things.'"
I have to admit that I didn't see the signs that there was something hinky going on at Bloom; Joan's deduction that all of the buzzwords had to hiding something only made me think that Liza Palmer has never sat through any modern organizational meeting. But once Joan got rolling, I appreciated the journalistic and detective skills that she and the rest of the enthusiastic Scooby Gang displayed.
I wasn't a huge fan of Palmer's most recent release, The F Word, but this one has me firmly back in her camp. Hell, the 1980s party alone that brings together Joan's Gen X friends with her Millennial colleagues is worth the price of the book. Whether you remember a time before cell phones or not, you'll enjoy The Nobodies.
ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Joan has lost her financial and emotional security as her journalism prospects have dried up, and in desperation she takes a job as a junior copywriter at a Millennial-filled tech company called Bloom. When her journalistic instincts tell her there's something rotten going on underneath the motivational speeches and free snacks at Bloom, she enlists the help of her new boss and colleagues, all of whom are at least a decade younger, to dig out the truth. But is she pursuing a worthwhile story or going on a wild goose chase in a futile attempt to prove to herself that she hasn't lost her touch?
Joan is easy to root for. She's a hard worker and a good friend. I liked the way her self-esteem issues aren't easily traced to parental dysfunction - she has a perfectly lovely family, who have taken her in while she's putting her life back together, and an especially close relationship with her brother. Sometimes it's not as important to figure out why you don't believe in yourself, as it is critical to figure out how to start believing in yourself. And of course there is the valuable lesson that you can't do everything on your own - you are stronger with help from your friends.
The secondary characters, including Joan's family, friends and new colleagues, are all well developed (at least one of them is crying out to be the subject of a sequel) and two of them provide a cute secondary romance. The primary romance, between Joan and a younger Bloom colleague who bond over shared low self-esteem and the desire to find their true professional passion, felt slightly lackluster to me, partially because the object of Joan's affection was pretty much perfect so there wasn't much suspense about whether or not they would end up together despite the age difference.
The generation gap between characters is played for gentle humor. Palmer isn't here to rag on Millennials for their kombucha and buzzwords (okay, maybe just a little); as she says, "I came in here looking to make fun of a generation of people because they appear to be doing work that is thought of as silly or unimportant. The truth is, they're doing the same work people have done throughout the ages with the same level of thoughtfulness...Unlike us, however, they have an eye and a respect for innovation and looking to the future instead of proclaiming that 'this is how we've always done things.'"
I have to admit that I didn't see the signs that there was something hinky going on at Bloom; Joan's deduction that all of the buzzwords had to hiding something only made me think that Liza Palmer has never sat through any modern organizational meeting. But once Joan got rolling, I appreciated the journalistic and detective skills that she and the rest of the enthusiastic Scooby Gang displayed.
I wasn't a huge fan of Palmer's most recent release, The F Word, but this one has me firmly back in her camp. Hell, the 1980s party alone that brings together Joan's Gen X friends with her Millennial colleagues is worth the price of the book. Whether you remember a time before cell phones or not, you'll enjoy The Nobodies.
ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2019
The Nobodies
The Nobodies was a 5 star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ read for me. I thought that Joan’s character was exceptionally written. I felt that if I met her in real life, we would bond and connect instantaneously. Joan is no fluff, she is as real as it gets, and has a heart of gold with a strong moral compass. Straight out of high school, as a brilliant journalist, she lands a job at the LA Times, which she unfortunately gets laid off. Now, she is in her late 30’s and has completely lost her mojo - her once tough, go getter, and super confident persona has slipped to the wayside, and so has her writing and her edge! After almost a year of searching for a job and moving back to her parent’s home, she lands a job as a junior copywriter in a tech start up where her nose for a story leads her to some big decisions to make. What in the world would Joan do? Save the masses or save herself?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the fun protagonist and the cast of characters all with their special quirk which adds to the fun of this book. It gives hope for people who have to restart their career or job that they may have been too comfortable in, until one day, a change had to be forced - like a layoff or a life change. I think the writing and prose was amazing. I love how Palmer is able to describe even the most mundane of life experiences, such as riding a bus or simply just making coffee and making it a hilarious read.
This is my first Liza Palmer and definitely not my last.
Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me an ARC for my honest and objective review and feedback.
