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Zyla & Kai
A fresh new YA romance novel by Kristina Forest, Zyla & Kai is an epic star-crossed love story about first love and not just the will they, won’t they— but why can’t they?
While on a school trip to the Poconos Mountains (in the middle of a storm) high school seniors, Zyla Matthews and Kai Johnson, run away together leaving their friends and family confused. As far as everyone knows, Zyla and Kai have been broken up for months. And honestly? Their break up hadn’t surprised anyone. Zyla and Kai met while working together at an amusement park the previous summer, and they couldn’t have been more different.
Zyla was a cynic about love. She’d witnessed the dissolution of her parents’ marriage early in life, and it left an indelible impression. Her only aim was graduating and going to fashion school abroad. Until she met Kai.
Kai was a serial monogamist and a hopeless romantic. He’d put a temporary pause on his dating life before senior year to focus on school and getting into his dream HBCU. Until he met Zyla.
Alternating between the past and present, we see the love story unfold from Zyla and Kai’s perspectives: how they first became the unlikeliest of friends over the summer, how they fell in love during the school year, and why they ultimately broke up… Or did they?
Romantic, heart-stirring and a little mysterious, Zyla & Kai will keep readers guessing until the last chapter.
While on a school trip to the Poconos Mountains (in the middle of a storm) high school seniors, Zyla Matthews and Kai Johnson, run away together leaving their friends and family confused. As far as everyone knows, Zyla and Kai have been broken up for months. And honestly? Their break up hadn’t surprised anyone. Zyla and Kai met while working together at an amusement park the previous summer, and they couldn’t have been more different.
Zyla was a cynic about love. She’d witnessed the dissolution of her parents’ marriage early in life, and it left an indelible impression. Her only aim was graduating and going to fashion school abroad. Until she met Kai.
Kai was a serial monogamist and a hopeless romantic. He’d put a temporary pause on his dating life before senior year to focus on school and getting into his dream HBCU. Until he met Zyla.
Alternating between the past and present, we see the love story unfold from Zyla and Kai’s perspectives: how they first became the unlikeliest of friends over the summer, how they fell in love during the school year, and why they ultimately broke up… Or did they?
Romantic, heart-stirring and a little mysterious, Zyla & Kai will keep readers guessing until the last chapter.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2022
48 people are currently reading
6871 people want to read
About the author
Kristina Forest
11 books2,700 followersKristina Forest is the USA Today bestselling author of romances for both teens and adults. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing at The New School and she can often be found rearranging her bookshelf.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
April 4, 2025
Black History Month 2025 #9
Valentine's Day 2025 #5
Valentine's Day 2025 #5
November 6, 2022
For the children, this is lovely. I'm sure they'll eat up the story and find it was a fun time. Sadly, my childhood is over and I just didn't vibe fully with all aspects of this book. I don't think it's bad, just that it was okay.
As someone that is usually begging for books to be a little longer, I think it's entirely possible that we over corrected here because we didn't need as many pages as we got. Particularly because the middle of this was such a slog to get through, partly because of how the book is structured. We start off in the present with our two leads at a senior day at this resort up in the Poconos. I'm sure it's a lovely time. Here we meet Reggie, it's also where we learn that Zyla and Kai are going to go missing after having ridden the ski lift up to the top and that they once dated but have since broken up and there's an air of mystery around all of it. This plot will continue in several other chapters over the run of the book from a variety of characters connected to our two leads giving their insight on how they learned about Zyla and Kai's disappearance and how they react to the news. Most of the book is told in a series of flashbacks from Zyla and Kai's perspectives of how they came to know one another and the relationship that they formed.... That was the slog of the book. The balance between this mystery-esque plot and the basic contemporary romance were often clashing, usually with the present chapters spoiling something that would happen in the past so that when those events were eventually depicted they weren't as intriguing as they had been originally presented.
This structure also led to some characters feeling like they weren't as incorporated as well as they might have been had the story been told in a traditional manner instead of bouncing around.
Zyla and Kai were both interesting to read about in brief flashes, though those were definitely flooded by the number of scenes in the middle that really felt like they could have been trimmed or just outright excluded from the narrative. Zyla did often feel like a side character in her own perspective, and that felt a little unfortunate on more than one occasion.
