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A review by jotheblackbookworm
Zyla and Kai by Kristina Forest
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.0
"I didn't understand love at all, or how it makes you feel and what it makes you do."
Zyla is a 17 year old student with a keen eye for fashion, she hopes that she will be able to travel overseas to continue her education. She also hopes that she'll be able to put some miles between her love sick mother. Over the years Zyla has internalised her mom & dads dysfunctional relationship with mum & she wants nothing to do with it. Until she meets Kai Johnson.
Kai Johnson is a ladies man, with a bright future ahead of him. He has a total of 9 ex girlfriends, which to his adoring aunt & uncle seems to be a distraction to his education, and ultimately leads to his ban of dating. Until he meets Zyla Matthews.
Following a school trip, Zyla & Kai run off, with everyone presuming they have run away to be together.
Narrated in both the past & present, Zyla & Kai's story explores the naivety & innocence of adolescent love; the beauty of love; and essentially how love is able to flourish in the face of adversity - Camille I see you, messy a*s!
Forest does a great job to include themes such as; Grief; Anxiety; Therapy; Toxic Parenting within this YA novel. I didn't find the topics overwhelming as they were balanced well with all the lovey dovey scenes 🥰
This book really took me back to my teenage years & early relationships, I thought my relationships & love was invincible - I was humbled quicklyyyy boy 🤣😆 Some of the choices that Zyla & Kai made during the course of their relationship made me chuckle, the things we do for love are wild sometimes 👀🫣
Overall, I really loved Zyla & Kai's story despite it being extremely long winded. I loved how well the author handled each characters trauma, it felt honest & realistic. I'd recommend this to fans of Love Radio, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry & Chaos Theory.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - It dropped a star because of the length of the book! 470 pages Ladies & Gentlemen! For a YA romance I don't think it requires this length, unless there is an inclusion of mixed media.
Zyla is a 17 year old student with a keen eye for fashion, she hopes that she will be able to travel overseas to continue her education. She also hopes that she'll be able to put some miles between her love sick mother. Over the years Zyla has internalised her mom & dads dysfunctional relationship with mum & she wants nothing to do with it. Until she meets Kai Johnson.
Kai Johnson is a ladies man, with a bright future ahead of him. He has a total of 9 ex girlfriends, which to his adoring aunt & uncle seems to be a distraction to his education, and ultimately leads to his ban of dating. Until he meets Zyla Matthews.
Following a school trip, Zyla & Kai run off, with everyone presuming they have run away to be together.
Narrated in both the past & present, Zyla & Kai's story explores the naivety & innocence of adolescent love; the beauty of love; and essentially how love is able to flourish in the face of adversity - Camille I see you, messy a*s!
Forest does a great job to include themes such as; Grief; Anxiety; Therapy; Toxic Parenting within this YA novel. I didn't find the topics overwhelming as they were balanced well with all the lovey dovey scenes 🥰
This book really took me back to my teenage years & early relationships, I thought my relationships & love was invincible - I was humbled quicklyyyy boy 🤣😆 Some of the choices that Zyla & Kai made during the course of their relationship made me chuckle, the things we do for love are wild sometimes 👀🫣
Overall, I really loved Zyla & Kai's story despite it being extremely long winded. I loved how well the author handled each characters trauma, it felt honest & realistic. I'd recommend this to fans of Love Radio, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry & Chaos Theory.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - It dropped a star because of the length of the book! 470 pages Ladies & Gentlemen! For a YA romance I don't think it requires this length, unless there is an inclusion of mixed media.