The Nobody People by Bob Proehl is an X-Men like story about people who have special abilities that have been in hiding for decades or more. The story highlights how people are scared of anyone or anything that is different and they do not understand; and how this leads to prejudices then quickly turns to persecution.
The first portion of the story is told from the POV of Avi, a reporter, who is asked by a friend to look into a strange occurrence. What he stumbles onto is a new race of humans, they call themselves Resonants, who have special abilities. These abilities manifest around early adolescence. At about the same time, he learns his daughter has a special ability.
Avi is introduced to the group of people who run a school in New York City for Resonants and he is the one tasked with telling their story and introducing them to the world. Of course, this “coming out” does not go entirely as planned. Imagine that!
The story switches gears here and the author, for the most part, leaves Avi behind and tells the story through the eyes of the Resonants as Homeland Security starts rounding them up and putting them in camps. The Resonants must decide if they will continue to hide, submit, or fight.
This is an imaginative take on super heroes. I loved how the author betrayed what would happen when the Resonants came out, so to speak. It was spot on. Control anything you can’t understand and because they are different you can disregard the fact they are human. I also liked where the story went. If something like this were to happen, I can easily see the events occurring.
I liked the characters a lot. However, there was so much going on I did not get as much character development as I would have liked, with the exception of Avi. The pace of the plot was excellent and there were enough twists to keep me reading well past my bedtime.
One last comment I wish to make. I struggled with the rating because while it is not a five for me, it is better than a 4. I will make it as 4 but in reality I feel it is closer to 4.5.
This is a fresh look at super heroes and I enjoyed reading it. There is a lot left hanging so I am lookly forward to the next installment. I just hope I don’t have to wait too long. I recommend this book to anyone that likes science fiction stories. Especially those readers who are into super heroes.
I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Two, I lost my way in multiple characters who have long nonsense monologues and I felt like I'm reading different but not the best kind of MCU adaptation so I gave up stars!!!

Our story starts with war-zone journalist Ari's attempt to interview with a group of people who have super human powers but some of them are about to use their gift maliciously.
But these facts didn't work for me:

-If I want to read something about humans who are extraordinary, I chose to buy only Marvel Comics( I also reject DC characters, too. )

- The long dialogues of characters seem like `Blah blah blah`s to my ears. It's not realistic, natural and they bored me death!

- There are materials inside this book to create more than three books! So why are they wasted for only one?

-Pacing is also slow not attracted my attention.

- The story development is full of cliches and I couldn't catch anything creative, different. smart.

As a summary, I know that so many readers enjoyed this book but maybe my devotion to MCU and seeking perfection failed me! This was not for me!

Special thanks to Del Rey Books, Net Galley for providing the ARC COPY in exchange for my honest review. I wish I like this book more.

The Nobody People follows acclaimed war-zone journalist Ari as he is hired by a group of humans, dubbed Resonants, with extraordinary abilities. Currently, under the guidance of a headmaster, they attend a school that will help them better harness their powers. For years, they’ve remained hidden until recently, when the decision was made to come forth and let the world know what they can do. Ari has been tasked with interviewing them and producing a story which will introduce them to the public at large. The problem? Not all Resonants believe they will be seen as trustworthy.

Does that sound familiar? I should hope so. I’m surprised Marvel hasn’t already launched a lawsuit.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Look, Marvel doesn’t own the rights to a particular idea or aspect of sci-fi and I’m sure Bob Proehl isn’t the first person to write a book that so closely resembles The X-Men, but for me, it was so similar that it became a distraction. I had a very difficult time getting into this one, if I’m being honest.

The book is filled with characters, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This is a big, sprawling story that I assume will be made into a series given the little amount of pay-off we get in the end, but I just didn’t connect with any of the people Proehle presented us here. I found them obnoxious for the most part and terribly unfunny.. I don’t feel like anyone speaks like the characters in this book and when you have so much dialogue, it becomes draining to listen to them speak.

This one just didn’t work for me, in the end. I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as what a few reviewers have said – maybe the next books in the series will become more focused in their execution – but I don’t think this is one I can confidently recommend. Might work better as a TV series.

