Always Late To The Party discussion

Post what you're thinking about the book while you're reading, or if you just want to talk about it and are fine with spoiler-free discussion.

In the very beginning we see that Alina has a big crush on Mal... what do you guys think of that? I know they're not related, but... they were raised together. In the same house, since they were 8. I just can't imagine it would feel any different than siblings. It seems like such incest to me that she even likes him... what do you guys think?

I don't have much issue with it since they grew up together from the age of eight. I'll have to consult my fiance because he's a psychologist so way more of an expert than me, but I believe that family bonds only form until the age of 3-5. After that, you don't have that closeness that would with family biological family members. You can still form close relationships with adopted family, but it's not like the bonds between blood relatives. There's also a pheromone that you detect in close relatives as an infant but can't after a certain age. This ensures that you don't experience sexual attraction in close family members because your immune systems and genetics are too similar. Since Alina and Mal are well beyond the age for these things to happen, I don't find it too weird for them to potentially pursue a romantic relationship. I can totally see where you're coming from though because they are rather young when they go to the orphanage.