A review by elizabethpianalto
I Kick and I Fly by Ruchira Gupta

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

One thing I really appreciated about this beautiful book is that the mother in the story - Mai - had a dream of her own outside of motherhood. It’s way too common for all characters in a story to have dreams and goals of their own, and the mother is only given motherhood as her sole identity. Ruchira Gupta is one talented and inspiring lady. Thank you. 

This is a nuanced portrayal of sex work, trafficking, the depths and layers of exploitation, and the desperation of poverty.

Since this is a YA novel I will note there is no gratuitous violence (sexual or otherwise) in this book.