leftylauren's review against another edition
4.0
Sequel story about superpowers. Can feel a little choppy at times, but good.
markyon's review
3.0
Last year I reviewed The Nobody People, a superhero origin story that took a savvy fresh look at the superhero genre. I liked it a lot more than I initially thought I would, (because superheroes – what is there more to say, right?) so much so in fact that it was one of my favourites of the year.
Since then, a lot has happened – Covid has made the last 18 months or so seem like an age and my reading of the first book seems even longer ago. (I know it's not.)
And yet I was pleased to find that I settled back into this surprisingly quickly, especially as there is no summary, no list of characters, no reminder of what has gone before.
In his afterword acknowledgements, Bob has said that this is not really a second novel but simply the second half of one (admittedly long) novel, and that is true. (So, Warning: spoilers for the first book here.)
At the end of the first book we had a showdown between the Resonants (the people with superpowers) and the Damp (those without.) Fahima Deeb activated The Pulse, which triggered the emergence of superpowers in those who had them, whether they knew or not. Here, seven years later, the story picks up again after that brief war. The world is fractured socially, with demarcation areas and no-go zones for all. Dr. Deeb now has the responsibility of trying to ease the process of integrating the disparate factions and running areas of the USA. The Bishop Academy school, where many of the mutants lived and studied and was one of the centres for all the activity at the end of the first book, has now become a safe haven. Sarah Davenport, headteacher at the school has now become near-catatonic because of her actions in saving the school in the previous book. The bad guy (now revealed) is Patrick Davenport, who is using his own powers for his own ends by influencing and manipulating these newly empowered people into committing horrible acts against their will. Patrick has built an army entirely under his control to wipe out all who oppose him – like his old friend Fahima.
To these older characters we now have added Carrie Norris, whose illusion of a normal life vanishes at Fahima's reappearance. Clay Weaver, a retired soldier fighting to keep his husband and son safe - and to keep Patrick from taking over his mind. And, finally, Emmeline Hirsch, adrift and untethered from her ability to travel through time.
Like before, the book centres on a core of key characters in a character-driven book, but this time around I found that it was the wider consequences, the bigger picture that was most intriguing.
Of course, it does help if you feel that you have got to know the characters, and we have through Bob’s careful plotting both in the first book and continued into this.
But I found that this new bigger scale – looking at a world divided, post-Pulse - was rather numbing. Whist bigger, it also felt more disparate. The characters I had generally grown to love in the first book were being replaced by others, although some are still important, but much of this book deals with people and places that are new.
Most worryingly, I found that the new characters and what happened to them was uninteresting, even boring. In the middle of this big book, I was struggling to keep going. The bigger scale meant that I felt no connection with what was happening, no feeling that my investment in these characters and situations was worthwhile. I was reading but was getting no joy from reading about these characters. I began to lose track of who was doing what and where, and more crucially I didn’t really care. It’s never a good thing when I find myself drifting away and being attracted to other books when in the middle of another, and yet this is what happened here.
There’s no denying that the writing is good, and Bob does well to describe huge events in this brave new world we find ourselves in. Bob is interested in unravelling a complicated issue – what do you do when you are given power and how do you deal with the world afterwards?
But for me there was none of the excitement, the enthusiasm, the interest that I found in the first book. Whatever the first book had that I liked – no, loved – it seemed to be in short supply here.
Of course, the book ties things together by the end, and yes, there could be more, though things seem pretty much tied up by the end of this one. But in the end, I struggled to finish it. An ambitious book that tackles big issues, but sadly lost me a little in the middle to the point where I struggled to finish. It’s not bad, but it did not have the impact of the first for me.
Since then, a lot has happened – Covid has made the last 18 months or so seem like an age and my reading of the first book seems even longer ago. (I know it's not.)
And yet I was pleased to find that I settled back into this surprisingly quickly, especially as there is no summary, no list of characters, no reminder of what has gone before.
In his afterword acknowledgements, Bob has said that this is not really a second novel but simply the second half of one (admittedly long) novel, and that is true. (So, Warning: spoilers for the first book here.)
