Review of Kalayla

[Oluwatosin Balogun]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Kalayla Leeroyce is an unapologetically blunt (biracial) kid. No one can ignore her, no matter how hard they try. Despite her mother being present in her life, Kalayla has had to do most of her growing up alone. This took a wrong turn in her attitude and approach to life. After her dad’s death, Kalayla builds an estranged relationship with her mum. She refuses to acknowledge that her mother cares for her. She also believes her mum is too perfect to make any mistakes until she meets Lena, a mysterious old lady who lives in the same building as theirs. From the onset, these two try to avoid each other, but somehow they always find themselves. They form an unsolicited relationship. Soon enough, Kalayla will need this relationship when she stumbles upon a startling revelation. This revelation will force her to unlearn everything she has ever known.

Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a dazzling tale that tells the story of three characters intertwined with loneliness.
This novel brought me an unexpected gratification I still haven’t gotten over. The book brought to life themes like family, spousal abuse, friendship, love, rebellion, and many other intricate topics. Through this book, I got to see a side of racism I knew existed, but did not believe could be extreme. I also got to learn that parenting is not some natural gift inbuilt into a person. No matter how prepared one might think they are, they still don’t know half of it. It requires mistakes and lessons to be good at it. The author skilfully narrated the story using disparate perspectives of the characters involved. This added to the uniqueness of the characters.

I remember being amused by the different views Kalayla and Lena had of each other. It got me occupied and curious as to whose opinion was right. The author did a wonderful job portraying each character and telling their stories in a slow-paced yet meaningful way. Kalayla has to be my favourite character. She almost fooled me with her bratty attitude, but I saw beyond that. I came to understand that she woke up to the realities of life much too young for her age. Kalayla was just a typical teenager who built up walls around her when, in fact; she was smart, independent, and had a lot of love to give. She just didn’t know how to channel that love. Lena’s character took my interest as well. It was satisfying how defensive she was of Maureen and Kalayla. The way she could read Kalayla better than herself amused me.

Though I found delight in reading this book, the sudden capitalisation of words in the middle of sentences was off-putting. I excused it the first few times, believing it was the author’s way of emphasising those words, but it became progressively overused.

I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. This is because I couldn’t find anything I disliked about the book. The more I got familiar with it, the more gripping it became. So many details about the book appealed to me. The book was well-edited, as I found no errors in it. I had a pleasurable time reading it.

I recommend this book to mature readers, young adults, and lovers of slow-paced stories. The book contains triggering contents like derogatory terms, nasty teenage outbursts, and domestic violence. So, I would not advise people vulnerable to these to read the book.

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Kalayla
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[Meenahhhh]

Such a well-written review. Kalayla is a book that I've already read though, but this review gives a whole new perspective to the book. Well done!

[Bunmi27]

Your review did a great justice to the book. I've read the book and I really enjoyed it. The life of kalayla, Maureen and Lena offers a lot of life lessons.

[Uwe Neufeld]

This review gives a clear idea of what this book is about. I'm eager to know what Kalayla's revelation is. Fine review.

[Oluwatosin Balogun]

Such a well-written review. Kalayla is a book that I've already read though, but this review gives a whole new perspective to the book. Well done!

Thank you so much!

[Oluwatosin Balogun]

Your review did a great justice to the book. I've read the book and I really enjoyed it. The life of kalayla, Maureen and Lena offers a lot of life lessons.

Thank you for your comment.

[Oluwatosin Balogun]

This review gives a clear idea of what this book is about. I'm eager to know what Kalayla's revelation is. Fine review.

I appreciate your comment.

[Elijah0007]

A charming story, this one. The characters were properly fleshed out using backstories. It's a nice book. Your review is nice as well.

[Nwaka Chukwuemeka]

Lena's action is what caught my attention, and the unity that existed between the three women is worth emulating. Great review

[Oluwatosin Balogun]

A charming story, this one. The characters were properly fleshed out using backstories. It's a nice book. Your review is nice as well.

Thank you for your comment.

[Oluwatosin Balogun]

Lena's action is what caught my attention, and the unity that existed between the three women is worth emulating. Great review

I agree with you. Thank you for your comment.

[Christabel Egbeama]

I love how precise the review is. I love that Kaylayla's character spiced up the book with her endless sarcasm. Thanks for the review.

[Oluwatosin Balogun]

I love how precise the review is. I love that Kaylayla's character spiced up the book with her endless sarcasm. Thanks for the review.

I appreciate your comment.

[OTrain Disene]

I loved how these three different types of women from three different generations came together and they saw that although they are many differences that seperates them, there were also similarities that brought them together.

[Oluwatosin Balogun]

I loved how these three different types of women from three different generations came together and they saw that although they are many differences that seperates them, there were also similarities that brought them together.

Yes! Even in their differences, there were many similarities. Thank you for your comment