Nobody's Secret

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Author(s)

Michaela MacColl

Publisher

Chronicle Books

Genre(s)

Age Range

12+

Release Date

April 30, 2013

ISBN

978-1452108605

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One day, fifteen-year-old Emily Dickinson meets a mysterious, handsome young man. Surprisingly, he doesn't seem to know who she or her family is. And even more surprisingly, he playfully refuses to divulge his name. Emily enjoys her secret flirtation with Mr. "Nobody" until he turns up dead in her family's pond. She's stricken with guilt. Only Emily can discover who this enigmatic stranger was before he's condemned to be buried in an anonymous grave. Her investigation takes her deep into town secrets, blossoming romance, and deadly danger. Exquisitely written and meticulously researched, this novel celebrates Emily Dickinson's intellect and spunk in a page-turner of a book that will excite fans of mystery, romance, and poetry alike.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Another Hit from Michaela MacColl

May 27, 2013

Overall rating

5.0

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I love Michaela MacColl's books - they are refreshing, well written, and always an intriguing look at history. Additionally, Michaela MacColl picks people in history who aren't commonly featuring in historical fiction, which is always absolutely delightful to read about. And Nobody's Secret is her best yet - a historical murder mystery? How much cooler can you get?

I loved Michaela MacColl's portayal of Emily Dickinson. She is almost a Nancy Drew-type figure and is just way too cool. She writes her clues out in verse, which was too fun. It was a fun way to envision Emily Dickinson!

Parts of the mystery weren't as developed as I would have liked, but overall, I thought it was really well done. I really had no idea who was going to be behind it and many of the pieces I only found out about as Emily did. There was no predictability to it. The suspense just builds as the story progresses.

This is a must read for those who love either historical fiction or a good mystery. The characters are all well developed and Michaela MacColl's prose is just gorgeous. This was my favorite of her books thus far, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

Erica Top 50 Reviewer 192 reviews

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User reviews

1 review

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0(1)

Characters

5.0(1)

Writing Style

4.0(1)

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Are You Nobody? I'm Nobody Too...

July 21, 2013

Overall rating

4.3

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I was very pleased and overall, I highly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of Emily Dickinson, or likes to imagine famous people as teenagers. It's an interesting book and probably one of the better ones I've read this year. I'll definitely be looking up other books by this author! :)

VERDICT: 4.5/5 Stars

Good Points

This book was definitely different, but in a good way. I have never seen another YA book about Emily Dickinson as a teenager. That alone made me anxious to read it and see if the author did her justice. I feel like she captured the right amount of adult Emily, with a necessary mix of teenage qualities and quirks. The headstrong personality and inability to settle for less than the absolute truth made Emily a great detective and a wonderful heroine. The historical details were very well researched and it came across in the descriptions and the life infused into the writing. When the Dickinson sisters were doing chores and bickering, I was right alongside them. was surprised at the end, but I did love that the author made it so realistic. The usage of Emily's poems to highlight plot points throughout the book was pretty genius. Each poem had a well-chosen placement and moved along the story convincingly.