Reviews

Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna

autumnpak's review

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

erinsbookshelves's review

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

anakuroma's review

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4.0

TW: anxiety, internalised ableism, death

Kiki is a young girl who's anxiety is slowly dominating her life, and is tightly threaded through this book. The twist at the end was unexpected and well done, and I hope we get a sequel soon!

clumsyqueenie's review

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5.0

“Little girls are always more powerful than people think we are. People think we’re sweet, precious things, all sugar and spice and everything nice, but we’ve got iron and steel in us, too.”

Rating: 5/5
★★★★★

Where do I even start? I think saying that this is my all-time favourite middle grade fantasy is not fair since (a) I haven’t read everything out there and (b) It would be a huge disservice to all my other favourites. But of course, I don’t care and I’m just gonna consider this my favourite anyway.

Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom is a novel I definitely would have fallen in love with, as a kid. Which is clear ’cause I’m no longer one and yet I’m here gushing about this. One of the main reasons I love this book as much as I do is because of the South Indian representation. As a brown girl, finding books revolving around people like me has been hard, but thanks to recent times we see more diverse authors coming up with books of their own. While there definitely are the Aru Shah and Kiranmala series, they are mostly derived from North Indian myths. And to find something that’s close to my home was truly special.

The books starts off with Kiki’s brain conjuring up all sorts of scary scenarios where her mom dies because she wasn’t sure if she locked the front door. Fun, huh? Unfortunately, that is what it’s like, living with anxiety. The way the book explores Kiki’s neurodivergent nature was so cleverly woven into the story and very intriguing to read.

The humour was so on point! I really loved the banter in this book and Kiki’s inner voice just adds to it. The banter also gets so much better in the sequel, Kiki Kallira Conquers a Curse, which is releasing this month. The friendship and found family vibes that this gave out were just as wonderful! The relationship between Kiki, Ashwini, Jojo, Lej, Pip, Suki and Samara were so well-written I was so into their lives more than my very busy and boring life.

Ultimately, this was such a wild ride, in a good way! I also liked the way that this book was self contained and doesn’t necessarily need a sequel. Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom is as easily a standalone as it’s the first in an installment. And truth to be told, I think I enjoyed having this fun break from heart-wrenching cliffhangers.

So if you’re looking for a light read that is also deep, don’t forget to check this book out as it is underrated as heck!

Check out the full review along with Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor on my blog! (read here)

sunnyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was such a fun book. I really liked the idea of a sketchbook coming to life, or well, being transported into a sketchbook. I also really, really loved that Kiki has OCD. 

pib003's review

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5.0

Kiki’s experience is an excellent, accurate portrayal of living with anxiety, and gives readers tools for coping. A very important and well-written book!

yetimantra's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

evamadera1's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I adored this book which surpassed my expectations which I had lowered a little after reading this author's adult work. The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life which adds a whole other dimension to the experience. Mandanna beautifully depicts the reality of an (undiagnosed) anxiety disorder, using it to create a complex character who comes fully into her own by accepting this as part of herself while building beautiful friendships along the way. I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel.

librarianlayla's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I adore that the author chose to accurately represent anxiety within their main character. There is a diverse selection of characters and a well fleshed out storyline.

mekeisha's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0