Official Review: Nobody Knows by Larry Schneiderman

[Annelore Trujillo]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Nobody Knows" by Larry Schneiderman.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Nobody Knows is a Christian novel written by Larry Schneiderman. It is written in the first-person perspective from Jake’s point of view and follows a big portion of his life. Jake knows that he can’t stay in his small hometown in the Iron Range his entire life. Shortly after graduating high school, he moves to the Twin Cities to go to college. This book follows his college adventure all the way to his later years. From his first love to the passing of loved ones, the reader is right there with Jake every step of the way. Along the way, Jake’s relationship with God is a major focal point, and the reader gets a front row seat for the whole thing. He was raised in a Lutheran church and had strong moral values instilled in him from a very young age. Here’s the question: Can he maintain those morals and still get to where he wants to be in life?

I really enjoyed the first-person perspective and the way it was used in this book. It gave a lot of insight into Jake’s character and what he was feeling at each moment. I don’t think the author would have been able to go into that much depth, both emotional and plot-wise, if he had used a different point of view. Even when Jake did things I didn’t like, which actually happened quite a bit, I was still able to empathize with him because I was seeing it from his viewpoint.

Another aspect that enticed me was the character development. There were a lot of characters, but the author did a great job describing each one. I felt like I really got to know them. Even if I forgot about one of the characters, inclusion of the character later in the story always made me remember them and their story. I tend to struggle when a book has a lot of characters, and I have to go back and read about them. I really liked that I didn’t have to do that while I was reading this book.

My favorite part of the book was Jake’s relationship with God. I really liked that he wasn’t a “perfect Christian”. He sinned… a lot. He questioned his faith. He didn’t always go to church. I found this less-than-perfect relationship to be extremely relatable. I’ve found myself asking several of the questions that were asked throughout this book. I’ve done my own sinning, and I’ve questioned my own faith. To me, this book was comforting. It let me know that I’m not the only one who has strayed off of the expected path a bit. I wasn’t sure if I’d like the religious side of it (I sometimes don’t), but it was perfect for me.

I also want to note that this was one of the best edited books I’ve reviewed in a long time. There were a couple of errors here and there, but nothing significant. I only noticed them because I was looking pretty thoroughly.

The only complaint I really had with the book was that the timeline was confusing. It wasn’t clear how much time had passed between different sections of the book because it was missing transitional elements. There were also a few comments about how much time had passed that were contradictory. For example, there was a point that said that Mike was 20, then a little later it said that he was 19. At another point, the narrator stated that 3 years had passed, but it was later said that it had actually been 6 years. While the timeline wasn’t essential to understanding the story, I was a little frustrated with it.

Taking all of that into mind, I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. If half-stars were an option, I might have given it 3.5 stars because of the timeline issue. However, it definitely didn’t deserve to lose a whole star, so I decided to round up. I would recommend this book to Christians, especially those who find themselves questioning their faith. It would be a good read for both adolescents and adults. If you don’t like books with a religious element, however, this isn’t the book for you.

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Nobody Knows
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Like anneloretrujillo's review? Post a comment saying so!

[NL Hartje]

I've always been a fan of first-person narration myself. I like to hear the snickering little comments (although maybe not from this book) and intuitive reasonings. It's my favorite way to get to know a character!

Thank you for this review!

[Cristina Chifane]

I am glad the author portrayed the protagonist's relationship with God in a relatable and credible manner. It is only humane to commit sins, to have moments of doubts or ask yourself questions about God and the meaning of life. Thank you for your review!

[kandscreeley]

Wow! I'm glad that this book was that well edited! That definitely says something about the novel. I'm glad that Jake was portrayed in a realistic manner as that goes a long way towards making a book readable. Sounds like you really enjoyed it, and it might be something I would enjoy as well! Thanks.

[londonmartine]

Glad you enjoyed the book! It’s interesting what you say about the religious element - I am not religious but have no objection to reading stories that involve it. But was this book a bit overly moralistic (read: preachy)?

[Annelore Trujillo]

Glad you enjoyed the book! It’s interesting what you say about the religious element - I am not religious but have no objection to reading stories that involve it. But was this book a bit overly moralistic (read: preachy)?

There were a few conversations that could be seen as being a little preachy, but I didn't feel like the book as a whole was preachy. A lot of it was from Jake's point of view, and it never really felt like it was too much. I've read books like that, and this wasn't one of them.

[melissy370]

Usually i would not read first person narrative but it is probably essential for this type of book. Reading about the human struggles and how it relates to our faith makes the book attractive to many. Thanks for your review.

[Jkhorner]

Usually i would not read first person narrative but it is probably essential for this type of book.

That's a great way to say it! I also sometimes struggle with first person narrative, but I appreciate how its use in this book is purposeful: it allows you to understand the main character's heart. Thanks for great review!

[Nelsy Mtsweni]

Wow, your review is amazing, it made me want to read the whole book now. I can relate with what the book is about. I have questioned my faith a lot too, so I think I would relate easily with the protagonist.

Thanks for the review.

[Gray-cee]

The fact that the protagonist's life is relatable makes it realistic. I've had problems with my faith sometimes so this book should be a good read for me. Thanks for the review.

[Lakeishab]

I enjoy the book. It had amazing topics I love the extremely main character in the story. It was well put together. It had a nice tone to it. It sound beautiful I love how the author put everything together.

[VictoriaMcMillen]

Your review was enlightening. I am sure many others will enjoy the heartfelt storyline of this book. I am not so interested at this time. I just read one similar to this lately and am looking for something different.

[stacie k]

The thing that attracts me to this book from your review is the way the author depicted Jake's relationship with God to be real. The truth is that every single one of us is less than perfect and struggles with sin and doubt at times. Making Jake a relatable character allows us to become invested in his character. I guess I'm left with the question of where did he land in his relationship with God? Did he persevere in maintaining his morals as he pursued his goals? You've done a good job is not giving away the story. I'll have to read it myself to find out.

[Annelore Trujillo]

The thing that attracts me to this book from your review is the way the author depicted Jake's relationship with God to be real. The truth is that every single one of us is less than perfect and struggles with sin and doubt at times. Making Jake a relatable character allows us to become invested in his character. I guess I'm left with the question of where did he land in his relationship with God? Did he persevere in maintaining his morals as he pursued his goals? You've done a good job is not giving away the story. I'll have to read it myself to find out.

I would definitely suggest reading it to find out the answers to your questions. You won't be disappointed!

[Rajanis]

Thanks for the review. I too get confused when there are many characters and go back to confirm. Time line does seem to be confusing considering how great the story is.