The Nobody People will be published on September 03rd, 2019

What I loved about this book is what also ended up frustrating me--it's epic and ends in a cliffhangery fashion and now I've got to cool my heels before I find out what happens to all of these people (and I kind of hate doing that on epic books with lots of characters/abilities to track in my memory.)

As many have mentioned, this book starts with a pretty heavy X-MEN vibe. A fraction of society has special powers/abilities and in this book we focus on the younger ones housed at The Bishop Academy in New York. But this isn't some rehashed Darkest Minds kind of vibe. This book INVOLVES kids but isn't YA. Instead it more gave me "The Stand" vibes.

Rather than following the kids, this story follows the teachers (and one of the parents of a particularly gifted student) and dives deep into the usual stuff (Where do these abilities come from? How do you control them? SHOULD you control them?) but also the ethical quandaries they face managing all of the people (including those who wish to use their abilities for evil) and the fallout of the introduction of these special people into society.

From the beginning it's clear that this book is going on an epic journey. It's quite long and I got a bit frustrated mid-way through when I realized we weren't going to wrap up even a fraction of these story lines before the end. For example, the book kicks off with an epic "big bad" who is controlling/encouraging Owen Curry, a boy who's using his powers for evil. Sadly, we never find out who this "big bad" is or have any sort of stand off with them in this book. It's perhaps asking a lot of readers to fall so in love with the story that they'll circle back to see that moment happen.

Which leads me to my larger question, "Am I in love with this story?" I suppose I am (although I AM cranky about now needing to wait to see a payoff of my emotional investment). I thought the characters were great (although the ones you may become invested like Kevin Bishop and Avi have surprisingly shallow arcs.) Ultimately it's Fahima (one of the most delightful well-rounded, compelling characters I've seen in a book in a long while), Patrick and, to a lesser extent, Sarah, Kimani and Emmaline who drive the story.

(Aside: the Carrie storyline, while important, felt super underdeveloped. Sadly, like all of the characters she interacts with in the book, I would have rather spent the time in Miquel's head instead.)

There is a lot going on in this book and a lot of it parallels what's happening in America right now. I can't tell you how eerie it was to read about people rounding up Resonants, people calling for them to be culled and destroyed at the same time that we're rounding up immigrants in our our country and just last night a stadium of people chanted "Send her home" in reference to the Congressperson from my state.

This book tackles some heavy themes and I appreciated that objective. I'm sure there will be readers would would have preferred the book focused more on defeating a clear cut villain. But I guess the older I get, the more I realize that villainy comes in many forms.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Nobody People
by Bob Proehl (Goodreads Author)
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Jul 18, 2019 · edit
really liked it

Even though this novel has all the trappings of a Science Fiction trope it is much more. Although there is a section of society " living amongst us" with quite variable special abilities ... this is no
"X-Men" adventure. We're treated to a complex and deep narrative of the mixed responses across the strata of society ... from awe and respect to fear and desire for genocide of these "non-humans".
They call themselves "Resonants' and have been living in seclusion in the shadows for decades ... fearful of society's response ... for the most part they just want to be accepted as equal.
Bob Proehl proves to be a master storyteller and forms a complex worldbuilding that rings true and populates it with a large cast of characters, not only including well fleshed out "Resonants" but also "Damps" .... the marjority that don't possess any special abilities. The central protagonists are Avi Hirsch, a journalist who frequently found himself embedded in dangerous situations , with the end result of having one of his legs blown off. And, his young daughter Emmeline, who he also thought was precocious , but in fact is a budding Resonant ... with special abilities not fully expressed. In his desire to protect his daughter he becomes embroiled in the societal conflict with Resonants.
Proehl spins an elaborate tale touching on immigration, racism, homophobia and even possible genocide. Eventually an Internment Law is passed requiring the Resonant population to be confined to "camps" ... re-creating the specter of internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II ...and not without raising the possibility of recreations of another Dachau or Treblinka. Will this end in revolt or an apocalypse?
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey publishers for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

An engaging work of science fiction. Strong storylines, characters you'll care about and fascinating situations. Worth the effort to meet all of the various characters.

I really enjoyed this book. Everyone wishes they were special but for these few their powers could end the world. Avi was an interesting character I just wish we could have got to know more of the stories of the different characters. Great Book!