The Nobodies was a 5 star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ read for me. I thought that Joan’s character was exceptionally written. I felt that if I met her in real life, we would bond and connect instantaneously. Joan is no fluff, she is as real as it gets, and has a heart of gold with a strong moral compass. Straight out of high school, as a brilliant journalist, she lands a job at the LA Times, which she unfortunately gets laid off. Now, she is in her late 30’s and has completely lost her mojo - her once tough, go getter, and super confident persona has slipped to the wayside, and so has her writing and her edge! After almost a year of searching for a job and moving back to her parent’s home, she lands a job as a junior copywriter in a tech start up where her nose for a story leads her to some big decisions to make. What in the world would Joan do? Save the masses or save herself?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the fun protagonist and the cast of characters all with their special quirk which adds to the fun of this book. It gives hope for people who have to restart their career or job that they may have been too comfortable in, until one day, a change had to be forced - like a layoff or a life change. I think the writing and prose was amazing. I love how Palmer is able to describe even the most mundane of life experiences, such as riding a bus or simply just making coffee and making it a hilarious read.
This is my first Liza Palmer and definitely not my last.
Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me an ARC for my honest and objective review and feedback.
August 18, 2019
---- Full disclosure: I received this book for free from Goodreads. ----
DNF p.184 b/c I just couldn't force myself to keep going w/ this book any longer. I thought I might enjoy it initially, but after she started her new job it just sucked. I realized I don't actually like this girl. This story turned into something like her trying to re-do high school & not be a loser, while also proving that she's smarter than the people around her.....except she's actually not. It's written more like it is expected to be turned into a quick movie, & to be honest it'd be better that way than it is in this book format. As a movie I wouldn't like it much better, though.
After I realized I was at my "over it" point w/ this, I flipped about through the remainder to see if there's any closure at the end. Nope. She doesn't seem to learn anything or grow. The cliche crazy band of misfits the MC has cobbled together is bested by their better, although they think they've set him up for future woes. Of course the book doesn't follow up on that, but rather just leaves it hanging. There is nothing original in here, & the common situations that are recycled are not done well enough to make it interesting. Disappointing.
December 16, 2019
Full disclosure: I chose to read
The Nobodies
based on its cover, one of the rare instances I chose a book for its cover.
The Nobodies is about an unforgettable, whiny main character named Joan, who is bemoaning the loss of her journalism career and now must suffer the indignities of accepting a job at a start-up staffed with people a decade younger than her.
When she suspects the company is up to no good, she utilizes her journalism skill set and enlists the help of her new co-workers turned friends.
You know it's a bad sign when you dislike the main character but like her family and BFFs instead.
Look, I get it. We all have insecurities. We all worry if we're not good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it, do people like us?
Joan's internal monologuing about how she is all off the above and more became redundant as the pages went on, and the book ain't long.
I also found it difficult to believe Joan landed a job at a newspaper right out of high school based on an article she wrote. The way she is described, her interactions, her constant berating of herself, I didn't believe her as a hard nosed journalist. She sounded much younger.
There was decent character development amongst her coworkers but I would have loved more exposition on her loving parents, her brother and sister-in-law, and her adorable niece, Poppy.
It was so nice to read about a supportive, tight knit family and I wanted to know more about them.
I enjoyed the caper she and her friends went on to gather evidence but I was hoping for something more...evil behind what was really going on at Bloom.
This book went a bit off the rails when Thornton became a love interest.
Hey, I'm not against love. I love love! Yay love!
But the relationship between Joan and Thornton felt forced, because it's a standard trope in chick lit.
Look, a love interest need not rear its cliche head in every genre.
What's wrong with a story about a woman who learns to love herself and finds a troop of great female friends, too?
That's a story I can get behind, great cover art or not.
The Nobodies is about an unforgettable, whiny main character named Joan, who is bemoaning the loss of her journalism career and now must suffer the indignities of accepting a job at a start-up staffed with people a decade younger than her.
When she suspects the company is up to no good, she utilizes her journalism skill set and enlists the help of her new co-workers turned friends.
You know it's a bad sign when you dislike the main character but like her family and BFFs instead.
Look, I get it. We all have insecurities. We all worry if we're not good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it, do people like us?
Joan's internal monologuing about how she is all off the above and more became redundant as the pages went on, and the book ain't long.
I also found it difficult to believe Joan landed a job at a newspaper right out of high school based on an article she wrote. The way she is described, her interactions, her constant berating of herself, I didn't believe her as a hard nosed journalist. She sounded much younger.
