The Nobody People – Bob Proehl

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