Review of Kalayla

[Damis Seres Rodriguez]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Some friendships are unexpected, and that's precisely what makes them beautiful.Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas describes one of those friendships. The novel is about the interaction between an old lady permanently dressed in black as if she was ready to attend a funeral and a girl with a mouth too big for her own sake, taking care of each other. I have to say it was very heart-warming to read.

Kalayla is a strong-willed, clever, independent girl on the edge of becoming a woman. Maureen, her mom, is a wonderful woman that just like many others, does her best to give a good life to her daughter after her father's death. Lana is a lonely old lady trying to overcome the loss of her children. Living in the same building, they develop a beautiful family-like friendship that overcomes generational barriers.

What I liked the most about the book was the character development. The main characters have solid background stories and defined personalities. It is easy to empathize with them. First-person is not my favorite narrative style. However, I admit that in this case, it was well delivered. The descriptions are detailed but not overwhelming. That balance is hard to achieve and worth mentioning.

There is nothing I didn't like about the story. However, the book contains a few racial stereotypes that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. The book seems professionally edited, and I didn't find any typos. I found some minor editorial errors, but they were not distracting enough to become annoying. Most of them were just borderline errors. A new editorial round could correct them. I can't find any valid reason to take a star from the general rating, so I will gladly grant four out of four stars to this book.

As for trigger warnings, the book contains violence and racism. Unresolved grief and death are also present. While I don't consider homosexuality an issue, I know some people might still consider it a delicate subject. If any of the previously mentioned content triggers you, you might want to skip the book. The story contains minor profanity, but nothing particularly offensive. As I said, sexuality is mentioned, but there are no explicit sexual scenes.

I recommend this book to people that enjoy stories touching family issues and deep relationships. If you like reading about strong, independent women, this is the right book for you as well. Because of the edgy subjects, teenagers might need adult approval before reading it. Due to the close view to different models of parenthood and familiar issues, parents could find the story refreshing.

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Kalayla
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[Ailakhu Yusau Aizhebiomon]

Kalayla is quite an interesting book with an amazing storyline. Though, I am of the view that the author didn't address the issue of racism to my satisfaction. Thank you for an exciting review.

[Ellylion]

I love reading about unexpected friendships I would love to give this one a try. Thanks for this wonderful review!

[NetMassimo]

Family drama is not my kind of stuff but I keep on reading terrific reviews about this novel, so it must be really good. Thank you for your great review!

[J Edwards]

I have just finished reviewing this book and I like your perspective of the same, especially your summary of the book. It is quite an interesting book with many life lessons we can learn. Thanks for your great review.

[Bradley Shelvie]

I loved this book too, and I loved reading through your review. Thank you for the review.

[Timothee22]

Kalayla is quite an interesting book with an amazing storyline. Though, I am of the view that the author didn't address the issue of racism to my satisfaction. Thank you for an exciting review.

I agree with this too. Especially at the end of the book. I was not very satisfied, but I have got to give Jeannie Nicholas an A for effort.

[Nwaka Chukwuemeka]

What a wonderful woman, all mothers should read this book. Great review.

[Nino Chinonso Onwurah]

Your family can despise you, but strangers can love you—this book was mind-blowing. Your review is amazing.