★★★☆☆ / Spoilers ahead!
This one has been sitting on my shelf since its release date and I’m so disappointed for not picking it up sooner.
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Some things to note!
I started this as an audiobook and finished it physically.
Nicola Yoon is an auto-buy author for me. Her YA books are some of my evergreen five-star reads.
Below is the synopsis from the publisher.
Jasmyn and King Williams move their family to the planned Black utopia of Liberty, California hoping to find a community of like-minded people, a place where their growing family can thrive. King settles in at once, embracing the Liberty ethos, including the luxe wellness center at the top of the hill, which proves to be the heart of the community. But Jasmyn struggles to find her place. She expected to find liberals and social justice activists striving for racial equality, but Liberty residents seem more focused on booking spa treatments and ignoring the world’s troubles.Jasmyn’s only friends in the community are equally perplexed and frustrated by most residents’ outlook. Then Jasmyn discovers a terrible secret about Liberty and its founders. Frustration turns to dread as their loved ones start embracing the Liberty way of life.Will the truth destroy her world in ways she never could have imagined?Thrilling with insightful social commentary, One of Our Kind explores the ways in which freedom is complicated by the presumptions we make about ourselves and each other.
The way Yoon builds characters and their relationships is admirable, as a writer myself. Jasmyn is complex, trying to keep King happy while upholding relationships with her friends both inside and outside of Liberty. There is very much a ‘grass is greener’ situation happening here for Jasmyn, while King conducts and embraces the move to Liberty. Jasmyn is also trying to keep her child safe and she’s pregnant, so she wants what is best for her family which causes her complicated decision making and adds depth to Jasmyn.
I got huge Don’t Worry Darling vibes when I started reading this, which isn’t a bad thing, I think they’re both very well done and I’m starting to like the trope of ‘this is too perfect, what’s going on here?’ especially with an FMC at the head of the suspicion.
I leaned toward a two-star review because while I enjoyed it, I wasn’t turning pages waiting to see what happened next. BUT I had to bump it up a star after I read that ending.
I love an ending where the character doesn’t make it out. All Good People Here did the same thing, and it caused me to bump it up a star because while you’re rooting for Jasmyn the whole time, it would be almost too unrealistic for her to surpass all of these bizarre and disgusting acts happening around her and make it out okay.
We find out what they’re doing to the people of Liberty and holy, it wasn’t anything that I expected, like at all, but it was brilliant. This book held me the same way Peele’s Get Out held me where you’re anticipating something bad and you’re suspicious the entire time, but you don’t exactly know what that bad is and when it’s revealed you’re like what the FUCK.
That’s what One of Our Kind did for me. While I told you Jasmyn’s demise, I’m not telling you what is happening to the people of Liberty. Read this one and find out for yourself.
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