Nobody in Particular by Sophie GonzalesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an enjoyable one - I mean boarding school setting + royalty + queer characters? What more do you need?
I will say this book felt long to me. There was just *a lot* going on.
Danni is headed to Bramppath College, a boarding school, thanks to her Mom's new relationship. Danni didn't have the best of luck at her old high school in Colorado, so she's not sure about moving across the globe to a new school, let alone one as elite as Bramppath. But at Bramppath, she makes friends, including Princess Rosemary of Henland. She learns her new friends are grieving from a terrible incident last year, which greatly affected Rose's public reputation. She and Rose also become extremely close--starting a relationship that they must keep secret, or face the wrath of Rose's parents and the entire nation of Henland.
I loved the premise of this story, including the importance of being yourself and coming out on your own terms. Rose has grown up realizing that she can never fully be herself and be Queen. The story does an excellent job of showing her grappling with this difficult idea. Further, there's delicious tension between Rose and Danni, which is wonderful (setting aside the fact that they are high schoolers). They are both smart, witty, strong young women who come into their own as the book progresses.
A very dark and awful event hangs over much of this book, keeping this from feeling like a total light and breezy rom-com. It also feels somewhat pushed aside in the final quarter, which is strange after it looms over so much of the story.
Still, this is a lovely story and often quite humorous, despite the serious topics. It's unabashedly queer and will make you cheer out loud at times. 4+ stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books in return for an unbiased review.
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