I'm Nobody: The Lost Pages by Alex Marestaing
Copyright 2013
Mymilou Press - YA
Source: Litfuse Publicity for tour
I have to make a quick comment, up front, that I'm not sure I actually am posting on the correct day because I've got the tour date for I'm Nobody in my calendar on one date and a note to myself in my inbox with a different date. So, I picked the one that worked best for me. Apologies if that's incorrect.
Brief synopsis:
Caleb Reed has suffered from crippling anxiety since the death of his sister. To help him recover, his parents pulled him out of public school thinking homeschooling would help him calm down. Instead, 7 years on, his issues have grown worse. Now, he won't even leave the house. His parents think he's crazy but they have no idea how to help him. When Caleb notices a light coming from the old, abandoned house across the road, he is terrified. But, then a former classmate shows up at his house and mysterious notes begin to show up outside his door.
At first, Caleb thinks the notes are from his former classmate but they're signed by a different name. Is it Iris, the young girl who has taken an interest in Caleb and wants to film a documentary of his life, or is his sister trying to contact him from beyond the grave?
My thoughts:
Unfortunately, I'm Nobody was a DNF for me. I made it to page 70 out of 215 pages. It's important to note that I've had a bad run recently, with a couple books (not yet reviewed) that I'm convinced I should not have bothered to finish. So, I'm a little more prone to give up on a book, at this point. Having said that, there were two reasons I stopped reading. The first was that the book never really grabbed me and sucked me in. I thought Iris had a good heart and I cared about what was going to happen to Caleb, but I kept setting the book aside -- sometimes in mid-sentence -- and walking away from it. I also found the sentence structure incredibly awkward and frustrating. I've got that uncomfortable condition known as "editor brain" and the entire time I was reading I'm Nobody, I kept halting to restructure sentences in my head.
I do think at another time, I might have finished the reading of I'm Nobody. While the writing style would still have annoyed me any other time I picked it up, I do think the characters were interesting and if I had the just a touch more patience, who knows? I might have enjoyed it. At this moment, it was not for me.
Neither recommended or not recommended - There were things I liked about I'm Nobody, but clumsy sentences and impatience kept me from finishing the book. I would not, however, warn anyone but those who can't bear awkward sentences away from the reading. I like the idea. The book just didn't capture me.
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"Editor brain" is a condition that plagues me, too. I spend my reading time correcting everything from spelling to grammar to the probable use of the wrong name for the most minor of characters. This is not to mention my constant trolling for chronological screw-ups and historical inaccuracy. I wish there was something I could take for said condition. It's great when I'm writing a resume or even a blog post, but I spend much of the rest of the time wishing I could turn it off and just enjoy.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, I think I'll keep this one off of my TBR list. Thanks for the honest review!
(Sorry if this posts twice. Blogger appeared to have eaten it the first time I clicked "publish.")
It's a nuisance editing in your head, isn't it, Megan? Sometimes I really have to work to shut off that internal editor. If you can do so, it helps make a book that has minor problems sooo much more enjoyable.
DeleteOnly one comment showed up. Weird about the first one disappearing. I always wonder where those missing comments go.
Sounds like the idea was sound, but the execution was lacking. I'm not sure it would have been something I would have read anyway, but the cover would have at least captured my attention.
ReplyDeleteExactly, - great idea, poor execution. I probably would have seen it through to find out what happened, if not for the fact that I'm in, "Grab me or it's over between us" mode.
Delete