Of Kith and Kin by Laura Lee Dooley explores the theme that a family is not always made by blood. Sometimes it is made by the people who choose to stay.
The story follows Tae-hee and her twin brother, Tae-soo. Tae-soo returns after many years, but he goes by the name Kit now. He carries an ancient energy entity called a threlphax inside him. Kit joins KSH House, a close group of people who become his chosen family. He also forms a quiet, trusting relationship with a man named Jong.
If you mix a little bit of family, identity, love, and science fiction, you will get the theme of this book. KSH house is a big family from different backgrounds. Kit, who is a major character, is going through an identity crisis. Most of the family members are threlphax hosts, which gives them long life and faster healing. Some characters who have lived a long life sometimes feel it as a burden.
Writing is easy, and each chapter feels like a puzzle piece, steadily building toward the full picture. The mood of the book is tense, emotional, and often unsettling.