I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales follows Danni, an American high school student whose mother and stepfather move to the tiny European country of Henland, where the prestigious Bramppath college awaits Danni after giving her a scholarship. There, Danni makes new friends, and also meets Rose, the crown princess, who is dealing with scandal and a complicated life in the public eye. But the two girls get to know each other, and soon start to fall for one another. However, they wonder how they can possibly have a real romance, with all the expectations that are on Rose’s shoulders, and all the fears Danni has about letting herself be seen.

As a 90s kid and a fan of Casey McQuiston, this reminds me of The Princess Diaries movie and Red, White & Royal Blue, so you won’t be shocked to hear I had fun with this book. (It also reminds me of Young Royals, but I have only watched the first episode of that so far.)

Firstly, the setup is perfect for a teen coming-of-age romance story, putting together two young women from very different worlds in a private boarding school, with all the drama and complex friendships that you’d expect. I sympathized with Danni as she struggled with feeling like an outsider in this place (I would too!) and with her insecurities about performing music in front of an audience. With her scholarship being specifically due to her piano skills, this naturally caused her to put a lot of pressure on herself, and I was glad to watch her grapple with that and start to overcome it over the course of the book.

More even than Danni’s arc, Rose’s journey is extremely compelling. This really digs into what it might be like to grow up as a daughter of famous people, specifically rulers of a country, and what that would do to one’s psyche. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be constantly scrutinized and judged by strangers from the day you’re born, but Gonzales lets the reader glimpse this (often stressful, often toxic) world. Rose is dealing with a lot of trauma, some from her life of having to appear “perfect” and some from a recent mistake that had devastating consequences.

I suppose this is a good segue into a note about the content. This is probably a book for older teens and adults, as Rose often uses alcohol (and occasionally smoking) to cope with her repressed emotions. However, there is an instance (set in the past, though revealed to the reader through flashbacks) in which a friend of Rose’s overdoses on drugs at a party and dies. So if these subjects are ones you’d rather not engage in, this book might not be for you.

That said, I liked how Gonzales approached this tragedy with sensitivity, and treated Rose’s guilt and devastation with compassion (even if Rose herself often did not). She has an excellent character arc, which is probably the strongest part of the story.

The romance between her and Danni is good, as well as the subplot about the drama between Rose and her friends after the death of their classmate. Sometimes the pacing seems a little rushed, in that some of the romantic development early on feels a little glossed over, but overall it’s okay. My main critique is that I found it very odd that the adults (namely Rose’s parents) aren’t as involved in Rose’s troubles. Yes, they seem to be allowing William the publicist to handle a lot of this, but it seemed to me that they were barely characters for most of the book, when the story might have benefited from them being a more tangible presence hanging over the scene as the drama unfolded. Moreover, the story felt like it wrapped up very quickly.

However, in the end, I liked Nobody in Particular. There are some excellent themes about being vulnerable, about how expressing emotions in healthy ways is better than suppressing them, and about being yourself in spite of other people’s expectations. There’s a lot of heart here, and though often the tone is serious, there is still a sense of hope and possibility. The characters, even the important side characters, are well-rounded and interact with one another in believable ways. If you like teen romance stories, especially ones with queer representation, read this!

Nobody in Particular will be published on June 3rd, 2025!