PRAISE for Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest: The Children's Book Council Children's and Young Adult Favorites
"A first love story with all the feels." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Romantic, heart-stirring and a little mysterious, Zyla & Kai will keep readers guessing until the last chapter." -- BookRiot
★ "A sweet, funny, and heartfelt story about falling in and out of love, and what happens next..." -- STARRED REVIEW,
School Library Journal ★ "Populated by a compassionate, fully fleshed-out cast, variously queer characters, and depictions of loving blended Black families, this joyous novel excels in its heartfelt portrayals of open communication, mental health prioritization, devastating heartbreak, and tender first love."
-- STARRED REVIEW, Publisher's Weekly
★ "...explorations of the side characters and their zoomed-out perspectives, along with chapters focused on Kai's and Zyla's experiences, demonstrate the unexpected ways human lives are interconnected and how relationships are a culmination of experiences, perceptions, and assumptions. Reminiscent of Nicola Yoon's works, it's a smart, thoughtful take on a romance, ultimately imparting the value of self-reflection, positive communication, healthy coping skills, and forgiveness."-- STARRED REVIEW, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Forest delivers an emotionally mature and reflective contemporary romantic novel with her latest. Hopeless romantics who enjoy angst and self-reflection will relish this story of miscommunication. Fans of Elise Bryant won't want to miss this tale of first love gone awry."-- Booklist
