Review of Kalayla
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Mvjdarling
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Review of Kalayla
[Following is a volunteer review of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.]
Do you love compelling stories about love and how it could redeem us? Or you like books that contain characters that are as real as the neighbor next door? Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a book that explores the themes of love, betrayal, domestic violence, racism, and homosexuality.
Kalayla, an eleven-year-old girl, had believed a lie told by her mother all her life without question. Maureen, Kalayla’s mum, had always thought that the power of love and familial bonds could withstand all obstacles. Lena Barzetti, her landlady, thought she could be an ideal mother that will raise four successful boys. They all got the shock of their lives. With Kalayla as the protagonist, a girl and two women were drawn together. The trio shared a desire to survive their ordeals. To find out whether the trio navigated the murky waters of life successfully, dive into this book in detail.
Employing the first-person narrative, Kalayla was an emotional story from the beginning to the end. The saucy expressiveness of young Kalayla, the floundering, unsure nature of gentle-souled Maureen, the contrite and apologetic heart of Kevin were displayed in fine detail. The author conveyed the world the characters lived in perfectly, in all shades of color. This book portrayed that there are naive people (Maureen), wicked people (Joey), traumatized people (Clarence), and eternally buoyant people (Carla). And that we are all cohabiting in the same environment. Her writing style was an expressive display of human nature. Her writing was so real that I was pulled right into the world. As we see in the way Kalayla quickly noticed Lena’s peculiar clothing colors right from their early interactions, there was also keen attention to detail.
Maureen is my favorite character. She had unbundled optimism stemming from her innocent but flustered look at life. I admire how she held on and found succor in the bundle of joy and frustration Kalayla meant to her. When the opportunity to take her pound of flesh from her father came, she took the high road. My favorite scene was when Kalayla granted Lena the grandmother’s status. It was such a moving scene. Lena’s experiences made her become the bedrock that both Kalayla and Maureen could lean on.
There is one thing I dislike about the book. As much as I love the Kalayla character, the profanity from the preadolescent makes me uncomfortable. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Aside from that, the plot was fantastic, the world the characters lived in was vivid, and the characters were intriguing till the end.
I recommend this book to lovers of romance, love, and undying loyalty/friendship. It is also a good read for people interested in racism, homosexuality, and how families navigate the complex emotions and division they may bring. Kalayla is a book I enjoyed to the utmost.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Do you love compelling stories about love and how it could redeem us? Or you like books that contain characters that are as real as the neighbor next door? Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a book that explores the themes of love, betrayal, domestic violence, racism, and homosexuality.
Kalayla, an eleven-year-old girl, had believed a lie told by her mother all her life without question. Maureen, Kalayla’s mum, had always thought that the power of love and familial bonds could withstand all obstacles. Lena Barzetti, her landlady, thought she could be an ideal mother that will raise four successful boys. They all got the shock of their lives. With Kalayla as the protagonist, a girl and two women were drawn together. The trio shared a desire to survive their ordeals. To find out whether the trio navigated the murky waters of life successfully, dive into this book in detail.
Employing the first-person narrative, Kalayla was an emotional story from the beginning to the end. The saucy expressiveness of young Kalayla, the floundering, unsure nature of gentle-souled Maureen, the contrite and apologetic heart of Kevin were displayed in fine detail. The author conveyed the world the characters lived in perfectly, in all shades of color. This book portrayed that there are naive people (Maureen), wicked people (Joey), traumatized people (Clarence), and eternally buoyant people (Carla). And that we are all cohabiting in the same environment. Her writing style was an expressive display of human nature. Her writing was so real that I was pulled right into the world. As we see in the way Kalayla quickly noticed Lena’s peculiar clothing colors right from their early interactions, there was also keen attention to detail.
Maureen is my favorite character. She had unbundled optimism stemming from her innocent but flustered look at life. I admire how she held on and found succor in the bundle of joy and frustration Kalayla meant to her. When the opportunity to take her pound of flesh from her father came, she took the high road. My favorite scene was when Kalayla granted Lena the grandmother’s status. It was such a moving scene. Lena’s experiences made her become the bedrock that both Kalayla and Maureen could lean on.
There is one thing I dislike about the book. As much as I love the Kalayla character, the profanity from the preadolescent makes me uncomfortable. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Aside from that, the plot was fantastic, the world the characters lived in was vivid, and the characters were intriguing till the end.
I recommend this book to lovers of romance, love, and undying loyalty/friendship. It is also a good read for people interested in racism, homosexuality, and how families navigate the complex emotions and division they may bring. Kalayla is a book I enjoyed to the utmost.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise by John K Danenbarger