The book also sets up tension and stakes that beg for a certain resolution, but as the book drags on and eventually limps across the finish line it becomes clear that the resolution to that tension isn't going to be as universally satisfying as a reader might like.
it's not a bad book by any means. It's a good book that becomes aggressively average because of how the final product was shipped out into the world. I have no doubt that this book will find its target audience and be beloved by them, I'm just not in that number.
As someone that is usually begging for books to be a little longer, I think it's entirely possible that we over corrected here because we didn't need as many pages as we got. Particularly because the middle of this was such a slog to get through, partly because of how the book is structured. We start off in the present with our two leads at a senior day at this resort up in the Poconos. I'm sure it's a lovely time. Here we meet Reggie, it's also where we learn that Zyla and Kai are going to go missing after having ridden the ski lift up to the top and that they once dated but have since broken up and there's an air of mystery around all of it. This plot will continue in several other chapters over the run of the book from a variety of characters connected to our two leads giving their insight on how they learned about Zyla and Kai's disappearance and how they react to the news. Most of the book is told in a series of flashbacks from Zyla and Kai's perspectives of how they came to know one another and the relationship that they formed.... That was the slog of the book. The balance between this mystery-esque plot and the basic contemporary romance were often clashing, usually with the present chapters spoiling something that would happen in the past so that when those events were eventually depicted they weren't as intriguing as they had been originally presented.
This structure also led to some characters feeling like they weren't as incorporated as well as they might have been had the story been told in a traditional manner instead of bouncing around.
Zyla and Kai were both interesting to read about in brief flashes, though those were definitely flooded by the number of scenes in the middle that really felt like they could have been trimmed or just outright excluded from the narrative. Zyla did often feel like a side character in her own perspective, and that felt a little unfortunate on more than one occasion.
The book also sets up tension and stakes that beg for a certain resolution, but as the book drags on and eventually limps across the finish line it becomes clear that the resolution to that tension isn't going to be as universally satisfying as a reader might like.
it's not a bad book by any means. It's a good book that becomes aggressively average because of how the final product was shipped out into the world. I have no doubt that this book will find its target audience and be beloved by them, I'm just not in that number.
January 18, 2025
This was a very cute slowburn story about first love. Zyla and Kai are two teens heading into their senior year of high school. They both have gotten jobs at an amusement park through a family
friend and end up working the game booth together. Zyla is cynical about love while Kai is always searching for someone.
I really bought Zyla and Kai's feelings for each other. I really enjoyed the scenes at the amusement park where they started bonding with each other. Kristina Forest is so good at building characters you can fall in love with. And I liked the complicated family dynamics in this book too.
My only problem was that the book drags on and on at some points. We got way to much detail about Kai's day to day during the school year.
The mystery was very anti-climatic so all the build up was a waste. And honestly those parts in between where we got outside povs were my least favorite parts of this book. I would've liked this book more if it didn't try to structure the relationship like flashbacks to build a mystery.
If we trimmed the book down to less than 400 pages it would've been so much better. At the end it felt like I was waiting for the book to end. It's still a really sweet story but had it been shorter it would've been a new fave.
Full review below
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
friend and end up working the game booth together. Zyla is cynical about love while Kai is always searching for someone.
I really bought Zyla and Kai's feelings for each other. I really enjoyed the scenes at the amusement park where they started bonding with each other. Kristina Forest is so good at building characters you can fall in love with. And I liked the complicated family dynamics in this book too.
My only problem was that the book drags on and on at some points. We got way to much detail about Kai's day to day during the school year.
The mystery was very anti-climatic so all the build up was a waste. And honestly those parts in between where we got outside povs were my least favorite parts of this book. I would've liked this book more if it didn't try to structure the relationship like flashbacks to build a mystery.
If we trimmed the book down to less than 400 pages it would've been so much better. At the end it felt like I was waiting for the book to end. It's still a really sweet story but had it been shorter it would've been a new fave.
Full review below
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
Want to read
August 3, 202102.08.2021 a young adult romance where two teens who fall in love & run away together? that sounds like the sweetest summer story, especially when the author says it has an 'us against the world trope'.