There is a lot I wanted to like about this book -- interesting characters, unique premise, modern storyline, however, the execution is lacking. The pacing is all over the place, and the final chapters seemed uneven as well. I kept waiting for a particular character to undo everything by going back in time with her abilities -- that the entire book was a look at 'what could have been.' Based on this novel, it's doubtful I will pick up any following books. I agree with other reviewers, the title is a bad fit for the book.

I received a free Kindle ARC courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher.

Terrible title, marvelous book! THE NOBODY PEOPLE follows the lives of children with special gifts. These Resonants, as they are called, have lived among us but when they are presented to the world, they are feared and hated in America, just as every person with a difference is routinely shunned and feared in our country. This gives the story some political overtones (shades of our own immigrant crisis) and brings home the ridiculousness of fearing what you do not understand. the characters are realistic, sometimes endearing, sometimes repulsive, but always interesting. I will definitely purchases several copies as gifts, but change the title for the love of Pete! It is uninteresting and in no way reflects the fascinating story contains in the pages.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. I like the concept of the characters. I just feel the book is too long you were starting to lose me there with too many details. Superhero stories are not my favorite but this is one of the better ones I do recommend this book
Two superhero fans

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity.

The Nobody People takes place in a setting and world like ours, but there's a group known as Resonants. They are average people who have unique abilities, like reading minds to turning invisible, etc. They struggle thru life because they are different.

This book is pretty long, but I did enjoy this story. It deals with a lot of social issues that are rampant in our society.

The Resonants kind of reminded me of the X-men, and the story was written very well.

"Remove anything but facts so you can see the thing clearly...start from what you know"

What I know is this book is a mix of X-Men and Brilliance by Marcus Sakey, but with better writing.
'The blurb says 'After decades in hiding, a group of outcasts with extraordinary abilities clashes with a world that is threatened by their power.' and that's exactly what The Nobody People is, but there's just so many characters and so much going it was hard to follow all the subplots.

It's a coming-of-age tale for the modern day superhero who doesn't want to be a hero but also doesn't want to be thought of as a freak.

I really enjoyed the way this book handled bigotry and there were some really great parts--I highlighted the hell out of this book-- but there was SO MUCH HAPPENING that I kept flipping back to catch up. I feel like the author condensed five books into one and as a consequence, none of the resonant characters felt fully developed.

Definitely worth a read. I can see this book blowly up if only because it tackles so many of things on people's minds and is bound to be made into a movie or show series.

Thank you NetGalley for an opportunity to read The Nobody People. Whereas I often find myself reading through the last 100 pages or so of a book because I simply can’t put it down, needing to see what happens next as I flip the pages, in The Nobody People I found myself agonizing through the final chapters just so I can finish it and move on to the next book. The beginning was interesting, it had promise, for a comic book lover, the book was perfect. It was very X-Men ish. Except the main characters are resonants, not mutants; also, they have abilities, not powers. Instead of Cerebro, you have the Hive. Gee, I hope Marvel/Disney isn’t hearing about this book. Anyways, the premise is simple. As a reporter, what would you do if you were asked by the functional equivalent of Charles Xavier to help announce to the world that people like this exist. And if you were to ask, what’s in it for me; the answer would be “Well, your daughter happens to be one of us. Not only is she one of us but she is off the charts special.” For those that admire X-Men, or even history, things don’t always seem to go as you wish when dealing with people who are different; especially if they are deemed dangerous. There are references to historical events and modern events and you can well imagine that the government authorities may have a say in matters. Of course, what’s an X-Men ish book without it’s own version of the Dark Phoenix; played by Owen Currey who can basically make people, places, and things non exist. It certainly would give the appearance of making an interesting read; but unfortunately the last 200 pages is a complete unraveling of what could have been a good story. My beliefs of what constitutes a satisfying ending and the author’s do not coincide. Clearly the book is set up for a sequel but I’m not sure whether the story left most people wanting for more. For me, I just wanted to put it, and myself out of misery. I suppose that after reading 496 pages I was expecting more of an ending that what I received. Two Tylenols later, I’ll be on to the next book.

