Review of Kalayla

reviewinraven · Post by **reviewinraven** » 10 Sep 2021, 23:37

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

4 out of 4 stars

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Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas follows the inspiring tale of three troubled individuals from different age groups: a young girl, a woman, and an old lady. Throughout the book, we explore their points of view about how they deal with pain, betrayal, and heartache. The story is a deep dive into family constructs, the good, the bad, and everything in between. Kalayla is a rebellious child with no filter, Maureen is an anxious mother with a harmful secret, and Lena is an old lady filled with regrets and the hope to right her wrongs. The book focuses on the bond, or lack thereof, between family members, while also touching on themes of racism, sexual assault, and domestic abuse.

The main positive aspect of this book is the brilliantly executed character development. Each character matures and grows with every chapter while also maintaining their quirky attributes that makes the readers fall in love with them in the first place. This is combined with how seamlessly well each character is written and expanded to connect with the readers on an emotional level. The first character that comes to mind is Kalayla with her smart mouth and stubborn personality. It takes strong literary skills to write a character like Kalayla in such a raw and likeable way despite all the flaws she possesses. Kalayla’s “voice” is also distinguishable, which means that I can easily tell that the chapter is written in her point of view even without reading the indicator at the start of the chapter. This is a respectable feat as writing in a child’s prose can be challenging.

In addition to that, the book is also extremely well-edited as I could not find a single grammar or spelling error throughout the book. The pacing of it was also perfect, following the sequence of a realistic life with its ups and downs. There was always enough tension to keep me turning page after page, trying to see what happens next; even if the events are just mundane things such as a birthday party or going out for ice cream. The author has a talent of reeling the readers in without the need to rely on dramatic plotlines or forced conflicts. Any friction or romance that the characters go through is set in a pace where it is just part of their lives and not the center of it.

Regardless of all the praises that I have for this book, there is one negative element to it which is how characters’ traumas are used to explain and forgive their wrongdoings. To avoid spoilers, I will be vague about one of the scenes that upsets me. A certain character tried to commit a crime against another character, and yet that character is humanized with the elaboration of their tragic backstory. This is not a strong negative point as I can appreciate morally gray characters. But I wish the book did not insinuate that just because something bad has happened to you in the past, you are allowed to behave horribly as a response.

With all these things considered, I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. The reason is because the writing is simple yet mesmerizing with believable characters who are just trying to heal from emotional scars. I also think it is an insightful book which explores dark themes and yet still manages to be wholesome by emphasizing on the importance of family, even if they are flawed. I recommend this book to mature readers, preferably over the ages of 16 due to the frequent profanities in dialogues and triggering topics. This book is also suitable for those who are interested in reading about family dynamics.

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Kalayla
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Medhansh Bhardwaj · Post by **Medhansh Bhardwaj** » 21 Sep 2021, 07:10

I haven't read this book yet, but I will definitely read this one sometime in the future. I like how the author has taken up the topics of racism and abuse so sensitively, and also portrayed the protagonist as someone who overcame all these challenges. Thanks for the honest review!

Victor Jerry I · Post by **Victor Jerry I** » 22 Sep 2021, 03:37

I have reviewed this book and it Is really an interesting book. The bond between the three women is actually realistic and not just scripted. I wish Kalayla had better manners to adults .