Meddling kids is a book that I enjoyed reading after it got started. The beginning is pretty slow and the group doesn’t get back to their hometown until about the halfway point. This wait until the current narrative begins does give some time for the reader to understand the relationships between the characters, so it’s not wasted, but it did feel a bit drawn out. These 20 somethings have come back home after so many years because of a mystery that they “solved” back in the day weighing on them their entire lives. They all shared trauma, which they suppressed, and now they’re finally going back to face it. Unfortunately, one of them has already died and another thinks they see their dead friend. This character had been in a mental hospital for a long time so who knows if it’s real or not. It’s an interesting dynamic embedded in a character who’s not really the focus of the narrative. I wish it was explored more than the romantic plot. To complete this group of three young adults there’s also a dog. No the dog does not talk which is a good thing, but he definitely is smarter than the average house pet even if he doesn’t do much for the story overall.

In going back to their hometown, they see some faces they recognize and others they don’t, essentially falling back into their usual patterns of trying to solve a mystery. Things get out of hand as supernatural elements come into play and danger seems to lurk around every corner. Deep feelings come out, further complicating matters. It becomes a sort of love story, which I think really hurts it because the other elements of the story are more interesting. Facing trauma together as a group is a great way to process it and move forward, and of course romance can be a part of that, but a relationship based on that shared experience can be unhealthy. This is explored a little bit, but ultimately I really just wanted to know if Nate was really being haunted by Peter. Andy and Kerri’s budding relationship was not something I found myself caring about in the slightest. Maybe that’s because of the way the story was written.

The writing style here didn’t suit the narrative. It comes across as pretentious because of the strange vocabulary. I’m just not sure what the author was going for here; were they trying to write “literature?” I’m not sure, but it did make me feel disconnected from it emotionally, which is probably why I didn’t care about the romance. There are some moments that are supposed to warm your heart or make you frustrated but overall I kind of just read through it without much emotion.

The writing style, pacing and focus of the narrative just weren’t what I wanted to read. I don’t think meddling kids is a bad book though. I think people that enjoy mysteries and “smart” banter may enjoy it. The romantic subplot and overcoming shared trauma narrative would appeal to some, but it just wasn’t for me.