June 3, 2022
The first 75% of this book was thoroughly enjoyable and really captured the all consuming emotions of being a teenager and dealing with difficult life situations such as loss of parents, messy parents, and the pressures of high school.
I also LOVED that that Kai is so open about being a Black teenage boy who regularly goes to therapy and how the grief can you hit you at any given moment without any warning. There’s also a really fantastic conversion about co-dependence, communication, and projection…all things that need to be normalized in YA books especially.
What ended up not working for me was the whole mystery plot line of the story. I felt like Forest really dangled the carrot of the “mystery” plot line within this story, but the ultimate answer was anti-climatic to say the least. I also noticed that when we would do the time jumps to before (which is where we see Zyla & Kai’s relationship blossom and flourish) versus after (the mystery aspect), I just wanted to fast forward to be able to get answers, so I got really impatient with the storyline.
I also felt like this book was just way too long. Coming in at just under 500 pages, so much of this story could’ve been trimmed because the last 25% of this book really dragged on.
While this one wasn’t one of my favorites from Forest, I still plan on continuing to read her stories!
Thank you PRH Audio & Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This didn’t influence my review. All opinions are my own.
I also LOVED that that Kai is so open about being a Black teenage boy who regularly goes to therapy and how the grief can you hit you at any given moment without any warning. There’s also a really fantastic conversion about co-dependence, communication, and projection…all things that need to be normalized in YA books especially.
What ended up not working for me was the whole mystery plot line of the story. I felt like Forest really dangled the carrot of the “mystery” plot line within this story, but the ultimate answer was anti-climatic to say the least. I also noticed that when we would do the time jumps to before (which is where we see Zyla & Kai’s relationship blossom and flourish) versus after (the mystery aspect), I just wanted to fast forward to be able to get answers, so I got really impatient with the storyline.
I also felt like this book was just way too long. Coming in at just under 500 pages, so much of this story could’ve been trimmed because the last 25% of this book really dragged on.
While this one wasn’t one of my favorites from Forest, I still plan on continuing to read her stories!
Thank you PRH Audio & Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This didn’t influence my review. All opinions are my own.
February 13, 2022
2021 Winter Bingo (#SnowInLoveBingo❄️): Star
3.5 stars
I’m so disappointed that I didn’t love ZYLA & KAI as much as the author’s previous two books. Maybe my expectations were too high, or maybe I just had the wrong expectations? The blurb makes this sound like an epic, angsty love story… it is not. The reader knows the MCs break up in the spring, but most of the on-page romance is a very sweet/fluffy courtship-turned-relationship (nothing wrong with this, I just misinterpreted the blurb). I also thought the flashback structure of “why did Zyla and Kai run away into the mountains?!?” felt anti-climatic. In retrospect, the non-Zyla/Kai point-of-view scenes in the present weren’t that compelling and reduced my enjoyment of the overall story.
However: Kristina Forest is an engaging writer and you should definitely check ZYLA & KAI out if you’re in the mood for a very romantic YA contemporary. Despite my mixed feelings about the flashback structure, the couple was cute and I loved the portrayal of Kai’s mental health/anxiety/depression (the therapy appointment scenes were great).
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
I’m so disappointed that I didn’t love ZYLA & KAI as much as the author’s previous two books. Maybe my expectations were too high, or maybe I just had the wrong expectations? The blurb makes this sound like an epic, angsty love story… it is not. The reader knows the MCs break up in the spring, but most of the on-page romance is a very sweet/fluffy courtship-turned-relationship (nothing wrong with this, I just misinterpreted the blurb). I also thought the flashback structure of “why did Zyla and Kai run away into the mountains?!?” felt anti-climatic. In retrospect, the non-Zyla/Kai point-of-view scenes in the present weren’t that compelling and reduced my enjoyment of the overall story.
However: Kristina Forest is an engaging writer and you should definitely check ZYLA & KAI out if you’re in the mood for a very romantic YA contemporary. Despite my mixed feelings about the flashback structure, the couple was cute and I loved the portrayal of Kai’s mental health/anxiety/depression (the therapy appointment scenes were great).
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2022
This is one of those YA books that made me feel too old for YA. It's FINE. I just felt pretty removed from it all.
Did appreciate the therapy scenes.
Did appreciate the therapy scenes.
