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A review by kaitrates
Next Of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
One of my toxic traits is that if couples in books say ILU too soon (according to me lol) or have sex too quickly, I tend to lose interest. I LIVE for the buildup, the interrupted make-out (or more) sessions, the cooling off and trying to rationalise why they shouldn't be together.
And while there are exceptions to this—books like The Rose by Tiffany Reisz feature sex early on followed by so many ups and downs—a lack of tension and/or insta-love tends to severely reduce my enjoyment of a book.
All this is to say, that for the first 60% of Next of Kin I was INVESTED! I couldn't put the book down! There was so much tension between our lead Chloe and Warren and the stakes were SO high—they had to figure their shit out for their siblings' sakes! They were thrust into this uncomfortable ass situation and needed to make the best of it while also managing their growing attraction for one another. I was convinced this would be a new favourite book and 5+ star read.
Then,they said I love you and I lost my interest.
Really, though, I think its because Warren's way of keeping his distance was to be a cocky asshole. And though we, alongside Chloe, see hints of more depth and love, he's not really given a chance to grow on page. And while I understand how, based on their backstory, their relationship and love make sense, I didn't enjoy quickness with which they were in love and happy. Especially with both of them having such heavy trauma histories.
Like I said: toxic trait. lol
The pacing of the last 40%, particularly the romance aspect of it, felt both rushed and surface level. This is a deliciously deep book! It tackles the foster and adoption systems as well as ableism in families and the world. I wanted their romance to have that same depth and to just feel like trauma bonding. Similarly, the way the final conflict gets sorted out felt rushed—although I think Bonam-Young did a great job capturing the panic and urgency that comes with such a situation. Just left me with a sense of like "wait that's it? you guys are good again?!"
On the plus side, and unlike Out on a Limb I really enjoyed both epilogues. Getting Warren's POV in the bonus one was such a fun surprise!
I'm still a huge fan of Bonam-Young and excited to read Next to You, own and reread OOAL, and continue to read whatever she puts out. I also think this will absolutely work for others who don't share my toxic trait as it does have a lot of depth and heart.
And while there are exceptions to this—books like The Rose by Tiffany Reisz feature sex early on followed by so many ups and downs—a lack of tension and/or insta-love tends to severely reduce my enjoyment of a book.
All this is to say, that for the first 60% of Next of Kin I was INVESTED! I couldn't put the book down! There was so much tension between our lead Chloe and Warren and the stakes were SO high—they had to figure their shit out for their siblings' sakes! They were thrust into this uncomfortable ass situation and needed to make the best of it while also managing their growing attraction for one another. I was convinced this would be a new favourite book and 5+ star read.
Then,
Really, though, I think its because Warren's way of keeping his distance was to be a cocky asshole. And though we, alongside Chloe, see hints of more depth and love, he's not really given a chance to grow on page. And while I understand how, based on their backstory, their relationship and love make sense, I didn't enjoy quickness with which they were in love and happy. Especially with both of them having such heavy trauma histories.
Like I said: toxic trait. lol
The pacing of the last 40%, particularly the romance aspect of it, felt both rushed and surface level. This is a deliciously deep book! It tackles the foster and adoption systems as well as ableism in families and the world. I wanted their romance to have that same depth and to just feel like trauma bonding. Similarly, the way the final conflict gets sorted out felt rushed—although I think Bonam-Young did a great job capturing the panic and urgency that comes with such a situation. Just left me with a sense of like "wait that's it? you guys are good again?!"
On the plus side, and unlike Out on a Limb I really enjoyed both epilogues. Getting Warren's POV in the bonus one was such a fun surprise!
I'm still a huge fan of Bonam-Young and excited to read Next to You, own and reread OOAL, and continue to read whatever she puts out. I also think this will absolutely work for others who don't share my toxic trait as it does have a lot of depth and heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse and Drug abuse