Review by Mayley18 -- Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas

[Mayley18]

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

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

I just got done reading Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas. It was an interesting story. The book is about a 10-year-old little girl, Kalayla, and her mother Maureen while they journey through difficulties in life after facing some tragedies. Together they persevere through racism, discrimination, lies, and much more. Kalayla is faced with considerably more than the average child, but luckily she has her very wise and patient neighbor, Lena, to help guide her along the way, even when her mouth gets the best of her.

One of my favorite parts of the book (I have a few) was when Kalayla got to bring home her very own dog that she helped to rescue, Hopalong. The dog is much like her in a sense. They both had to face hardships due to no fault of their own, just the hand they were dealt in life. She even gives her a nickname of Opa, which I thought was very sweet. After all of the loneliness while her mother is working, being confused from the lie her mother told her, and the turmoil she had to endure, a dog was exactly what Kalayla needed to feel a little more normal.

My least favorite part of the book was when Lena was recalling her life with her late husband, Joey. He was not the kindest man to her, and she was a very sweet old woman that was still haunted by his memory. I think it provides her with some grit and explains why she is the way she is, but no one deserves what she had to put up with all of those years.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because of several reasons. For starters, it was very well written. It’s no wonder that it was a book of the month. I found very few errors throughout. Different aspects of the book hit home, so it was nice to read something relatable in various ways. The characters were thoroughly developed. Just when I would catch myself wondering this or that about a character, there would be an explanation. I felt that was a big part of why I liked the book so much. I hate having to guess about characters or reading a book that feels as if there should have been a prequel.

I would recommend this book to teens and adults. There was not a whole lot of profanity, but some parts of the book I do not see being appropriate for younger audiences.

******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Bradley Shelvie]

I agree Lena went through a lot through the hands of Joey. People should have the strength to quite relationships that are toxic. Nice review!