June 17, 2022
This story about two black teens falling in love was precious, and perhaps a bit sad at times.
I really loved this book. Getting to know Zyla, Kai, both their families, their best friends Beatrice and Jamal, was a treat. Their relationship and friendships were done really well, imo.
I loved how consent was discussed throughout this book in many ways. Kai always made sure he knew Zyla was safe and okay in every way possible. They went though some hard things but they loved one another something fierce. It was wonderful going on their journey together.
Not only was this story focused on their relationship, but also the relationship with their families. Not everything was perfect and there was lots of drama, but it definitely added another layer to this story that I wasn’t expecting. I wouldn’t necessarily say there was a huge mystery element to this story, but there is a side plot that hinted at a very *tiny* mystery, which is something I was also not expecting, but did enjoy watching it come together in the end.
I also appreciated the therapy representation, too. Kai seeing a therapist was something I enjoyed reading about, as I am also seeing a therapist myself and feel that having one has definitely benefited me in many ways.
One of my coworker’s was actually reading this at the same time that I was, even though we did not plan it. While I don’t know how she felt about the book as a whole, I know she was enjoying it, but she did point out the writing style could be weird at times. She said it felt both choppy but also had great structure at the same time. I didn’t notice it at first, but then as I kept reading it became obvious to me. There were times where I thought the writing was beautiful, and there were also times where it felt abrupt and didn’t make sense. But it was not enough to deter me from reading and loving this story whatsoever.
Writing style aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will definitely find myself wondering what Zyla and Kai are up to and how they’re doing. Yes, I know they’re not real, but they felt real to me. That’s good enough for me to recommend this book to anyone looking for a story about what it’s like to be a teenager in love for the first time, conquering hardships that may feel impossible to overcome, but ultimately knowing that no matter what, anything is possible.
I really loved this book. Getting to know Zyla, Kai, both their families, their best friends Beatrice and Jamal, was a treat. Their relationship and friendships were done really well, imo.
I loved how consent was discussed throughout this book in many ways. Kai always made sure he knew Zyla was safe and okay in every way possible. They went though some hard things but they loved one another something fierce. It was wonderful going on their journey together.
Not only was this story focused on their relationship, but also the relationship with their families. Not everything was perfect and there was lots of drama, but it definitely added another layer to this story that I wasn’t expecting. I wouldn’t necessarily say there was a huge mystery element to this story, but there is a side plot that hinted at a very *tiny* mystery, which is something I was also not expecting, but did enjoy watching it come together in the end.
I also appreciated the therapy representation, too. Kai seeing a therapist was something I enjoyed reading about, as I am also seeing a therapist myself and feel that having one has definitely benefited me in many ways.
One of my coworker’s was actually reading this at the same time that I was, even though we did not plan it. While I don’t know how she felt about the book as a whole, I know she was enjoying it, but she did point out the writing style could be weird at times. She said it felt both choppy but also had great structure at the same time. I didn’t notice it at first, but then as I kept reading it became obvious to me. There were times where I thought the writing was beautiful, and there were also times where it felt abrupt and didn’t make sense. But it was not enough to deter me from reading and loving this story whatsoever.
Writing style aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will definitely find myself wondering what Zyla and Kai are up to and how they’re doing. Yes, I know they’re not real, but they felt real to me. That’s good enough for me to recommend this book to anyone looking for a story about what it’s like to be a teenager in love for the first time, conquering hardships that may feel impossible to overcome, but ultimately knowing that no matter what, anything is possible.
May 26, 2022
3.5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Zyla & Kai is a very sweet and charming love story, with well-developed characters who truly felt like real people, and a simple, cute relationship between our two main characters. I enjoyed getting to see their relationship develop, and how they struggled to balance their relationship between the ideas that each of them had about what love is, based on their parents and past experiences. There are really great, strong friendships in here, and also an excellent portrayal of mental health shown in Kai, with a strong advocacy for therapy (which I love love love to see in books!)
However, this book is 480 pages long, and it just felt too long for a contemporary... I think some of the story felt a bit like filler, and if it was a bit shorter, I might have enjoyed it more. From the very start of the book, we are told that Zyla & Kai have gone up this mountain and ran away, and throughout the novel we get flashes to other character's perspectives as they learn that Zyla & Kai have run away up the mountain. I have to admit, a lot of this felt very repetitive, and by the end of the book, when we learn what's actually happened, it's pretty anticlimactic.
