Overall rating and opinion of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas

Use this forum to discuss the September 2020 Book of the month, " "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.
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19blueofficial
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Re: Overall rating and opinion of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas

Post by 19blueofficial »

I think Kalayla is an awesome read. The three major characters- Maureen, Lena, and Kalayla really inspire me a lot, and there's a lot to learn from their personal experiences. I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
Rizki Pradana
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Post by Rizki Pradana »

This is a really good book, an independent child because her mother is busy, a kinder-hearted neighbor who has a surprising past. What I like the most about this book was there were a lot of familial problems that seem correlated with what happens in this world right now. I will definitely recommend it because the story was heartwarming for me. My rating for this book was 4 out of 4 stars.
Eugenia36Nicholas
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Post by Eugenia36Nicholas »

Thank you for reading Kalayla. I am working on a sequel/continuation of the story now. It's a real challenge because of the questions that have emerged. What happens to Clarence? How does Kalayla deal with Jamal's death? What happens with Lena and Mattwo? How does Maureen sort through her inner conflicts and fears? What part does Jamal's family play in Kalayla's life?
The layers in the story seem endless, and I could continue the list. Rather than do that, I need to get back to writing.
Tung Le 1
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Post by Tung Le 1 »

Kalayla is an emotional book about family and parenting. I like the way the author uses point of view to tell stories. The author used the first person. Each main character is told in the first person. I dislike the sexual violence against women paragraphs in the book.
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Oyedele Tomijane
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Post by Oyedele Tomijane »

I enjoyed the book, Kalayla. It depicted the trials that a young Kalayla had to face, the majority of which she had no say in. I liked the fact that Lena was a solid rock for them. She had no business with them, but her love and concern for seeing an impending disaster and doing everything she could to avoid it was admirable. I also loved the description of the snacks her friend Lotta prepares. It made my stomach rumble a few times. I was, however, not pleased that Clarence got away with his attempted rape. But I would recommend this book to others, especially those who are going through a difficult time, because it emphasizes the value of family and friendship. I gave the book a 4 out of 4 star rating.
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Akangbe Opeyemi
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Post by Akangbe Opeyemi »

I really love this novel. I like how the care for Kalayla was able to heal her from her past and helped her to make the decision to communicate with her sons again. I love how Mauren was able to find love again and reconnect with her family. I love how Kalayla became a better teenager that makes decisions that are productive for herself.
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Chinazo Anozie
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Post by Chinazo Anozie »

I really loved this book. I still can't believe it's the author's first novel. I loved the way she was able to accurately depict the thoughts of an 11-year-old, a 30-year-old, and a 72-year-old.

What I loved most was the feeling of community I got from reading. The characters, whether or not they were related by blood, always came together to lift each other up. I really loved that. I also loved the teaching of second chances and forgiveness which the author was able to convey from the storyline. I will definitely be recommending to my friends who love books about family and redemption.
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Phyll Kamau
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Post by Phyll Kamau »

Kalayla covers issues that we face in modern society. It is an exciting read with many themes, including parenting, grief, rape, and domestic violence. I recommend this book to people who enjoy books about family, love, and friendship. I rate it at 4 out of 4 stars.
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Manas Ranjan Mishra
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Post by Manas Ranjan Mishra »

I have recently completed the book Kalayala, and honestly, I loved it. I liked a lot of the features of the book. First of all way of narration, each chapter is written in the first-person perspective, which feels like the characters in the book are talking with the reader with their unique style. And it has also touched on a few social issues like racism, abuse etc. which tells a lot as well about the current position of our society. Yet in the end, it showed the ray of hope that everything can be resolved with love and belief.
Sharing is caring. :greetings-wavingyellow:
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jimmy02
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Post by jimmy02 »

I chiefly selected this book after noticing that most of the reviews were mentioning that Kalayla has excellent content with regards to the topics of sexuality and abuse. And I'm pleased to say, I wasn't disappointed. Having grown up in a conservative family, my views on some matters are quite narrow. By reading such texts, I intend to broaden my perspectives, and I can say with certainty that Kalaya was a positive step towards that goal.

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There is no friend as loyal as a book.
~ Ernst Hemingway

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Tebogo Eugene M
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Post by Tebogo Eugene M »

Nicely written book and perfect. What I love about the book is Kalayla young girl of Maureen. What I like least is Lena. Yes, I will recommend the book to others, because I educate about life.
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Post by Themmie10 »

Kalayla is one good book that I very much love and don’t regret reading. I love kalayla’s character the most, she’s strong though weak also. I said this because while she’s acting strong, she actually needs someone who understands her and she found that in Lena and her cousin from her mother’s side. I rated it 4 out of 4 stars, the book deserves it.
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jimmy02
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Post by jimmy02 »

I liked the down to earth and ease of relatability the most in Kalayla. I couldn't find any grammatical or punctuational errors in it too. I liked Kalayla's character the most. Her rebellious nature is something that I could relate to very well. Because of these reasons I gave the book a perfect score in my review.
There is no friend as loyal as a book.
~ Ernst Hemingway

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rookie_writer_writes
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Post by rookie_writer_writes »

Kalayla is a lovely book. It's sweet and relatable, about family and struggle. These are fictional characters who go through realistic struggles. And the characters are deep enough for you to sympathize with with them in every bit of struggle they go through. Jeannie Nicholas is a brilliant writer.
MARY SANJANA J
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Post by MARY SANJANA J »

I really love the book. It has kept me wanting to read more and more and not stop at any point. I love the way each of the main character's (ie Lena, Maureen and Kalayla) thinking process is depicted in the book, such a variation in one book itself. I also like the way that the author takes into consideration such a strong topic of racism and conveys regarding the same in the story well. There is nothing that I would say I like less about the book. I would definitely recommend this book as it is such an optimistic, feel good kind of a book. Moreover, as it portraits the need for forgiveness despite a huge fault and also the ill effects of racism, i would suggest it to the upcoming generations to read and know about such topics and learn for them.
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