Next of Kin

Chloe is the protagonist and point-of-view character of Next of Kin. She is of Polish descent and solidly built because, as her mom sometimes used to say, the women of their family have “strong brows, strong noses, strong bodies, strong hearts” (9). While this quotation sums up Chloe’s physical appearance, it also speaks to her personality and her relationship with her birth mom. The neglect in her early years and her adoptive mother’s passive aggression about Chloe’s bubbly nature have made Chloe into someone who minimizes herself and changes for the benefit of others. These tendencies have been tempered since she moved out on her own, but they still motivate how Chloe acts, such as hoping for validation from her birth mom and downplaying her injury the day Warren moves in. Chloe’s internal character arc revolves around discovering her inner strength and using that strength to open up to others. At the beginning of the book, she is scared to share her inner truths because she fears people will leave her when they learn about her past. However, after Warren sees her true self and stays, Chloe understands the only person holding her back is herself.