I will definitely be picking up this author's other books, because I really liked her characters; I just don't think the plot was particularly strong in this one.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Zyla & Kai is a very sweet and charming love story, with well-developed characters who truly felt like real people, and a simple, cute relationship between our two main characters. I enjoyed getting to see their relationship develop, and how they struggled to balance their relationship between the ideas that each of them had about what love is, based on their parents and past experiences. There are really great, strong friendships in here, and also an excellent portrayal of mental health shown in Kai, with a strong advocacy for therapy (which I love love love to see in books!)
However, this book is 480 pages long, and it just felt too long for a contemporary... I think some of the story felt a bit like filler, and if it was a bit shorter, I might have enjoyed it more. From the very start of the book, we are told that Zyla & Kai have gone up this mountain and ran away, and throughout the novel we get flashes to other character's perspectives as they learn that Zyla & Kai have run away up the mountain. I have to admit, a lot of this felt very repetitive, and by the end of the book, when we learn what's actually happened, it's pretty anticlimactic.
I will definitely be picking up this author's other books, because I really liked her characters; I just don't think the plot was particularly strong in this one.
June 15, 2022
I feel like I just read a poorly executed Romeo and Juliet retelling.
Our MCs Zyla and Kai meet one summer at their summer job. She's never dated, he's a "player," but (of course) they can't help falling for one another. When their love gets in the way of school and college applications, their families "force" them to break up. I'm all for an angsty, teenage romance, but their insta-infatuation with one another wasn't believable. The conflicts weren't believable. And WHY on earth was this book almost 500 pages?
My biggest issue here was the writing style. We'd read from Zyla's POV about how much she loves Kai and then we'd read from Kai's POV about how much he loves Zyla and it feels like I read the same thing twice. This happened MULTIPLE times.
Even though I didn't like the book and think it's poorly written, I do think there are people out there who will connect with it and I'm happy for them. For me, it was agonizing to read.
I received this book as an E-ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Our MCs Zyla and Kai meet one summer at their summer job. She's never dated, he's a "player," but (of course) they can't help falling for one another. When their love gets in the way of school and college applications, their families "force" them to break up. I'm all for an angsty, teenage romance, but their insta-infatuation with one another wasn't believable. The conflicts weren't believable. And WHY on earth was this book almost 500 pages?
My biggest issue here was the writing style. We'd read from Zyla's POV about how much she loves Kai and then we'd read from Kai's POV about how much he loves Zyla and it feels like I read the same thing twice. This happened MULTIPLE times.
Even though I didn't like the book and think it's poorly written, I do think there are people out there who will connect with it and I'm happy for them. For me, it was agonizing to read.
I received this book as an E-ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
May 31, 2022
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Tw: anxiety, mentions of prior panic attacks
Zyla & Kai is one of those books which leaves me in awe. The way that Forest weaves the two timelines together is masterful. Not only that, but in the present timeline, most of it takes place from other character's POV. Through witnesses or people our lives touch. It makes you really think about all the misconceptions and biases people in our lives have. The reasons they think we aren't good for each other, or are perfect. All their thoughts about us. And Forest commands these POVs not only to expose pieces of the plot, but also about these perspectives which influence us.
Zyla & Kai is full of opinions. Reasons why Zyla and Kai shouldn't be together. But what matters most are Zyla and Kai. And these characters stand out in their vulnerabilites, definition, and flaws. How Zyla is deeply scarred by her mother's own heartbreak and wondering when the other shoe will drop. While at the same time, Kai believes true love eclipses all. That it is this perfect force worth pouring ourselves into, but what about when we run out?
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
Tw: anxiety, mentions of prior panic attacks
Zyla & Kai is one of those books which leaves me in awe. The way that Forest weaves the two timelines together is masterful. Not only that, but in the present timeline, most of it takes place from other character's POV. Through witnesses or people our lives touch. It makes you really think about all the misconceptions and biases people in our lives have. The reasons they think we aren't good for each other, or are perfect. All their thoughts about us. And Forest commands these POVs not only to expose pieces of the plot, but also about these perspectives which influence us.
