Review of Kalayla
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Review of Kalayla
[Following is a volunteer review of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.]
Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a story about Kalayla, an 11-year-old girl, her single mother, Maureen, and their old neighbor, Lena. Kalayla who has been wandering around the streets of Cambridge was noticed by Lena. Lena, worried about the girl, starts to invite her over to her house and gives her chores to keep her from roaming the streets alone. As she tries to help Kalayla, she is haunted by her past experiences and regrets as a parent. Maureen, having just lost her husband in an accident and moved to a new place, works double jobs to make ends meet for her and her daughter. As the characters interact, events unfold revealing secrets and experiences that haunt and affect the characters deeply.
It is a narration about these characters as they diverge and collide, nonetheless depending on each other. The author shows the interaction between these different generations as they reckon with their past, present, and future. This story explores themes like racism, domestic abuse, trauma, single parenthood, family values, homosexuality, and so on.
I like the author’s narration style, where she allows the readers into the mind of the main characters, revealing their point of view on situations. For example, scenes in the book are seen through all three characters’ lenses. The characters are distinguishable and interesting. The author captured the perceptions and thoughts of every character according to their age, which I thought was incredible. The character development is done well throughout the story. The interactions between characters are well-written and are not forced. The storyline was also interesting, discussing various aforementioned themes, some explored deeper than the other.
However, there were some parts in the book where I thought were confusing, causing me to read multiple times to get back on track. Other than that, towards the end, I think the author wanted to include a shock value, which for me, the scene fell flat given the fact there was no built-up towards the scene. It also felt out of place, since we as the readers are reading from the characters' point of view throughout the book and not once the part of the ending was hinted at or made suspense. I think it would have been better to show haunting thoughts over the incident, rather than just throwing it into the last few pages like it’s no big deal.
Overall, the book is a moderately-paced, light, and enjoyable read. I would rate Kalayla 3 out of 4 stars. A star was deducted for the ending and the confusing narrative in some parts. Otherwise, the narration was raw and not pretentious. It is well-edited and the author wrote boldly on themes which I assume is hard to do and in my opinion, the author pulled it off.
I would recommend this book to adults and teens. It is a great book to explore heavy topics in less intense light.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a story about Kalayla, an 11-year-old girl, her single mother, Maureen, and their old neighbor, Lena. Kalayla who has been wandering around the streets of Cambridge was noticed by Lena. Lena, worried about the girl, starts to invite her over to her house and gives her chores to keep her from roaming the streets alone. As she tries to help Kalayla, she is haunted by her past experiences and regrets as a parent. Maureen, having just lost her husband in an accident and moved to a new place, works double jobs to make ends meet for her and her daughter. As the characters interact, events unfold revealing secrets and experiences that haunt and affect the characters deeply.
It is a narration about these characters as they diverge and collide, nonetheless depending on each other. The author shows the interaction between these different generations as they reckon with their past, present, and future. This story explores themes like racism, domestic abuse, trauma, single parenthood, family values, homosexuality, and so on.
I like the author’s narration style, where she allows the readers into the mind of the main characters, revealing their point of view on situations. For example, scenes in the book are seen through all three characters’ lenses. The characters are distinguishable and interesting. The author captured the perceptions and thoughts of every character according to their age, which I thought was incredible. The character development is done well throughout the story. The interactions between characters are well-written and are not forced. The storyline was also interesting, discussing various aforementioned themes, some explored deeper than the other.
However, there were some parts in the book where I thought were confusing, causing me to read multiple times to get back on track. Other than that, towards the end, I think the author wanted to include a shock value, which for me, the scene fell flat given the fact there was no built-up towards the scene. It also felt out of place, since we as the readers are reading from the characters' point of view throughout the book and not once the part of the ending was hinted at or made suspense. I think it would have been better to show haunting thoughts over the incident, rather than just throwing it into the last few pages like it’s no big deal.
Overall, the book is a moderately-paced, light, and enjoyable read. I would rate Kalayla 3 out of 4 stars. A star was deducted for the ending and the confusing narrative in some parts. Otherwise, the narration was raw and not pretentious. It is well-edited and the author wrote boldly on themes which I assume is hard to do and in my opinion, the author pulled it off.
I would recommend this book to adults and teens. It is a great book to explore heavy topics in less intense light.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
