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raconteur_recs's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a raw yet beautiful way to look at anxiety and how it’s just as normal as any other illness. This book holds a special place in my heart and soul. This is a book I would’ve loved to read as a middle grader. Back then, I tried to find representation in all the books and found none. The joy of seeing a book with a South Indian MC, and the incorporation of all of the Hindu mythology bedtime tales was such a heartwarming hug.
Kiki and I have so many similarities. We both love art and seek refuge in it. I have days where my anxiousness gets me into a deep spiral, and I could relate to many of her thoughts.
And that twist was so thought-provoking! I had to close the book and contemplate life. I hate when books read you and reveal stuff you couldn’t figure out.
Mahishasura’s tale is age-old, but I certainly love this one in its own way. Kiki’s creation of an alter-university Mysore is a mix of what she’s seen, and experienced in her day-to-day life in London. *chef’s kiss*
The rebel kids aka the Crows are such a fun and dynamic group. While we could’ve toned down on the Lej talks, it was necessary. Ashwini is a character, I don’t want to talk much about. Because as much as I would love to hate her, I can’t. (Is that a spoiler? I think it is. Oh no!)
Anyways, this book is a warm hug to the inner child in you, and everyone should read it. Amazing book. Can’t wait to get my hands on the second one as well.
Kiki and I have so many similarities. We both love art and seek refuge in it. I have days where my anxiousness gets me into a deep spiral, and I could relate to many of her thoughts.
And that twist was so thought-provoking! I had to close the book and contemplate life. I hate when books read you and reveal stuff you couldn’t figure out.
Mahishasura’s tale is age-old, but I certainly love this one in its own way. Kiki’s creation of an alter-university Mysore is a mix of what she’s seen, and experienced in her day-to-day life in London. *chef’s kiss*
The rebel kids aka the Crows are such a fun and dynamic group. While we could’ve toned down on the Lej talks, it was necessary. Ashwini is a character, I don’t want to talk much about. Because as much as I would love to hate her, I can’t. (Is that a spoiler? I think it is. Oh no!)
Anyways, this book is a warm hug to the inner child in you, and everyone should read it. Amazing book. Can’t wait to get my hands on the second one as well.
morrigan_gaines_writes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
I wish I had this book when I was a kid. It was amazing to see anxiety represented in a middle school fantasy novel.
The author does an excellent job of portraying the inner workings of a kid with generalized anxiety. The story is fast paced, full of action, but also includes several moments where the characters do address mental health issues as well as themes of friendship, found family, family relationships, and loyalty.
We also are immersed in a world rich with aspects and beings from Indian mythology. Kiki is a more believable heroine than many out there as she struggles with the desire to give up, run away, and her own deep anxiety. Despite the heavy focus on mental health, this book doesn't feel preachy or too dark for middle-school level readers. I also really appreciate that Kiki is able to overcome some of that anxiety but also makes a plan to talk to her mom and get more help when she returns to her world.
Absolutely a 5 star read and I plan on checking out more books from this author.
The author does an excellent job of portraying the inner workings of a kid with generalized anxiety. The story is fast paced, full of action, but also includes several moments where the characters do address mental health issues as well as themes of friendship, found family, family relationships, and loyalty.
We also are immersed in a world rich with aspects and beings from Indian mythology. Kiki is a more believable heroine than many out there as she struggles with the desire to give up, run away, and her own deep anxiety. Despite the heavy focus on mental health, this book doesn't feel preachy or too dark for middle-school level readers. I also really appreciate that Kiki is able to overcome some of that anxiety but also makes a plan to talk to her mom and get more help when she returns to her world.
Absolutely a 5 star read and I plan on checking out more books from this author.
ellornaslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
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
5.0
A new favorite.
I am in love with this book. It's beautiful handling of anxiety rep, it's wonderful disabled rep in the existence of a wheelchair user who is also a tailor and archer(in a fantasy book!), it's lovely messages about the characters in this world, and it's great found family notes. . . The twists and turns in this book, and the fast pace, made everything feel so intense. The different personalities and the bonds of each character from those within the Crows to the ones outside of the group. Just so much to be loved. It surprises me that before I picked it up I hadn't heard more about this book. It deserves more attention.
This is my second experience with the author, the first being the adult fantasy Romance book The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, which I adored, showed me how well Sangu Mandanna can write children so I was beyond excited to find a middle grade work by them.
And I was not disappointed. Not one bit. The writing in this book will pull you in, the characters will steal your heart, and the descriptions will leave you stunned. I can't wait to read the next adventure of Kiki Kallira.
Note: as always, please check content warnings. This book has a child character who deals with anxiety and it also includes an unexpected death, and grief, and I'm sure there are more I'm probably missing.
I am in love with this book. It's beautiful handling of anxiety rep, it's wonderful disabled rep in the existence of a wheelchair user who is also a tailor and archer(in a fantasy book!), it's lovely messages about the characters in this world, and it's great found family notes. . . The twists and turns in this book, and the fast pace, made everything feel so intense. The different personalities and the bonds of each character from those within the Crows to the ones outside of the group. Just so much to be loved. It surprises me that before I picked it up I hadn't heard more about this book. It deserves more attention.
This is my second experience with the author, the first being the adult fantasy Romance book The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, which I adored, showed me how well Sangu Mandanna can write children so I was beyond excited to find a middle grade work by them.
And I was not disappointed. Not one bit. The writing in this book will pull you in, the characters will steal your heart, and the descriptions will leave you stunned. I can't wait to read the next adventure of Kiki Kallira.
Note: as always, please check content warnings. This book has a child character who deals with anxiety and it also includes an unexpected death, and grief, and I'm sure there are more I'm probably missing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Child death, Death, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Misogyny, Violence, Vomit, and War
vctrlysn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
danip97's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
shaipanda's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.5
This took me a whileee to get through between school and reading slumps and library returns and stuff but I’m so glad I finished it and I really enjoyed this!!! It was really fun although darker than I expected at times and just was exceptionally well done :) there were a couple plot twists that I didn’t lovee and I found the beginning to be kinda slow which might have been why I had some trouble getting into it (or that could’ve just been me lol) but overall I really enjoyed my experience reading this and would definitely recommend ittt :)
I also absolutely loved the portrayal of OCD and anxiety as someone with anxiety and currently pursuing an OCD diagnosis and rarely see that in books I read. Also obviously the absolutely beautiful Indian rep is important to note - while I can’t speak to the representation of that as I am white, it seemed to be done really thoughtful and the descriptions of the world were so vivid
I also absolutely loved the portrayal of OCD and anxiety as someone with anxiety and currently pursuing an OCD diagnosis and rarely see that in books I read. Also obviously the absolutely beautiful Indian rep is important to note - while I can’t speak to the representation of that as I am white, it seemed to be done really thoughtful and the descriptions of the world were so vivid
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexism
autumnpak's review against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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!
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 against another edition
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)