Zyla & Kai is full of opinions. Reasons why Zyla and Kai shouldn't be together. But what matters most are Zyla and Kai. And these characters stand out in their vulnerabilites, definition, and flaws. How Zyla is deeply scarred by her mother's own heartbreak and wondering when the other shoe will drop. While at the same time, Kai believes true love eclipses all. That it is this perfect force worth pouring ourselves into, but what about when we run out?
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
June 7, 2022
i am a sucker for stories told in reverse, or stories that approach the climactic event from both after and before the event, and this book pulls it off amazingly. i loved that the romance between zyla and kai moved quickly, and that there were timeskips in between chapters, because it kept the pace of the book up and kept me exciting to see the conclusion. this book is a little repetitive in some areas, and there are also times where the book tells instead of shows a lot of major events, especially towards the end, but overall it was an engaging read. also!!! both zyla and kai have unique stories and explore different aspects of being black, although the story isn't explicitly a book about race. as a non-black person, seeing these perspectives approached without the intention to educate nonblack people was actually really nice! i got to see into the lives of black characters without being talked down to, and also without the characters being compromised to account for a non-black audience. it was super cool. also points for casual polyamorous and bisexual representation!
this book is a nice read if you want a little suspenseful slowburn-esque romance featuring an all-black cast!
this book is a nice read if you want a little suspenseful slowburn-esque romance featuring an all-black cast!
August 21, 2022
i went into this book expecting a cute friends to lovers to exes to lovers situation and i came out of it feeling thoroughly attacked for my abandonment issues and anxiety about mundane things. five stars
June 4, 2022
3.75 stars
rep: Black protagonists, Black side characters, bisexual Black side characters; (Black author)
cw: mention of death of parents (from a car accident), depression
I really enjoyed Kristina Forest’s previous novels, and I was so excited for her next book, especially after reading the premise! A couple goes missing, despite them breaking up months ago; doesn’t that intrigue you? Zyla & Kai told the tale of a sweet romance — how it started, where it went wrong, and how it can go right again.
After a public confrontation with his girlfriend (or rather, ex since he thought they had broken up), Kai is relegated to the games section at the amusement park where he works. There, he meets Zyla, a girl whom he can’t deny his attraction to, even when she turns him down. Zyla is a love cynic and just wants to keep her head down until she gets into Parsons Paris. However, she also can’t deny her interest in Kai, and before long, they get together. Meanwhile, in the present, Zyla and Kai have gone missing on their senior trip, and no one knows why, especially since they broke up two months ago.
The juxtaposition of the past and the present chapters was really interesting; in the present, we know that Zyla and Kai have broken up and slowly piece together why, and in the past, we get to see their relationship develop and the cracks along the way. No one knows why they would go missing on their senior trip because everyone knows they broke up. Even the protagonists’ best friends Beatrice and Jamal don’t have the full story — which is what the past chapters unravel. The present chapters are full of half-truths and rumors, while the past chapters reveal the truth of Zyla and Kai’s love story from their own perspectives.
I will say that the summary makes the past and the present perspectives are evenly balanced; however, I found that the story focused far more on the past and how their relationship progresses. Honestly, I was a bit more interested in the “mystery” of their disappearance and found some of the past chapters to be a bit superfluous, so it was a bit disappointing that the mystery wasn’t actually a main point. This book is a love story, though, so really, this made more sense.
I really liked the characters! Kai is a hopeless romantic, who’s had nine girlfriends, each one of which he thought would be the one. Even when his aunt and uncle suggest that he take a brief break from dating for his senior year, he can’t help but fall in love with Zyla from the start. Meanwhile, Zyla is a realist and shuns love after her parents’ messy divorce and her mother’s subsequent string of flings. She can’t deny her attraction to Kai, though, even she sometimes expects her story to go the same way as her mother’s.
Both protagonists have their separate issues to work through, and they both help each other through their worries. Kai’s parents died in an accident nine years ago, and every year around that time, he falls into a depression, which his aunt and uncle, as well as his therapist, help him work through. This year, Zyla also supports him and reassures him that she will be there or will give him space, depending on what he wants. Zyla herself has a rocky relationship with her mother because she often feels that she puts her romantic relationships before her children. She also holds her father at an arm’s length, not trusting him after he cheated on her mother.
