A review by tigger89
The Nobodies by Alanna Schubach
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a heartbreaking story about the wonders and horrors of deep friendship. I'm not really sure how much I can say about it without spoiling the plot, only that the relationship between Nina and Jess felt so horribly authentic to me. The instinctive pulling together, the constant blurring of boundaries(should you have them? can you?), the hurt recoil as you go too far again, and again and...it almost hit too close to home. For those of us who've had the experience of being on one side of an ampersand, one half of a pair that can only be considered as a unit, this novel is familiar and the final confrontation inevitable.
Neither character is likeable. Both are flawed and behave badly, repeatedly. But none of it is pointless cruelty. Everything comes from a need, whether it's fallout from childhood trauma, a desire to be loved, or even just a misguided attempt to love another. Check content warnings before reading, because this goes to some dark places.
I liked the way the story followed two timelines, one when they were 9-17 and another when they were around 25-30. I also appreciated Schubach's exploration of Nina's Jewish culture, while at the same time being disappointed that we didn't get anything of the same for Jess's Mexican culture. I did notice that Nina never experienced any on-page racism while inhabiting Jess's body, only noting that Nina-as-Jess was seen as beautiful and desirable. Maybe the author wasn't comfortable with the subject matter(fair), but it stuck out to me as a notable omission to not acknowledge it being a thing at all, especially given context around the sexualization of latinas.
The other thing that bothered me was that I sometimes found myself struggling to follow the narrative when the two were body-swapped. But the fault lies not with the book(it was consistent in using the name corresponding to the consciousness, rather than the physical body), but rather with my own reading attention. I also believe it was deliberate in a way, throwing the reader off-kilter and blurring the line between the two characters. So, read carefully!
I can't quite bring myself to give this one four stars. I think this might be a fault on my end rather than the book's, part of the visceral reaction I had to the subject matter. Elevating it from an "it was alright"+ to an "it was good" is a mental step that I just can't take right now. This book makes me need a therapist.
Neither character is likeable. Both are flawed and behave badly, repeatedly. But none of it is pointless cruelty. Everything comes from a need, whether it's fallout from childhood trauma, a desire to be loved, or even just a misguided attempt to love another. Check content warnings before reading, because this goes to some dark places.
I liked the way the story followed two timelines, one when they were 9-17 and another when they were around 25-30. I also appreciated Schubach's exploration of Nina's Jewish culture, while at the same time being disappointed that we didn't get anything of the same for Jess's Mexican culture. I did notice that Nina never experienced any on-page racism while inhabiting Jess's body, only noting that Nina-as-Jess was seen as beautiful and desirable. Maybe the author wasn't comfortable with the subject matter(fair), but it stuck out to me as a notable omission to not acknowledge it being a thing at all, especially given context around the sexualization of latinas.
The other thing that bothered me was that I sometimes found myself struggling to follow the narrative when the two were body-swapped. But the fault lies not with the book(it was consistent in using the name corresponding to the consciousness, rather than the physical body), but rather with my own reading attention. I also believe it was deliberate in a way, throwing the reader off-kilter and blurring the line between the two characters. So, read carefully!
I can't quite bring myself to give this one four stars. I think this might be a fault on my end rather than the book's, part of the visceral reaction I had to the subject matter. Elevating it from an "it was alright"+ to an "it was good" is a mental step that I just can't take right now. This book makes me need a therapist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Rape, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug use
Note on rape: it happens off-screen, and the context is
Also contains several mentions of a character having the desire to be thinner.