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  • One of Our Kind

  • A novel
  • By: Nicola Yoon
  • Narrated by: Nicole Lewis
  • Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars (19 ratings)

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One of Our Kind  By  cover art

One of Our Kind

By: Nicola Yoon
Narrated by: Nicole Lewis
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Publisher's summary

For fans of The Sellout and The Other Black Girl, a propulsive, daring satire of race and privilege set in an all-Black gated community from #1 New York Times best-selling author Nicola Yoon • "Brilliant, provocative, seminal....Your book club will be discussing this one for DAYS.”—Jodi Picoult

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?

A gripping thriller with wry, razor-sharp social commentary, One of Our Kind explores the ways in which freedom is complicated by the presumptions we make about ourselves and each other.

©2024 Nicola Yoon (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

One of Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of the Year

A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Most Anticipated Mystery/Thriller of the Spring

A Crime Reads’ Best Psychological Thriller of the Month

One of Parade's Best New Books of the Week

Named an "It Book" of June by Book Riot

“One of Our Kind [has]...a freight-train feel. It fits in with a recent wave of Black social horror that includes novels like The Other Black Girl and movies like Get Out....The warmth in Yoon’s writing, though, sets this book apart. The affection and care she has for all her characters and the reasons that have taken them to Liberty deepen the novel’s stakes and heighten its terror. Yoon also reminds us, through Jasmyn’s friendships and her relationship with her husband, King, of the richness and intimacy of Black culture, and underlines how much more we are than our trauma."—Kashana Cauley, The New York Times

"[An] intense, politically charged thriller set at a gated Black community in Los Angeles, where Jasmyn Williams and her husband, King, learn that the wounds of police brutality and racism affect different people in very different ways. Some just want to wrap themselves in luxury and spa treatments—if that’s what’s really going on at the community's cultish wellness palace. Truly chilling."—Marion Winik, Oprah Daily

"An unsettling social thriller that is Get Out meets Rosemary’s Baby. One of Our Kind...is set in Liberty, Calif., a fictional idyllic all-Black gated community outside of Los Angeles. Jasmyn, a public defender expecting her second child, moves there with her venture capitalist husband and their young son looking for a place where they can feel safe and supported. What she finds isn’t the Black utopia she dreamed of, but a town more interested in self-care than social justice issues. When Jasmyn starts digging into the community’s history, she uncovers a shocking secret about Liberty’s founders that threatens to tear her family apart."—Shannon Carlin, Time

What listeners say about One of Our Kind

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Okay book, bad editing

I had to fight my way through the first 10 chapters because nothing happened! All of the information in the first ten chapters could have been condensed into the first 4 chapters. I HATE long expositions. The book starts at chapter 11. I believe Ms. Yoon sent the book to editors who said, "It's not long enough. Add a several more chapters at the beginning." Extremely annoying!
I have been black all of my life and have never heard people use this many swear words. Again, Ms. Yoon sent this book to white editors who said, "You need to have your characters curse a lot more or no one will believe they're really black."

I'm sorry but I laughed at the ending. Predictable and puerile. Really!!! Come on!!! I did like the reasons that King gave for doing what they did.

Ms. Yoon did very well at building suspense starting at chapter 11 although it was a bit predictable at times.

Edit the book one more time. Take out 6 of the first 10 chapters. Delete several of the gratuitous, unnecessary swear words and change the denouement.

I believe Ms. Yoon will be an excellent writer someday and this book was a good start. Good luck.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Excellent narration

Just another version of The Stepford Wives. I was hoping for something more original. I am disappointed.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Typical Cliche

I kept listening to this book in hopes it would break out of the typical cliche story for black people but it didn't. I was disappointed at the ending.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book

Fun to listen to, kept my attention, thought provoking. I didn’t notice gratuitous swearing, as another reviewer commented.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I love the Stepford Wives!

This was an interesting novel, but this is a twist on the Stepford Wives. I apologize if that`s spoilers for anyone, but this is almost fan fiction. It even has all the same major plot points. I won`t give away the ending. I didn`t see that coming. The book is well written and very well performed.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

I can’t get into why I am so disappointed with this book without spoiling it. See below if interested.



******SPOILER ALERT*******


Basically Black No More meets Stepford Wives but not that good. The book is a serious slow burn and the end is too predictable, I saw it halfway through if not sooner. The main character was extremely annoying at times and she didn’t see what was happening until the very end. I fully agree with another reviewer who said the first 11 chapters could have been 4 chapters.

Just listen to Black No More, much better social commentary and funny as hell.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

I didn't even finish this

When I saw a review for this book in the New York Times, I was excited to see what all the hype was about. I love black horror themed books and movies. And this was one written by a woman?! Excited!
The main character is an insufferable, self-righteous defense attorney who thinks black people shouldn't engage in self care until "the work is done". As a black mental health professions, this rubbed me the wrong way. This is NOT a message our people should take to heart. She showed no empathy toward her husband who'd had a recent set back. She felt he should get back to doing work for the community.
I was going to try to push through because I ALWAYS finish my books, until around the 4th chapter. The main character met someone who shared her views and they went out for drinks. The main character has an afro and she mentions how glad she was to see her new friend sporting one as well. The author goes on to talk about how the main character notices every black woman in the bar either has relaxed hair or wigs which are straight. What!? That's how we judge someone's blackness! How they choose to wear their hair? I also noticed the author making note of the tone of black people's skin. With everything black people have to deal with, this author had choosen to use hair texture and skin tone to jude

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not Much New

The story is driven by simplistic, predictable ideas maybe a better fit for middle schoolers.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not For Me

I looked forward to listening to this book but was disappointed. I admit that I gave up about 3/4rds of the way through, so I'm not sure how it wraps up. Perhaps I'm not the right demographic for this one, but the author seemed to be stereotyping different segments of society. The issues are complicated just as people are complex.

The writing is excellent and the characters well developed. This is a talented author, I just wish the book had been more accessible to a wider audience.

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