Excerpt:
“They are like third-degree burns, Leila. On his skin. Everyday”. His voice cracked. “How can he live like that?”
How do you forget a child in the car? Can you accidentally forget a sleeping child in a car on a Monday morning?
The book "Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah" revolves around these questions. The book has four main characters: Leila, the older sister of two children; Yasmin, the younger sister of the two; and their husbands, Will and Andrew respectively.
Leila and her sister and their husbands have a close relationship. While Leila has had problems carrying her child to term, Yasmin has a three year old boy; Max. Leila's childlessness has over time created a rift between her and her husband and as at the morning of the incident that forms the center of the book, they were separated.
What happens next when Andrew, Yasmin's husband calls Leila, his sister-in-law to help him carry Max to his school because of a work emergency and Max ends up dying? How believable is it for Leila to claim complete forgetfulness of her nephew in her car, forgetfulness leading to his death?
Is Max's death really an accident? The book took me on a journey of finding the truth behind Max's death. Through courtroom scenes and conversations in Leila and Yasmin's homes, I got the answer to the question.
I enjoyed reading Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah for a number of reasons.
The author used medical jargon and legal jargon in a way that suited the situations in the book. There was evidence of detailed researches on the author's part.
Kia Abdullah's comparison was top notch, she used similes and metaphors seamlessly. She used words I was not familiar with well and within context, and I liked that. Her descriptions made it easy for me to use my imagination freely and immerse myself in all the scenes, in and out of the courtroom.
The characters each had distinct personalities: the professional and calculative lawyer, the lawyer that knew his onions, Leila's husband who was clearly not a gentleman, Andrew and his self righteousness and selfishness, Yasmin and her sister Leila with jealous tendencies in them. It was easy to understand the reasons for the decisions of each character. Kia Abdullah made it easy.
Next of Kin was a good psychological thriller for me because I could not predict most of what happened in the end. I was shocked at some revelations, and that, I believe, is how a thriller should be. Kia Abdullah wrote a good one and I am looking forward to exploring her other works.
I rate the book a 9 of 10. For readers that like thrillers and domestic fiction, and readers that like good storytelling, Kia Abdullah's Next of Kin is a good book to pick up next.
I don't have a song recommendation for this review. I was too focused on getting to the end of the book and seeing the truth about Max's death.
I'll talk to you when next I have a book to review or recommend. Talk to you all soon.
Picture Credits: Rakuten Kobo