I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this honest review, which is indeed honest. It has quite a lengthy synopsis, which is here on Amazon.
In short, professor Jeremy O’Keefe returns to New York after living in England for a decade, and he’s lonely. But someone is watching Jeremy very closely, and letting him know he’s being watched. He then starts to question whether he truly is “no one,” or if he unknowingly committed a crime that made him an enemy of the state.
This novel by Patrick Flanery sounds pretty intriguing at first glance.
I Am No One opens with the narrator, Jeremy, talking about how he’s recently returned to New York City after living in Oxford for over 10 years. He explains why he went to Oxford in the first place (to revive his career after failing to get tenure at Columbia), then segues into how he is now meeting one of his female students at a cafe.
When the young woman doesn’t show up, Jeremy finds an email message in his Sent box that he doesn’t remember sending. The email thread is a discussion between Jeremy and the student, with Jeremy asking the student if they can reschedule their meeting. This is the first odd event of many that tell Jeremy he’s being watched.
As a narrator, Jeremy is completely full of himself. He brags endlessly about how intellectual and academic he is, and talks about nothing but himself for the most of the novel. It’s comprised mainly of his personal opinions about everyone and EVERYTHING.
My breaking point came when Jeremy launched into his insecurities with using public restrooms. He explains how his problems stem back to his childhood, and goes on about bathroom stalls and other people in the bathroom making him uncomfortable when he has to go. When I got this point in this book, I was dreading having to read the rest for the sake of writing this review.
Another thing that bothered me about the story was the fact that nearly everyone Jeremy came into contact with commented on how he acted British, and how “non-Americanized” he seemed after spending time in Oxford. In real life, I don’t think anyone would have cared.
I wish I had more positive things to say about this novel. I was hoping for something far more exciting. I wouldn’t recommend this one. Hard pass.
Other books by Patrick Flanery include:
- Absolution (2012)
- Fallen Land (2013)
- Night for Day (2019)
I’d really like to know what you thought about this book if you read it. Can you please leave comments below?!
Last Updated on November 13, 2025 by Sarah Ann
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