The Nobody People takes place in a world almost exactly the same as ours - some people are fighting your average, everyday battles against things like failing relationships, difficult assignments at work, and worries that come with raising children. But then you have this “other” group, known as Resonants, seemingly average people who have unique abilities, ranging from reading minds to turning invisible to warping time and everything you could imagine in between. They struggle to fight bigotries that are still all too real in our world, simply for being different.
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Though it is a bit lengthy and I sometimes wondered if it was ever going to end, I enjoyed my experience with Bob Proehl’s The Nobody People exceedingly! It touches on so many issues that are, unfortunately, very prevalent in our society. Bigotry when it comes to race, sexuality, and gender still very much exist, and Proehl brings such poignant attention to this with his Resonants.
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Honestly, I thought of Resonants as realistic X-Men throughout the entire book. That may sound funny, but it really worked so well! I found the concept incredibly believable. The world building is phenomenal to the point that I felt like I would have perfectly understood what was happening around me if I had been dropped into it.

Wow, this was a real lengthy book. So much going on. I really enjoyed the premise and the content - but could probably use a bit tightening up before it goes to final print. Otherwise, this probably could be two books in a world building saga.

Thanks NetGalley for the Arc.

The Nobody People

Pros:
Good writer who can bring you into a scene.
Excellent editing. I don't recall seeing a single editing error,


Cons:
Cliffhanger ending.
Some pivotal characters like Kevin Bishop, Patrick and Sarah are undeveloped and motivations are obscure.
The author’s political leanings are infused throughout the book with a heavy hand.
Examples:

“Most Americans,” Fahima continues, “the first Muslim they ever heard of was Osama bin Laden. But the first openly queer person they encountered was on Will & Grace.”

“Imagine: in the fifties, everyone had beach houses. They all went up the shore in the summer.” “A golden age for white people,” Fahima says. “A chicken in every pot, a servant in every kitchen.”

“This is the first case I’ve had with a white client.” “Everyone else I’ve represented was someone who was already hated,” Kay says. “If they weren’t coming after them for this, it’d be for something else. If they have time and energy to come after nice white ladies? It means they’ve learned to hate.”

“The queer person doesn’t walk into the coffee shop wishing the homophobe would die. The Black Lives Matter activist may hate the beliefs, the actions of the Klansman, but she doesn’t threaten his right to exist as an individual.”

“You don’t get to talk that way without consequences.”

“The resolution was easy to see. When the past and future run up against each other, the past is supposed to back down. If it doesn’t, things get bloody. But the past is stubborn and stupid."

“In Europe, they’re not thinking like this.”

Regular people with not so extraordinary powers. They will not hide any longer.Is different wrong? Should our differences make us hate? This is a powerful take on hope where there is hate for the differences in us all.

This book was a real slog to get through. The plot line (those among us with special abilities) has been done a number of times and much better than this book. The author kept bouncing between mutliple characters and their points of view with several of them borderline boring. In addition, the parent of one of the characters was on a continual whining jag. Finally, the author is in love with f*** bombs, sprinkling them liberally throughout the book to the point it was difficult to find a page without one. I am not sure if this is the way he talks or thinks the younger generation talks or people in general talk. It added nothing to the plot and was hugely distracting.

Other reviewers seem to really enjoy this book so my caution is to check it out of your local library when it becomes available. Do not buy a copy until after you have read it.

I received a free Kindle ARC courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would provide an honest review and post it on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.

I was not able to get past the first quarter of this book. The beginning is interesting with somewhat appealing characters and plot but it quickly gets into nasty thickets. Apparently even people with super powers intrigue and fight amongst themselves.

The Nobody People is written in third person, present tense and is choppy, moving from past to now, from one character to another without good segues.

I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the author and publisher.

A book about people with superpowers? Sign me up! The author did a good job with world-building, but I felt the characters could have done with a bit more fleshing out. I liked the main protagonists but didn’t feel as if I really knew them. Could that be, because there were too many of them? Perhaps. Superpowers notwithstanding, the main theme of the book is about people who are different, trying to fit in, and facing prejudice because of their differences. Sound familiar? It should. It’s what’s going on in today’s world. Nicely done, Bob Proehl! The book didn’t end with a cliffhanger, but there are loose ends that I assume will be addressed in the next book. I enjoyed The Nobody People very much and hope to have the opportunity to read the next one.