If you’re looking for a light, straight-forward read, continue your search. Nobody Real is a somewhat complex story that will keep you on your toes. The author, Steven Camden, created a unique book that will probably be unlike anything you’ve read before. The main character, Marcie, has just finished her tests required to go to university and is helping her scatterbrained father run his small bookshop in the interim. The story flip-flops back and forth through different points of view and different “worlds”. In doing so it addresses many emotions and struggles experienced when you’re required to be a responsible adult.
Years ago, Marcie sent away her imaginary friend, Thor, but she brings him back to help her deal with a lot of difficult changes and decisions in her life as she’s becoming an adult. Additionally, we experience flashbacks of the earlier years of Marcie and Thor. Expect plot twists, passionate and fascinating characters, a little bit of vagueness (you really have to get into Marcie’s head), and many UK references that may or may not be familiar. If you’ve ever had an imaginary friend or enjoy an off-beat book, this is definitely for you.
Favorite quote from Nobody Real: “A choice that is easy is no choice at all.”
Review of Advanced Reader’s Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Harper Children
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 7 religious exclamations; 20 mild obscenities; 1 religious profanity; 1 derogatory name; 36 scatological words; 4 anatomical terms; 3 offensive hand gestures.
Violence/Gore: Many (25) brief incidents including character jokes about a loan shark hurting another character; characters playfully hitting and kicking others; character wants to hit another; verbal threat; young characters light a tree on fire; imaginary boy might eat a kitty; several references to imaginary character destroying buildings; references to parents of young child fighting; second-hand report of character trying to drown a kitty; references to real and imaginary characters fighting others; second-hand report of character having object lodged in chest which punctured lung; reference to domestic violence; character attacks another causing non-life threatening wounds; house collapses on imaginary character causing non-life threatening wounds; imaginary character jumps off of a building.
Sex/Nudity: Several (17) brief incidents involving adults including cuddling; kissing hand; character mistaking two people as a couple; hug and hand holding; second-hand report of kissing; bodies squeezing against each other in a revolving door; imaginary character is naked (non-sexual); reference to the Vagina Monologues; innuendo; breasts pressing against while hugging; reference to teacher’s cleavage; reference to girls hitting puberty; characters sleeping next to each other; implied sexual activity.
Mature Subject Matter:
Shoplifting; domestic violence; parents splitting up.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Several characters smoke on several occasions; a father asks his daughter for weed and if she wants to get high; character looks drunk (isn’t); character smells of booze; teens drink at a party; college students drink at a pub; character looks stoned; girl smokes weed; character takes pain medication; father and daughter drink wine; reference to crack; references to people getting drunk.