There was decent character development amongst her coworkers but I would have loved more exposition on her loving parents, her brother and sister-in-law, and her adorable niece, Poppy.
It was so nice to read about a supportive, tight knit family and I wanted to know more about them.
I enjoyed the caper she and her friends went on to gather evidence but I was hoping for something more...evil behind what was really going on at Bloom.
This book went a bit off the rails when Thornton became a love interest.
Hey, I'm not against love. I love love! Yay love!
But the relationship between Joan and Thornton felt forced, because it's a standard trope in chick lit.
Look, a love interest need not rear its cliche head in every genre.
What's wrong with a story about a woman who learns to love herself and finds a troop of great female friends, too?
That's a story I can get behind, great cover art or not.
February 21, 2020
I love Liza Palmer and have read all her books, dating back to the brief period where chick lit books were all the rage and 5 Spot was a big time imprint (long since shuttered but like Borders, not forgotten!)
Anyway! The Nobodies is pretty good--much better than The F Word, but not as good as Nowhere But Home. The Nobodies has Palmer's trademark knack of writing about family in a honest, heartfelt, and very funny way, and her spin on "older worker at company full of youngsters" is familiar but still very charming. Liza Palmer is fun, but this isn't her best. Still, I'll read her next because when she's on, she's amazing.
Anyway! The Nobodies is pretty good--much better than The F Word, but not as good as Nowhere But Home. The Nobodies has Palmer's trademark knack of writing about family in a honest, heartfelt, and very funny way, and her spin on "older worker at company full of youngsters" is familiar but still very charming. Liza Palmer is fun, but this isn't her best. Still, I'll read her next because when she's on, she's amazing.
November 21, 2019
200 pages into this 260 page novel, I just stopped because it was so terrible. This should be an interesting story, but was so difficult to care at all about the characters or their life dilemmas, that reading this felt like just trudging through the story, hoping it got better. (Spoiler, it doesn't).
February 13, 2022
3.4
Almost upgraded but I feel this story was told in an unnecessarily confusing manner.
I liked how Joan was a mess and how complicated her idea of self worth was. I liked how she finds a small group of friends at work, when she figured she would not fit in. I liked how she has such a good support system in her family and close friends.
I think the execution could have been better, however, perhaps with more focus on the important things; there were times subjects changed so quickly, some of them felt they were dealt with too superficially.
Almost upgraded but I feel this story was told in an unnecessarily confusing manner.
I liked how Joan was a mess and how complicated her idea of self worth was. I liked how she finds a small group of friends at work, when she figured she would not fit in. I liked how she has such a good support system in her family and close friends.
I think the execution could have been better, however, perhaps with more focus on the important things; there were times subjects changed so quickly, some of them felt they were dealt with too superficially.
March 24, 2020
This book was terrible. The main character was a navel gazing moron who was also bad at everything, the plot didn't really make sense, and the author repeatedly slams millennials in her MC's voice but seems not to realize that the MC IS a millennial and the people she's insulting are not millennials. I hated everything about this book.
August 14, 2019
This is the 3rd book of Liza Palmer's that I've read. I find all of her books entertaining and written in a practical and easy-to-follow manner that keeps me involved to the very end. In The Nobodies there was also just enough romance to keep the side story interesting.
A humorous, fun and creative read that will make you smile.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher.
A humorous, fun and creative read that will make you smile.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher.
February 15, 2023
Made it about 60% of the way in before giving up and flipping to the end. The characters are painfully awkward in a really physical way that felt extreme and uncomfortable to read, the main character came off as obsessive, mean and pretty stupid and the satire was very ham-fisted and fell flat.
October 28, 2019
Just couldn’t get into it, probably because I can’t relate.
November 12, 2019
This book was truly awful. Nothing redeeming about it. It was stilted, pointless, and bad.
October 12, 2019
The Nobodies is a story about finding redemption through one’s work.
Joan Dixon is a 36-year old journalist who has lost her confidence in her craft—and takes a job as a junior copywriter because its the only job she can find. Living at home with her family while she gets her feet back on the ground, she watches her brother seemingly succeed in all the areas she’s failed—vocation, love and marriage, reproduction—and can’t seem to catch a break. Her first day on the job, her 24-year-old boss has to help her work the overly complicated coffee machine as she reminisces about how she ended up throwing in the towel on journalism. Later chapters go over her story with her ex, who, according to her best friend, “just wanted to love” her but she wouldn’t let him.
