Next of Kin

Warren is the second main character of the novel and Chloe’s love interest. Chloe and Warren’s relationship follows the grumpy/sunshine trope, where one partner is upbeat and positive while the other is dark and brooding. Warren is the “grumpy” half of the partnership, and to go with this, he “has the face of a handsome movie villain—devastatingly sharp” (34). Like Chloe, Warren was forced to grow up quickly due to his mother dying and his father being mostly absent. These factors also put Luke into the foster care system, and all of it has made Warren a bitter, angry person. Throughout the book, Warren struggles to get his anger under control, a process that becomes easier once Chloe enters his life. After he gets past his initial judgments of her, Chloe’s sunnier personality brings peace to Warren’s darkness, which is why he nicknames her “dove.” Warren’s character arc culminates with him being shown how much harm his anger can do. When he unintentionally frightens Willow, Warren realizes the damage he’s done by letting anger rule him. This, combined with moving past his father’s involvement with Luke, helps Warren understand there is more to him than anger. Chloe helps Warren realize he doesn’t have to be the person he’s always been, and his resolve to do better for the people he loves is the push Warren needs to truly work toward getting control of his temper and finding lasting happiness.

Luke is Warren’s deaf younger brother. Hannah Bonam-Young has made a career out of writing inclusive stories, and Luke’s character is an example of how a disability does not define a person and a way for those who identify as deaf to see themselves in literature. Luke communicates through American Sign Language and refuses to read lips. These communication choices are a part of Luke’s character and are not representative of all deaf individuals, which shows the nuanced nature of the deaf experience and community. Luke also acts like an average teenager, hanging out with his friends and sometimes making poor choices. He serves as a foil for both Willow and Chloe in different ways. While Willow (a newborn) presents her own challenges, Luke shows how much different being a guardian for a teenager is, highlighting how every foster care experience is different. Luke also offers a comparison of the foster care system for different kids. Chloe faced struggles in the system, mainly being placed and dealing with visits from her birth mom. Similarly, Luke deals with the issue of being placed while struggling against a language barrier.