Review of Kalayla
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Sudipta Bagchi
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- Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
Review of Kalayla
[Following is a volunteer review of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.]
11-year-old Kalayla didn't really make the best first impression on old Lena, but little did she know that this sassy, little girl will be the one painting her bland black and white world colourful. Lena starts worrying about the mouthy girl as some bittersweet memories resurface and Kalayla soon learns the hard truth that her sensitive, single mother, Maureen, had been hiding. Amidst the secrets and sour feelings, a new family starts to come together.
Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a heavily character-centered work of fiction that revolves around three main characters, with their intricately interwoven stories. This novel is not just a work of imagination, it also sheds light on some serious real-life issues like racism, domestic abuse and homophobia, showing how these issues have changed over time.
The characters of this amazing book are what give life to it. Each of them has a very distinct personality, one is young and bold, one is sensible and mysterious, and the other is beautiful and vulnerable. It is no surprise that the characters are the ones who make this journey as amusing as they make it delicate. I appreciate the fact that the author chose to write the story in first person, which makes it easier to dive into their frames of mind. Also, the golden layer of sarcasm and wittiness totally makes me want to be friends with the author.
Racialism has had a very profound role in shaping the world into what it is today and this has been vividly depicted in this oeuvre. The book talks about the real struggles of a girl who dared to step into the forbidden part of this divided world. It shows the night and day contrast between the mentalities of the people, where on one side, a single mother is putting in every bit of effort she can to provide for her daughter, and on the other side, we see a family rejecting their child’s existence for their bigoted rules.
The author has beautifully created real-life personas with heavy problems, who will make you laugh with them, cry with them, who will make you feel bad for them in some moments as well as proud of them in others. Kalayla is a wonderfully written tale about the complexities of families and society, the incredible gift that is friendship and the rollercoaster that is life. Lastly, this book celebrates womanhood, its strengths, weaknesses and all the other things that come with it.
I will gladly rate this debut novel 4 out of 4 stars because it simply deserves it and I really hope the author will bless us with more pieces of her mind in the future. I recommend this inspiring work to all the adults out there. Certain parts of the content might be triggering or offensive for some audiences.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
11-year-old Kalayla didn't really make the best first impression on old Lena, but little did she know that this sassy, little girl will be the one painting her bland black and white world colourful. Lena starts worrying about the mouthy girl as some bittersweet memories resurface and Kalayla soon learns the hard truth that her sensitive, single mother, Maureen, had been hiding. Amidst the secrets and sour feelings, a new family starts to come together.
Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a heavily character-centered work of fiction that revolves around three main characters, with their intricately interwoven stories. This novel is not just a work of imagination, it also sheds light on some serious real-life issues like racism, domestic abuse and homophobia, showing how these issues have changed over time.
The characters of this amazing book are what give life to it. Each of them has a very distinct personality, one is young and bold, one is sensible and mysterious, and the other is beautiful and vulnerable. It is no surprise that the characters are the ones who make this journey as amusing as they make it delicate. I appreciate the fact that the author chose to write the story in first person, which makes it easier to dive into their frames of mind. Also, the golden layer of sarcasm and wittiness totally makes me want to be friends with the author.
Racialism has had a very profound role in shaping the world into what it is today and this has been vividly depicted in this oeuvre. The book talks about the real struggles of a girl who dared to step into the forbidden part of this divided world. It shows the night and day contrast between the mentalities of the people, where on one side, a single mother is putting in every bit of effort she can to provide for her daughter, and on the other side, we see a family rejecting their child’s existence for their bigoted rules.
The author has beautifully created real-life personas with heavy problems, who will make you laugh with them, cry with them, who will make you feel bad for them in some moments as well as proud of them in others. Kalayla is a wonderfully written tale about the complexities of families and society, the incredible gift that is friendship and the rollercoaster that is life. Lastly, this book celebrates womanhood, its strengths, weaknesses and all the other things that come with it.
I will gladly rate this debut novel 4 out of 4 stars because it simply deserves it and I really hope the author will bless us with more pieces of her mind in the future. I recommend this inspiring work to all the adults out there. Certain parts of the content might be triggering or offensive for some audiences.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
