Rated of 5
by Phyllis R. (EAST NEW MARKET, MD) Mother and Son Reunion
Octavia Frost turns in her latest novel, in which she rewrites endings of earlier novels, on the day that she learns her son Milo has been arrested for murder. How she examines their relationship and her possible responsibility for his situation comprises THE NOBODIES ALBUM. There are many mysteries to be solved, not least of which is Milo's guilt or innocence. Alternating between the rewritten endings and the current situation, this well-written novel held this reader's interest throughout. What really happened to her husband and daughter? Is Milo guilty? Will Octavia write a new ending to her life? We come to care about the characters Parkhurst has created and hope for a happier future for them.
Rated of 5
by Lori L. (La Porte, IN) Rewriting our Endings
In her latest novel, Carolyn Parkhurst, author of "The Dogs of Babel" explores the all-too-human wish to go back and re-imagine the endings to our life stories . The narrator, an author, has re-written the final scenes of several of her published works, approaching them from her own different perspective in time. She also seeks to mend her estranged relationship with her son as he faces a major crisis. While the ending of the story ties up the resolution to his crisis in an implausibly tidy manner, the novel's theme of rewriting one's history and thereby one's future will resonate.
Rated of 5
by Mary S. (Hilton Head Island, SC) Compelling Read
Carolyn Parkhurst tries to do what the main character in this novel tries to do -- introduce a new way of composing literature to the world. While at times she succeeds, most of the time her "new endings" interrupt what is a very good story. I found myself wanting to learn more about Milo and Octavia without the constant interruptions of the "new book endings". Nonetheless, it was an entertaining read.
Rated of 5
by Anna S. (Auburn, AL) The Nobodies Album
Who among us would not love to re-write the endings of some of our "stories"? The book's protagonist, Octavia Frost, a best-selling author, is about to do just that when she learns that her rock star son, Milo, has been accused of murder. What follows is an extremely well written mystery, but it is much more than that. Milo's band's name, Pareidolia, gives us a clue that we'll be dealing with the characters' perceptions of events and their attempts to understand them, from the tragedy involving Octavia's husband and young daughter, to the murder of Milo's girlfriend Bettina.
My only complaint about this book, and the reason I gave it a 4 instead of a five (I would have liked to have given it a 4.5) is that I found the ending a bit too pat.
Rated of 5
by Vicky R. (Cumming, GA) Worth the money
I usually judge a new book by considering after I've read it if it was worth my money. I would not have been disappointed in spending money here - I enjoyed reading Carolyn Parkhurst's newest novel which more or less centered on a mother/son relationship but included a bit of murder and mystery. The Dogs of Babel is my favorite but this book is worth reading. I was quite taken with the author's thought process on changing the ending to her previously published novels - a rather "novel" idea, I thought. I like this author's style of writing - concise, descriptive without boring you with too much depth and layered with thought-provoking dialogue. While not an extremely "deep" novel that requires intense concentration, it's a great summer read. The book gets a thumbs up from me and I would suggest it to my friends.
Rated of 5
by Lisa H. (Salisbury, MD) Revealing!
This was a winning combination of family drama and murder mystery. Octavia Frost is a bestselling novelist, whose career takes off after a family tragedy. With several novels under her belt, Frost thinks she has come up with a revolutionary idea to create an anthology of the last chapters of all her novels, but with different endings. Is it really her novels she wants to rewrite or her own history?
Frost's rock-star son, Milo, has been estranged from his mother; but a murder accusation forces them to confront their issues and reconcile their past. Their relationship is slowly revealed and pieced together out of the pages of Octavia's novels.
Parkhurst alternately mixes Octavia's stories with the present. It was a wonderful way to develop Octavia's character and demonstrate how a person's words and actions are not always a true indication of their feelings and intentions. So often, people wish they had said this or done that, after the fact. I loved how Parkhurst made me question how we reveal ourselves to others and if we could rewrite parts of our past, would it be worth it. Not only was this a well-written and layered family drama; but it was also a great mystery.
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of 5
by Phyllis R. (EAST NEW MARKET, MD) 
of 5
by Lori L. (La Porte, IN) 