Fuzz-picking is a Dixon family phrase for anxious ruminating, a term I hope to add to my own vocabulary. Backpack: Their family dog needed a backpack to be able to relax and enjoy typical dog things like belly rubs and napping in the sun. Without it he was anxious, and with the backpack he was his best self. These two ideas anchor the overarching theme of being redeemed, although they suggest that Joan feels she will never be good enough. Yet she is desperate to feel she belongs and can be herself. She has an overwhelming fear of showing her true self and being found lacking.
“No one story is going to save you. No one thing is going to save you. You are your one thing,” Joan’s brother tells her at one point.
Maybe it’s because the book is set in Southern California, near where I live. Maybe it’s because I once was a 36-year-old trying to find her way when everything felt off. But while these two things are true, there is something in this character’s self-doubts that are so real. How many friends do I have who doubt their own abilities and love-worthiness despite all the evidence of it?
4.5 ⭐️s.
Joan Dixon is a 36-year old journalist who has lost her confidence in her craft—and takes a job as a junior copywriter because its the only job she can find. Living at home with her family while she gets her feet back on the ground, she watches her brother seemingly succeed in all the areas she’s failed—vocation, love and marriage, reproduction—and can’t seem to catch a break. Her first day on the job, her 24-year-old boss has to help her work the overly complicated coffee machine as she reminisces about how she ended up throwing in the towel on journalism. Later chapters go over her story with her ex, who, according to her best friend, “just wanted to love” her but she wouldn’t let him.
Fuzz-picking is a Dixon family phrase for anxious ruminating, a term I hope to add to my own vocabulary. Backpack: Their family dog needed a backpack to be able to relax and enjoy typical dog things like belly rubs and napping in the sun. Without it he was anxious, and with the backpack he was his best self. These two ideas anchor the overarching theme of being redeemed, although they suggest that Joan feels she will never be good enough. Yet she is desperate to feel she belongs and can be herself. She has an overwhelming fear of showing her true self and being found lacking.
“No one story is going to save you. No one thing is going to save you. You are your one thing,” Joan’s brother tells her at one point.
Maybe it’s because the book is set in Southern California, near where I live. Maybe it’s because I once was a 36-year-old trying to find her way when everything felt off. But while these two things are true, there is something in this character’s self-doubts that are so real. How many friends do I have who doubt their own abilities and love-worthiness despite all the evidence of it?
4.5 ⭐️s.
July 27, 2024
3.5 ⭐️’s, rounded down.
I really do like books about reporting, journalism, unlikely friendships, and women finding themselves in middle-age. This book is all those wonderful things wrapped up in a tacky bow.
This book has a lot of potential and a lot of heart. There are these really powerful nuggets about finding yourself and pursuing your passions, some very relatable conversations about struggling to live up to your so-called potential, and an overplayed, but effective jab at the ways in which young, promising people take advantage of young, promising people. The crew of main characters are fun and likable, and the book reads easy.
But, what the book lacks is strong narrative structure. “The Nobodies” cannot decided if it is this pseudo-heist story chase or a second coming-of-age and, in an attempt to give us both, fails to really knock it out of the park on either end. The writing feels childish at times and repetitive. Palmer captures the millennial voice well, but fails to really drive home why this seemingly petty revenge story is more than just a petty revenge story. For a story about journalism, I would have liked to see Joan’s final article, to get a better sense of how her writing develops rather than just for us to be told that it has developed, etc. The book could be so much more and, in some ways, it ironically succumbs to the potential we all think it has.
For all its faults, the book really is a page turner. As per usual, loved the gays. I had fun reading it (despite the complaints) and felt like it helped remind me to do something with my life and my potential, lest I too fall pray to the void.
I really do like books about reporting, journalism, unlikely friendships, and women finding themselves in middle-age. This book is all those wonderful things wrapped up in a tacky bow.
This book has a lot of potential and a lot of heart. There are these really powerful nuggets about finding yourself and pursuing your passions, some very relatable conversations about struggling to live up to your so-called potential, and an overplayed, but effective jab at the ways in which young, promising people take advantage of young, promising people. The crew of main characters are fun and likable, and the book reads easy.