At the end of the first book we had a showdown between the Resonants (the people with superpowers) and the Damp (those without.) Fahima Deeb activated The Pulse, which triggered the emergence of superpowers in those who had them, whether they knew or not. Here, seven years later, the story picks up again after that brief war. The world is fractured socially, with demarcation areas and no-go zones for all. Dr. Deeb now has the responsibility of trying to ease the process of integrating the disparate factions and running areas of the USA. The Bishop Academy school, where many of the mutants lived and studied and was one of the centres for all the activity at the end of the first book, has now become a safe haven. Sarah Davenport, headteacher at the school has now become near-catatonic because of her actions in saving the school in the previous book. The bad guy (now revealed) is Patrick Davenport, who is using his own powers for his own ends by influencing and manipulating these newly empowered people into committing horrible acts against their will. Patrick has built an army entirely under his control to wipe out all who oppose him – like his old friend Fahima.
To these older characters we now have added Carrie Norris, whose illusion of a normal life vanishes at Fahima's reappearance. Clay Weaver, a retired soldier fighting to keep his husband and son safe - and to keep Patrick from taking over his mind. And, finally, Emmeline Hirsch, adrift and untethered from her ability to travel through time.
Like before, the book centres on a core of key characters in a character-driven book, but this time around I found that it was the wider consequences, the bigger picture that was most intriguing.
Of course, it does help if you feel that you have got to know the characters, and we have through Bob’s careful plotting both in the first book and continued into this.
But I found that this new bigger scale – looking at a world divided, post-Pulse - was rather numbing. Whist bigger, it also felt more disparate. The characters I had generally grown to love in the first book were being replaced by others, although some are still important, but much of this book deals with people and places that are new.
Most worryingly, I found that the new characters and what happened to them was uninteresting, even boring. In the middle of this big book, I was struggling to keep going. The bigger scale meant that I felt no connection with what was happening, no feeling that my investment in these characters and situations was worthwhile. I was reading but was getting no joy from reading about these characters. I began to lose track of who was doing what and where, and more crucially I didn’t really care. It’s never a good thing when I find myself drifting away and being attracted to other books when in the middle of another, and yet this is what happened here.
There’s no denying that the writing is good, and Bob does well to describe huge events in this brave new world we find ourselves in. Bob is interested in unravelling a complicated issue – what do you do when you are given power and how do you deal with the world afterwards?
But for me there was none of the excitement, the enthusiasm, the interest that I found in the first book. Whatever the first book had that I liked – no, loved – it seemed to be in short supply here.
Of course, the book ties things together by the end, and yes, there could be more, though things seem pretty much tied up by the end of this one. But in the end, I struggled to finish it. An ambitious book that tackles big issues, but sadly lost me a little in the middle to the point where I struggled to finish. It’s not bad, but it did not have the impact of the first for me.
running2write's review against another edition
4.0
The world has collapsed and most of the US citizens now have super powers. At times, the story and characters drudged through their lives and problems with apathy, dragging down the story. This was a mixed ending to the duology, but a worthwhile read altogether.
breastanton's review against another edition
3.0
Should have reread The Nobody People right before I read this one because I struggled to remember things that happened. However, I enjoyed the story and final resolution for all of the characters.
intothevolcano's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
At times, this felt a lot less cohesive than the first book - the plot was necessarily more complex, and didn't always fit together in my mind (I'm very glad I read it immediately after The Nobody People, and so it was fresh in my mind). However, personally, The Somebody People packed a much bigger emotional punch than its predecessor. I found myself so much more invested in the characters this time around. This was a very satisfying conclusion to the duology, which I found difficult to put down. I can't wait to see what Bob Proehl writes next.
Thanks to Titan and Netgalley for the ARC.
Thanks to Titan and Netgalley for the ARC.
cullen_mi's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars, and thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.
I really enjoyed [b:The Nobody People|43334292|The Nobody People|Bob Proehl|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562030412l/43334292._SY75_.jpg|67252988] (4.5 stars), which developed a strong premise in a satisfying way.
A year later, however, I barely remember any of the characters and have no attachment to them. And yet Somebody People makes no effort to remind the reader about where things stand or who these people are. I had to go back and skim the last couple chapters of Nobody People in order to get some things straight on the plot, but that didn't help that a bunch of characters are presented to me as though I just finished the first book immediately before opening the second.
One of the main characters is Carrie, who has a complicated web of relationships with a half dozen people, most of whom I still barely have any clear conception of after finishing the book. They all become important at some point, to, so it is frustrating trying to care about what is going on.
There were some cool individual scenes, especially the flashbacks to Bishop and his discovery of the resonance, but the overall plot was not very compelling. There was a lot of moving pieces around the board and bringing characters together, with an ending that felt too ambiguous and yet too similar to the first book.
There was also a particularly cringe-worthy passage where one of the bad guys stands next to an (apparently real) statue of Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, and Julian Assange, and Carrie laments what might have been.
