Nina Kenwood, Unnecessary Drama, Text Publishing Company, October 2022, 320 pp., RRP $17.50 (pbk), IBSN 9781922458896
Unnecessary Drama is a classic enemies-to-friends-to-lovers YA novel. It is an emotional roller-coaster with many laughable moments that will have readers excited to read more despite the predictable storyline. All the characters are well written, particularly the protagonist who is immediately likeable and relatable; she has a good heart but worries too much about what others think and treats herself a little too harshly.
Eighteen-year-old Brooke is an overly anxious person, even more so now that she has left her hometown to attend university in Melbourne. In a new environment and renting a property with strangers, she feels a little (a lot!) out of her depth. Brooke just wants to fit in and fears that her new housemates might not like the super-organised and endless list of rules version of herself.
Her roommate Harper seems very cool, too cool, and then there’s the other roommate, Jeremy, who turns out to be Jesse. Jesse and Brooke used to be close friends until a humiliating incident at a Year Eight party ruined everything. The two haven’t spoken in years and Brooke refuses to even acknowledge him. Some things are just too hard to forget. She decides that they will need some rules if they are to live together. Everything seems to be going well, Brooke and Jesse have agreed to ignore one another, that is until Brooke is rushed to the hospital and Jesse refuses to leave her side until the doctors give her the all-clear. It seems he has grown up to become a very considerate guy.
Then there’s the night at the pub. Brooke’s ex-boyfriend makes a surprise appearance with the girl he left Brooke for and somehow Jesse ends up being her fake boyfriend. It all seems natural, they work well together, and Brooke can’t help but thinking, were they both really acting?
Harper and her girlfriend, Penny, have other plans for the two. They have decided to play matchmaker for a uni project. Brooke is set up with Henry, Penny’s cousin, and Jesse with their friend Ashley. Henry is a textbook perfect match for Brooke and Jesse seems to keep coming back to Ashley. Maybe Brooke just needs to forget about Jesse. Feelings can go away eventually, right?
Unnecessary Drama is a cute and light read with lots of feel-good moments. Fans of Kenwood’s first novel, It Sounded Better in My Head, which has a similar style although unpacks more serious topics, should read this novel. Unnecessary Drama is recommended for readers of all ages and particularly those who enjoy a good romance.
Reviewed by India Boon