But, what the book lacks is strong narrative structure. “The Nobodies” cannot decided if it is this pseudo-heist story chase or a second coming-of-age and, in an attempt to give us both, fails to really knock it out of the park on either end. The writing feels childish at times and repetitive. Palmer captures the millennial voice well, but fails to really drive home why this seemingly petty revenge story is more than just a petty revenge story. For a story about journalism, I would have liked to see Joan’s final article, to get a better sense of how her writing develops rather than just for us to be told that it has developed, etc. The book could be so much more and, in some ways, it ironically succumbs to the potential we all think it has.
For all its faults, the book really is a page turner. As per usual, loved the gays. I had fun reading it (despite the complaints) and felt like it helped remind me to do something with my life and my potential, lest I too fall pray to the void.
July 23, 2019
A hilarious and charming book. This was a mesh between the show Silicon Valley and the Theranos/ Elizabeth Holmes debacle
Brief Synopsis: If there's one thing Joan Dixon knows about herself, it's that she is a damn good journalist. But when she is laid off from yet another soon-to-be-shuttered newspaper, and even the soulless, listicle-writing online jobs have dried up, she is left with few options. Closer to 40 than 30, single, living with her parents again, Joan decides she needs to reinvent herself. She goes to work as a junior copywriter at Bloom, a Los Angeles startup where her bosses are all a decade younger and snacks and cans of fizzy water flow freely.
My thoughts:
Through the humor and quirky characters, Palmer delivers the story of Joan Dixon, a woman who struggles to give herself what she deserves.
One of the things I absolutely loved was how ordinary Joan is. She isn’t struggling because of some great trauma in her life. There were no daddy issues, broken relationships, or any of the other dramas we usually see. She is just at a point in her life where she is questioning whether she has been pursuing the wrong career. Joan is such a lovable and relatable character. Brave, intelligent, and a great support system, but still unable to give herself permission to feel as if she belongs amongst the great people around her.
I think we have all been Joan at some point in our lives. We have all felt as if maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere, or failed to change courses at an opportune time. That restlessness inside of us is just an indicator that we are capable of achieving more.
Palmer is a new the me Author and I will definitely be seeking out more of her work.
Brief Synopsis: If there's one thing Joan Dixon knows about herself, it's that she is a damn good journalist. But when she is laid off from yet another soon-to-be-shuttered newspaper, and even the soulless, listicle-writing online jobs have dried up, she is left with few options. Closer to 40 than 30, single, living with her parents again, Joan decides she needs to reinvent herself. She goes to work as a junior copywriter at Bloom, a Los Angeles startup where her bosses are all a decade younger and snacks and cans of fizzy water flow freely.
My thoughts:
Through the humor and quirky characters, Palmer delivers the story of Joan Dixon, a woman who struggles to give herself what she deserves.
One of the things I absolutely loved was how ordinary Joan is. She isn’t struggling because of some great trauma in her life. There were no daddy issues, broken relationships, or any of the other dramas we usually see. She is just at a point in her life where she is questioning whether she has been pursuing the wrong career. Joan is such a lovable and relatable character. Brave, intelligent, and a great support system, but still unable to give herself permission to feel as if she belongs amongst the great people around her.
I think we have all been Joan at some point in our lives. We have all felt as if maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere, or failed to change courses at an opportune time. That restlessness inside of us is just an indicator that we are capable of achieving more.
Palmer is a new the me Author and I will definitely be seeking out more of her work.
October 1, 2019
I read the ARC as an audio and since it was my first LP book i didn’t know what to expect.
What a refreshing theme ... and something I can relate all to much to. Joan Dixon’s passion is writing as a journalist and reporter. ... note to self .... remember that part.
After losing her job as a journalist with an agency her entire self worth and energy is deflated ... she’s had to move back home with her family, who were the dream family for me! Free of judgments and full of support, she feels she’s disappointed all of them - even her two year old niece Poppy. I loved this family so much, I wanted to move in with them. We should all have this healthy, welcoming family.
When she takes a job as a Jr. Copy Writer at a trendy tech company, her entire world changes with new friends, a budding romance and the chance of a lifetime taking down the obnoxious 30 something post-gamer owners.
It lost a few stars for the ending and some of the drawn out parts, but Kudos to Liza Palmer for making sure the romance didn’t get in the way of tackling the important issues that mattered!
What a refreshing theme ... and something I can relate all to much to. Joan Dixon’s passion is writing as a journalist and reporter. ... note to self .... remember that part.
