If you read contemporary young adult fiction, you’ve probably heard of Nicola Yoon. Her wildly popular novels The Sun is Also a Star and Everything, Everything adored by readers and were even made into movies. To be perfectly honest, her young adult novels never appealed to me. However, Yoon’s upcoming adult debut, One of Our Kind, is a very different. One of Our Kind is full of quiet horror, psychological terror, and exposition on black trauma.
| Title: One of Our Kind | Authors: Nicola Yoon |
| Release Date: June 11, 2024 | Genre: Speculative / Horror / Thriller |
| Publisher: Knopf | Page Count: 272 |
Synopsis
The Stepford Wives meets Get Out in Nicola Yoon’s first adult novel, a terrifying and thought-provoking look at what it means to be truly free in America.
When Jasmyn and King Williams move their family to the planned Black utopia of Liberty, California, they hope 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 Liberty’s outlook, a frustration that turns to dread when their loved ones start embracing the Liberty way of life. As Jasmyn learns more about Liberty and its founders, she discovers a terrible secret that threatens to destroy her world in ways she never could have imagined.
Review:
Jasmine and King Williams recently moved their growing family to Liberty, California, a planned all-Black community that bills itself as a Black, wealthy utopia. Everything a family could want is within reach in Liberty. Liberty has a school, restaurants, beautiful expensive homes, and an exclusive wellness center at the center of the community. Unfortunately, Liberty isn’t everything Jasmine hoped for. She finds peace but not the unity and camaraderie she hoped for. Instead of being interested in activism, the people in Liberty are only interested in booking spa treatments. What exactly is going on at the wellness center? And why do the people around seem to be changing?
One of Our Kind is a speculative horror full of eerie moments and deserved anger. For much of the book, Yoon centers more on her characters and less on the horror building around them. Jasmine is intense and never seems to slow down. While this is part of her character, sometimes it’s exhausting reading her point of view. I enjoyed the Black love and friendships in the first half of the book. There’s LGBTQ representation and platonic adult friendships between men and women, which was great to find. All that said, I acknowledge that Black and POC reviewers have far more say than me. I’ll defer to them and wait on further reviews.
As for the horror and thriller elements in the book, I loved them. The utopia aspect reminded me of a lot of different films and media. Other than Peele’s “Get Out,” none are quite as steeped in Black issues and racism, though. If you like eerie films and shows, such as “Stepford Wives,” “Get Out,” “Westworld,” or “The Truman Show,” then I think you’ll enjoy One of Our Kind. One of Our Kind does slow down in sections, but the final result is well worth it. I have a feeling the final twist in the book will be controversial. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure I liked the twist. But the book is one heck of a ride and I’m glad I read it.
Final Thoughts:
One of Our Kind is a shining example of speculative fiction. It’s eerie and powerful, with a building intensity to the very end. This is the perfect book for fans of Jordan Peele’s horror films and those who enjoy a genre-blending read. Though I think it could have been a bit tighter in sections, this will definitely be a buzzed-about book this year.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Thanks to Knopf for providing me with an advanced review copy! All the above thoughts are my own.
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