A very well written debut novel that kept me intrigued from beginning to end. I think that if I wasn’t me (perhaps due to body swapping?), I might give it five stars. But I don’t think we can escape who we really are, so I’ll have to acknowledge that this book wasn’t really for me. There are a number of reasons for that, but the main point is that you aren’t me and I could see why a lot of people – especially women – may love this book where I merely like it (but I do like it).
I read the audiobook version and the narrator was first rate.
This is a book about two women with the unique ability to swap bodies with each other. While that could be a science fiction or fantasy premise, depending on how it is approached, it is primarily used as a narrative device in Nobodies. So I’ll avoid discussing whether it is either or both of those genres as that is a distraction from the story at hand. As a narrative device, Schubach effectively uses body swapping to delve deep into female friendship at different stages of life. It feels autobiographical, largely in a good way where you get the sense she is drawing on a lot of personal experiences and reframing them in the relationship between the two main characters. The world she reveals is rich and nuanced and not one I felt that I could entirely relate to as a man.
But I think that’s a good thing.
It bought this on a whim after reading a few positive reviews. I was expecting a somewhat more traditional sci fi exploration of the body swapping concept, but I’m glad I stayed for the journey the characters took. However, I think the Schubach missed a few opportunities to explore the concept further. She laid the groundwork for believable body swapping but didn’t push it to any unexpected places. To an extent, that choice was in service to her characters and the story, but it still felt like an unfulfilled promise.
Overall, a well conceived and very well crafted story. It will be interesting to see what the author writes next.
Arthur P. Dutton 