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A review by bookish_leslie
Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna
4.5
Sangu Mandanna wins again! As the author of one of my favorite books (The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches), I wasn’t sure what to expect in Kiki Kallira, especially since it was written for middle grade rather than adults. It was totally different from Irregular Witches, of course, but it was a fun, fast-paced adventure with a cast of lovable young rogues and heart-warming themes of found family, mental health, and discovering your own power.
This book was whimsical and heartbreaking, adventurous and inspiring, creative and relatable, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love portal fantasy books, I love the found family trope, I love adventure, and I love it when the main character (especially of an adventure) is female, so this had all the ingredients of a win for me. The Indian mythology within this story also added a fun and unique twist that I found to be really interesting and culturally informative.
Not only do I think Mandanna is a great author, but I also find her to be wonderfully creative. Descriptions of sparkling orbs of bottled sunlight floating overhead or sewing threads of starlight or sunbeams into fabric, for example, felt so magical and poetic.
I also think Mandanna handled the mental health aspect of this novel with a lot of grace. She did such a wonderful job of narrating Kiki’s anxiety that I wonder if she, herself, suffers with it. More than getting it right, though - the thoughts, the itchy scratchiness of those thoughts, the self-flagellation at not being able to control those thoughts and thinking less of yourself because of it - Mandanna also conveyed so much compassion for people struggling with mental illness, particularly in the conversation between Kiki and Ashwini on pages 237-240.
“You know there’s nothing wrong with you,” Ashwini told Kiki. “It’s just an illness. A chronic condition,” she continued. “It’s something that’s a part of you, but it’s not all of you.” She went on to make the point that just because Kiki's brain didn't work exactly the way she'd like it to, it didn't make her lesser in any way.
It might have been a bit heavy-handed, but it was nice to see mental illness handled with so much compassion and grace.
On the other hand, there were a couple of plot lines in the middle that I felt weren't heavy-handed enough, and here's where we enter major spoiler territory...
Spoiler #1:Pip dying so suddenly and unexpectedly? Are you kidding me? I almost didn't care at first because I was so sure it was a trick - that he wasn't really dead, or if he had actually died, that Kiki would be able to draw him back into life...something. But for him to just be dead, the end, was heartbreaking because, of all the Crows, Pip was Kiki's person. He was who she cared most for, had the most history with, and felt the most attached to. Of all of them, why him?! Of course it would have been sad if any of them had died, but him!? And this brings up a criticism: I think shock and grief really deserved a bit more tenderness and time when Pip died. I think the Crows needed that. Hell, I needed that.
Spoiler #2:Ashwini’s plot line was equally heartbreaking. Her betrayal felt especially tender after Kiki (and us, the readers) had come to rely on and trust her so much. But this was a 13-year old child with the weight of the world on her shoulders. It’s so understandable that she made the choices she did, that she would want to escape the life of responsibility she was living, but it was also so, so sad that she felt she had to betray her loved ones in order to get her needs met. I wish we’d heard more about what happened to her, but perhaps that’s in a sequel?
Overall, Kiki Kallira offered so many beautiful reminders to own your power; to know your value; to lean into being brave and strong, even when it’s hard; to do things your own way, using your own unique interests and gifts; to not let your perceived flaws or struggles make you feel lesser than others; and to not suffer silently - to speak up and ask for the help you need.
This book was whimsical and heartbreaking, adventurous and inspiring, creative and relatable, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love portal fantasy books, I love the found family trope, I love adventure, and I love it when the main character (especially of an adventure) is female, so this had all the ingredients of a win for me. The Indian mythology within this story also added a fun and unique twist that I found to be really interesting and culturally informative.
Not only do I think Mandanna is a great author, but I also find her to be wonderfully creative. Descriptions of sparkling orbs of bottled sunlight floating overhead or sewing threads of starlight or sunbeams into fabric, for example, felt so magical and poetic.
I also think Mandanna handled the mental health aspect of this novel with a lot of grace. She did such a wonderful job of narrating Kiki’s anxiety that I wonder if she, herself, suffers with it. More than getting it right, though - the thoughts, the itchy scratchiness of those thoughts, the self-flagellation at not being able to control those thoughts and thinking less of yourself because of it - Mandanna also conveyed so much compassion for people struggling with mental illness, particularly in the conversation between Kiki and Ashwini on pages 237-240.
“You know there’s nothing wrong with you,” Ashwini told Kiki. “It’s just an illness. A chronic condition,” she continued. “It’s something that’s a part of you, but it’s not all of you.” She went on to make the point that just because Kiki's brain didn't work exactly the way she'd like it to, it didn't make her lesser in any way.
It might have been a bit heavy-handed, but it was nice to see mental illness handled with so much compassion and grace.
On the other hand, there were a couple of plot lines in the middle that I felt weren't heavy-handed enough, and here's where we enter major spoiler territory...
Spoiler #1:
Spoiler #2:
Overall, Kiki Kallira offered so many beautiful reminders to own your power; to know your value; to lean into being brave and strong, even when it’s hard; to do things your own way, using your own unique interests and gifts; to not let your perceived flaws or struggles make you feel lesser than others; and to not suffer silently - to speak up and ask for the help you need.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Child death