I also really liked Jamal, Kai’s best friend, and Beatrice, Zyla’s best friend, both of whom support their best friend in times of trouble. They hate each other within 10 minutes of meeting each other, and their bickering added some humor to the book.
The romance was very sweet, and it was interesting to read about it from start to finish. As I said before, Zyla and Kai clearly hold so much love for each other throughout their entire relationship, but sometimes life comes in the way. Of course, they’re teenagers and their love isn’t without its issues; they’re so enamored with each other that it came in the way of their school and work lives, which of course both of their guardians take issue with.
Zyla & Kai examines how a relationship comes to be and how it falls apart. Watching the romance unfold was so cute, and I really liked the characters. If you’re looking for a book with a sweet romance with Black leads, you should check out Zyla & Kai!
this was cute!! but also I think I would've liked it more if it had been shorter lol
read on my blog
rep: Black protagonists, Black side characters, bisexual Black side characters; (Black author)
cw: mention of death of parents (from a car accident), depression
**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley (thank you, Penguin Teen!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
I really enjoyed Kristina Forest’s previous novels, and I was so excited for her next book, especially after reading the premise! A couple goes missing, despite them breaking up months ago; doesn’t that intrigue you? Zyla & Kai told the tale of a sweet romance — how it started, where it went wrong, and how it can go right again.
After a public confrontation with his girlfriend (or rather, ex since he thought they had broken up), Kai is relegated to the games section at the amusement park where he works. There, he meets Zyla, a girl whom he can’t deny his attraction to, even when she turns him down. Zyla is a love cynic and just wants to keep her head down until she gets into Parsons Paris. However, she also can’t deny her interest in Kai, and before long, they get together. Meanwhile, in the present, Zyla and Kai have gone missing on their senior trip, and no one knows why, especially since they broke up two months ago.
The juxtaposition of the past and the present chapters was really interesting; in the present, we know that Zyla and Kai have broken up and slowly piece together why, and in the past, we get to see their relationship develop and the cracks along the way. No one knows why they would go missing on their senior trip because everyone knows they broke up. Even the protagonists’ best friends Beatrice and Jamal don’t have the full story — which is what the past chapters unravel. The present chapters are full of half-truths and rumors, while the past chapters reveal the truth of Zyla and Kai’s love story from their own perspectives.
I will say that the summary makes the past and the present perspectives are evenly balanced; however, I found that the story focused far more on the past and how their relationship progresses. Honestly, I was a bit more interested in the “mystery” of their disappearance and found some of the past chapters to be a bit superfluous, so it was a bit disappointing that the mystery wasn’t actually a main point. This book is a love story, though, so really, this made more sense.
I really liked the characters! Kai is a hopeless romantic, who’s had nine girlfriends, each one of which he thought would be the one. Even when his aunt and uncle suggest that he take a brief break from dating for his senior year, he can’t help but fall in love with Zyla from the start. Meanwhile, Zyla is a realist and shuns love after her parents’ messy divorce and her mother’s subsequent string of flings. She can’t deny her attraction to Kai, though, even she sometimes expects her story to go the same way as her mother’s.
Both protagonists have their separate issues to work through, and they both help each other through their worries. Kai’s parents died in an accident nine years ago, and every year around that time, he falls into a depression, which his aunt and uncle, as well as his therapist, help him work through. This year, Zyla also supports him and reassures him that she will be there or will give him space, depending on what he wants. Zyla herself has a rocky relationship with her mother because she often feels that she puts her romantic relationships before her children. She also holds her father at an arm’s length, not trusting him after he cheated on her mother.
I also really liked Jamal, Kai’s best friend, and Beatrice, Zyla’s best friend, both of whom support their best friend in times of trouble. They hate each other within 10 minutes of meeting each other, and their bickering added some humor to the book.
The romance was very sweet, and it was interesting to read about it from start to finish. As I said before, Zyla and Kai clearly hold so much love for each other throughout their entire relationship, but sometimes life comes in the way. Of course, they’re teenagers and their love isn’t without its issues; they’re so enamored with each other that it came in the way of their school and work lives, which of course both of their guardians take issue with.
