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Now every one of any age is exposed to so much, and by the end of the story, the characters grow and change in spite of--or maybe due to--grim circumstances. Do you think mature teens can handle the issues raised in the book, or should it be for adults only?

I believe that mature teens will also be able to relate to this story. They could get to learn from in and gain knowledge to face certain circumstance that comes their way.

Of course, mature teens can handle the book. I think that they should read this book.
They can be inspired by Kalayla, who teaches us to have an opinion, no matter how small or big the topic is. To make opportunities for ourselves and not wait for them to come your way.
The intent to maybe not tell mature teens about such a serious issue might be to protect their innocence, But isn't that exactly what happened with Maureen. She was shielded all her life and when she faced the harsh realities of the world she had a sea change in her personality and it was for the worse.
I think exposing teens to these truths prepares them for life.

I think mature teenagers understand these situations very well. Also, hiding them from these public is something that I believe, most of the times, works just the other way around. What I mean is that they will face different situations in real life and they have to be prepared. Explaining and trying to make others understand is always better than hiding.

I read a lot of mature content when I was in my teens. And I'm not talking about steamy romances. I actually wasn't allowed to read those and had little interest in them. What I did read, and what my parents had no problems with me reading were stories with real issues, like domestic violence, homelessness, teen pregnancies, death, prejudice and racial issues, stories about real problems that real people had in the world.

And it only made me more aware of what was going on around me, outside of the bubble that was my family and friends, and I never once felt like I couldn't handle reading it. It opened my eyes to things people went through that I had no experience in. I think this is needed, especially at that juvenile phase where you take yourself way too seriously and don't recognise that your life is actually much better than others, or that the problems you are going through right now that you think NOBODY can EVER understand, that actually there are people out there who have experienced it too and know how you feel.

This book sounds very thought-provoking and something that would expand the minds of older juveniles. They should definitely read it. It can only help expand their view of the world.

I think the worst things that we as an adult can do is limit a teenagers perspective. It is through these years that they truly start to learn about life in all its aspects, and I believe it is better to be prepared and exposed to such situations than to not be. I think teenagers would benefit greatly from reading this novel.

Of course mature teens can Handle a lot of issues themselves and sometimes the parents have to let their children be aware of such issues and give them a chance to understand about them through encounters. Reading books like Kalayla can give an insight into these issues as well.

MeganDJ wrote: ↑19 Sep 2020, 00:44 I think the worst things that we as an adult can do is limit a teenagers perspective. It is through these years that they truly start to learn about life in all its aspects, and I believe it is better to be prepared and exposed to such situations than to not be. I think teenagers would benefit greatly from reading this novel.

I absolutely agree with you. Teenagers are in the phase where they start to realize more things, and get their own views, opinions and perspectives. We should not discourage or limit them in this eye-opening period for them.

I agree with all the comments so far. Being honest about a situation doesn't mean forcing anyone to accept it. It means giving them the choice to react to honestly, too. The lack of honesty is what made Kalayla SO upset and angry at her parents, and also made her wonder why they hadn't trusted her with the turth. Of course, she wasn't aware of all that had happened wih her grandparents and her mother when Maureen married Jamal.

Certainly, mature teens can handle it. Besides, people in different parts of the world mature at different rates. I think that readers from age fifteen and above can handle the theme. In fact, It's not even a conversation.

I would say mature teens are able to handle this book, but I would not recommend this to be in the school library - more like the town library. Their is lots of profanity on every page and if you're offended by that type of language or the topic on race and abuse, then I would say not to read this book. I'm not going to lie, at times this book was too much for me and I'm in my early 20s.

Yes I believe so. There are so many lessons one can learn from the book and I think mature teens would really appreciate the book for that reason. There are some truths and realities that are hard to swallow but I think it's better that teens are aware of them early on. Beacause that's just the way it is- life is hard.

I believe this book is appropriate for mature teens. In the last teenage years, some people are confronted with certain issues and realizations which they have never been exposed to. These confusing moments are when they need someone to speak to or an opportunity to examine these issues. I believe books like Kalayla will offer a fresh perspective for teenagers as well as give them some sort of direction. In addition to that, it can even be a good conversation starter for teenagers when they reach out to seek help from others. They can start by simply telling a story which intertwines with theirs and thus making the process of acquiring help easier.

Eugenia36Nicholas wrote: ↑18 Sep 2020, 07:08 Now every one of any age is exposed to so much, and by the end of the story, the characters grow and change in spite of--or maybe due to--grim circumstances. Do you think mature teens can handle the issues raised in the book, or should it be for adults only?

I agree with many of the others that mature teens can read this book. Kids, even young, see far more than we realize. Teens may be facing some of the same issues and questions in the book, and they can use this to gain insight.

Yes, I think it is important to expose teenagers to hard-hitting topics like those present in Kalayla. Hopefully, they can gain an understanding of other's hardships, build empathy and avoid the mistakes of our past generations (racism, prejudice etc.)