After losing her job as a journalist with an agency her entire self worth and energy is deflated ... she’s had to move back home with her family, who were the dream family for me! Free of judgments and full of support, she feels she’s disappointed all of them - even her two year old niece Poppy. I loved this family so much, I wanted to move in with them. We should all have this healthy, welcoming family.
When she takes a job as a Jr. Copy Writer at a trendy tech company, her entire world changes with new friends, a budding romance and the chance of a lifetime taking down the obnoxious 30 something post-gamer owners.
It lost a few stars for the ending and some of the drawn out parts, but Kudos to Liza Palmer for making sure the romance didn’t get in the way of tackling the important issues that mattered!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2019
This was a fun, quick read about a 36-year-old journalist who can’t find work in journalism - so she joins a startup filled with millennials as a junior copywriter and lo and behold, she unearths a big story and starts to investigate. Joan is a sweet character who is all of us in some ways, she doubts her intelligence and abilities, she is going through a life crisis, she is reluctant to get into a relationship. But the novel is about her making it through all that, rediscovering the good things in her life, and finding her place again. The investigation is a little open-and-shut and is a little bit too easy - and I wasn’t 100% sold by the romcom aspect of the plot, but overall, I found it to be a cute story of self-rediscovery. Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron for providing my review copy.
UPDATE: I have thought about this book a bit more since finishing it. Specifically, while browsing Instagram and noticing that a disproportionate number of my classmates from college are now employed by Facebook in Austin, Chicago, SF, and NY. They post constantly about their "Faceversaries" and the free high-end ginger beer on tap and the insane fun group activities that are plentiful. In the book, the main reason why Joan begins to get suspicious of the tech company Bloom is that it employs a disproportionate number of millennials who get a ton of free sh*t and just goof around all day but have no idea what the company does. So what are they hiding? My suspicions of Facebook have always been dormant, but this has highlighted a whole other level of unease. Why is Facebook plying my fellow millennials with free stuff that millennials love?? What are you hiding, Zuckerberg????
UPDATE: I have thought about this book a bit more since finishing it. Specifically, while browsing Instagram and noticing that a disproportionate number of my classmates from college are now employed by Facebook in Austin, Chicago, SF, and NY. They post constantly about their "Faceversaries" and the free high-end ginger beer on tap and the insane fun group activities that are plentiful. In the book, the main reason why Joan begins to get suspicious of the tech company Bloom is that it employs a disproportionate number of millennials who get a ton of free sh*t and just goof around all day but have no idea what the company does. So what are they hiding? My suspicions of Facebook have always been dormant, but this has highlighted a whole other level of unease. Why is Facebook plying my fellow millennials with free stuff that millennials love?? What are you hiding, Zuckerberg????
August 11, 2020
With relatable characters, this is a great book if you’re looking for an easy, entertaining read. Liza Palmer truly understands the insecurities that accompany all of us through life, especially imposter syndrome, the fear of failure, and the feeling that we are somehow not good enough. In this book, the reader can connect to the characters struggling against these feelings in an effort to find meaning and joy in a world that can make anyone feel like a “nobody.”
September 8, 2021
I listened to the audiobook. This book was only all right for me. I enjoyed the narrator. It took a while for the story to take off. I almost stopped listening to it because I didn’t think it was going to go anywhere. Once it started to pick up, it started pulling me in. There were a couple of cute romantic moments that made me “sigh”. A handful of funny moments as well. There’s profanity. No sexual scenes. The author left it open to have a possible sequel.
January 3, 2024
Strong start to my 2024 reading goal! This book was based in the buzzy tech world of Silicon Valley. The premise of a new start up being a facade for something sinister felt very real. The main character, Joan, felt a bit flat to me; her sole focus being her crumbling journalism career. I also dislike when authors shoehorn in romance subplots to fully couple up everyone. Not everyone needs to date! That said, this was a quick and overall pretty enjoyable read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2024
I must have misread the synopsis because when I chose this book, I expected it to be a book version of the TV series "Younger". It was not. Joan, the main character, was a 36 year old woman with the emotional maturity and self esteem of a 15 year old. That theme was really overworked in this novel. Although Joan, in her previous life, was a reporter, the gang of misfits from her new job at the tech company who become amateur detectives was hard to believe.
October 17, 2020
This book was much more ChickLit than what I would normally read so it took me awhile to finish it even though its short. It was ok as something light to read that was easy and didn't make you think too much.
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