Blog Tour – The Nameless by Stuart White

I am delighted to welcome you to my stop on the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award 2024 (BBNYA 2024) blog tour to celebrate the success of the 16th place finalist, Stuart White, and his brilliant debut YA novel, The Nameless, a fast-paced dystopian, science fiction, fantasy which will enthrall readers of The Hunger Games and Maze Runner.

Blurb

IN A NAMELESS WORLD, ONE HERO RISES BY DISCOVERING THEIR IDENTITY.

In a dystopian world dominated by genetic perfection and numbered gene pools, sixteen-year-old E820927, known as Seven, yearns for an identity beyond his assigned number.

To escape a life as a Nameless Exile, and become a citizen of the Realm, he must pass a loyalty test to prove his allegiance to the totalitarian Autokratōr.

But as the truth unfolds, Seven faces a difficult choice between revenge, love and discovering his identity.

Stuart White was also 7th place finalist in the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award 2023 (BBNYA 2023) with his middle grade novel, Ghosts of Mars, which was also extremely well-written and exciting. It is a fantasy, science fiction novel aimed at the 9+ age range and set twenty years in the future. You can see my interview with him about the writing of Ghosts of Mars on my blog here: Blog Tour – Ghosts of Mars by Stuart White.

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists (16 in 2024) and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

My stop on the BBNYA 2024 (in conjunction with The Write Reads) finallist blog tour takes the form of a book review.

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Review

Title: The Nameless

Written by: Stuart White

Published by: Penobi Press

The Nameless by Stuart White is a gripping, well-paced coming-of-age thriller, which captivates from the very first page. The novel is expertly written, seamlessly blending action, dialogue, and description. This compelling debut YA novel is the first of what I assume will be a trilogy. It features a futuristic, oppressive society with a focus on a teenage protagonist driven to discover his true identity.

The futuristic world is both believable and richly detailed without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary exposition. The premise is unique and excellently executed, drawing the reader in with its intriguing concept – the characters live in what can only be described as concentration camps where they are assigned numbers. They must pass tests to earn their name and designation in the totalitarian world. Tension and mystery are woven beautifully throughout the story, keeping the pages turning with carefully crafted rising and falling action, which keeps suspense high.

Seven, the protagonist, is a well-developed, goal-driven character. His short temper and deep loyalty to his friends are effectively shown through his actions rather than just being told to the reader. His relationships with Six and the emotional scene with his foster mother, in contrast to his feelings about Twelve and Smiler, add depth to Seven’s character and provide emotional stakes that enhance the storytelling. The emotional depth packed into every page was impressive, making The Nameless a novel that was impossible for me to put down.

This novel skillfully engages all the senses, including sound and smell, which adds an extra layer of realism. Information is seamlessly integrated into the narrative rather than being dumped all at once, allowing for a natural and compelling progression. While there is violence in the novel, it is relevant to the story and never feels gratuitous.

Overall, this is a fantastic, action-packed story with strong character development and an intriguing plot. For me, Stuart White has created an unforgettable reading experience which I beleive will keep readers hooked from start to finish and make an incrediable movie.

I am looking forward to reading the sequel.

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About the Author

Stuart is an award-winning author and secondary school teacher. He has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing and founded, and now runs, WriteMentor. In 2020 and 2022 he was placed on the SCWBI Undiscovered Voices longlist and named as an Hononary Mention for his novels ‘Ghosts of Mars’ and ‘Astra FireStar and the Ripples of Time’. In 2023, he won the WriteBlend award for his middle grade debut, Ghosts of Mars.