I really enjoyed [b:The Nobody People|43334292|The Nobody People|Bob Proehl|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562030412l/43334292._SY75_.jpg|67252988] (4.5 stars), which developed a strong premise in a satisfying way.
A year later, however, I barely remember any of the characters and have no attachment to them. And yet Somebody People makes no effort to remind the reader about where things stand or who these people are. I had to go back and skim the last couple chapters of Nobody People in order to get some things straight on the plot, but that didn't help that a bunch of characters are presented to me as though I just finished the first book immediately before opening the second.
One of the main characters is Carrie, who has a complicated web of relationships with a half dozen people, most of whom I still barely have any clear conception of after finishing the book. They all become important at some point, to, so it is frustrating trying to care about what is going on.
There were some cool individual scenes, especially the flashbacks to Bishop and his discovery of the resonance, but the overall plot was not very compelling. There was a lot of moving pieces around the board and bringing characters together, with an ending that felt too ambiguous and yet too similar to the first book.
There was also a particularly cringe-worthy passage where one of the bad guys stands next to an (apparently real) statue of Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, and Julian Assange, and Carrie laments what might have been.
ethereal87's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Somebody People
Author: Bob Proehl
Book Series: The Nobody People Book 2
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: Heroes like story, sci-fi
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore, some romance, dictatorships)
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Pages: 624
Synopsis: Fahima Deeb changed everything seven years ago when she triggered the Pulse, imbuing millions of people with otherworldly gifts like flight, telekinesis, or superhuman strength. She thought that would herald the end of the hostilities between those with abilities and those without, but it instead highlighted a new problem: There is someone behind the scenes, able to influence and manipulate these newly empowered people into committing horrible acts against their will. Worse still, that shadowy figure is wearing the face of Fahima's oldest friend, Patrick Davenport. Fahima is horror-struck when she realizes that Patrick has built an army entirely under his control to wipe out all who oppose him.
With nowhere to turn and few she can trust, Fahima must rely on uncertain allies: Carrie Norris, whose illusion of a normal life vanishes at Fahima's reappearance. Clay Weaver, a retired soldier fighting to keep his husband and son safe--and to keep Patrick from taking over his mind. And, finally, Emmeline Hirsch, adrift and untethered from her ability to travel through time. Together, they might be able to topple Patrick's shadowy regime . . . though it may spell destruction for the entire world.
Review: The book is pretty good. It's a straight continuation of the first one. The book has good world building and good pacing. The plot of this one also kept me intrigued in the book. This is another book that will be great for tome topper as well!
Overall though, I don't think this book is as good as the first. The characters were a bit weirdly wrote and I can't fully describe it. The book had weird structure also and it didn't really grasp my attention. You also have to remember the last book and it would be best to read these back to back unlike what I did.
Verdict: It was good, but make sure to read book 1 first or you’ll be confused like me!
Book: The Somebody People
Author: Bob Proehl
Book Series: The Nobody People Book 2
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: Heroes like story, sci-fi
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore, some romance, dictatorships)
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Pages: 624
Synopsis: Fahima Deeb changed everything seven years ago when she triggered the Pulse, imbuing millions of people with otherworldly gifts like flight, telekinesis, or superhuman strength. She thought that would herald the end of the hostilities between those with abilities and those without, but it instead highlighted a new problem: There is someone behind the scenes, able to influence and manipulate these newly empowered people into committing horrible acts against their will. Worse still, that shadowy figure is wearing the face of Fahima's oldest friend, Patrick Davenport. Fahima is horror-struck when she realizes that Patrick has built an army entirely under his control to wipe out all who oppose him.
With nowhere to turn and few she can trust, Fahima must rely on uncertain allies: Carrie Norris, whose illusion of a normal life vanishes at Fahima's reappearance. Clay Weaver, a retired soldier fighting to keep his husband and son safe--and to keep Patrick from taking over his mind. And, finally, Emmeline Hirsch, adrift and untethered from her ability to travel through time. Together, they might be able to topple Patrick's shadowy regime . . . though it may spell destruction for the entire world.
Review: The book is pretty good. It's a straight continuation of the first one. The book has good world building and good pacing. The plot of this one also kept me intrigued in the book. This is another book that will be great for tome topper as well!
Overall though, I don't think this book is as good as the first. The characters were a bit weirdly wrote and I can't fully describe it. The book had weird structure also and it didn't really grasp my attention. You also have to remember the last book and it would be best to read these back to back unlike what I did.
Verdict: It was good, but make sure to read book 1 first or you’ll be confused like me!