Zyla & Kai examines how a relationship comes to be and how it falls apart. Watching the romance unfold was so cute, and I really liked the characters. If you’re looking for a book with a sweet romance with Black leads, you should check out Zyla & Kai!
original review:
this was cute!! but also I think I would've liked it more if it had been shorter lol
February 13, 2023
4.25 stars rounded up
December 31, 2024
The writing style of this book is very YA, but I think it would be a great fit for a lot of teen readers. It is a contemporary romance that includes a lot of things teens often deal with, including college decisions, pressure from teachers and family, difficult family situations, first love, etc. There is good mental health representation as well - one of the main characters regularly attends therapy, which I think is a great thing for readers to see (but which is sadly not accessible for many people). I enjoyed the story as it unfolded. It's a fairly long book and probably didn't need to be, but it's a fast read. If you like to read YA as an adult, give it a try. If you have a teen reader in your life, this is a great one to put in their hands. There is a little bit of language and sex, but it's included in a realistic way and is careful about modeling consent.
October 23, 2022
very cute and heart warning nothing too crazy good though
June 21, 2022
I really loved the structure of this book. I love that for most of the book, the present tense focused on the side characters and what everyone else was saying about what happened to Zyla and Kai on the mountain--which was super appropriate given that throughout their relationship there were so many rumors about them. I love the mystery surrounding their disappearance, and that there are little hints about Valentines Day and St Patricks Day, really building up the tension.
Camille was a really good villain and Beatrice was a really good friend. Oh! And I ate up the tension between Beatrice and Jamal--we all know enemies to lovers is my ish. Loved this book. I feel full :)
Camille was a really good villain and Beatrice was a really good friend. Oh! And I ate up the tension between Beatrice and Jamal--we all know enemies to lovers is my ish. Loved this book. I feel full :)
June 1, 2023
First 5-star of the month. Hopefully that momentum continues
I can officially say Kristina Forest is a new author I will be keeping my eye on. Four books in and they have all been hits.
Based on the cover, you'd think awwww a cute BIPOC romance set in an amusement park. Based on the synopsis, a breaking up and getting back together story. Based on the personalities described, a grump and sunshine romance.
And I'd say you'd be right-and more.
This story ended up being about first love. The good, the bad, everything in between, centered between two people who were equally fleshed out.
I can officially say Kristina Forest is a new author I will be keeping my eye on. Four books in and they have all been hits.
Based on the cover, you'd think awwww a cute BIPOC romance set in an amusement park. Based on the synopsis, a breaking up and getting back together story. Based on the personalities described, a grump and sunshine romance.
And I'd say you'd be right-and more.
This story ended up being about first love. The good, the bad, everything in between, centered between two people who were equally fleshed out.
Read
November 7, 2023
Trigger & Content Warnings
Depression
Death of a parent in a car accident mentioned
Depression
Death of a parent in a car accident mentioned
June 21, 2022
3.5 stars
I really want to give this book 4 stars or maybe even 4.5 but there's just something about it that i can't. It's a great book about love and it's imperfections, but it was way too long? Like 480 pages? And all that buildup was for barely nothing? I enjoyed the romance and the plot and the now and then time switch but it was unnecessarily long and the start particularly was dragged out. It also got very angsty in the middle which was something i didn't particularly like. The writing was fresh though, and i will try to pick more books by this author for sure!
Overall, not a bad book- read it when you have time!
I really want to give this book 4 stars or maybe even 4.5 but there's just something about it that i can't. It's a great book about love and it's imperfections, but it was way too long? Like 480 pages? And all that buildup was for barely nothing? I enjoyed the romance and the plot and the now and then time switch but it was unnecessarily long and the start particularly was dragged out. It also got very angsty in the middle which was something i didn't particularly like. The writing was fresh though, and i will try to pick more books by this author for sure!
Overall, not a bad book- read it when you have time!
December 1, 2024
This story was great!
I love the backstory that we got with certain characters! Like her mom! Chileeeee she was pissing me off but that’s ok too!
Zyla & Kai story was very cute for the teens aspect! But I couldn’t get enough of it. Knowing how they were both raised and how the parenting played a role in things just put the icing on the cake!
I love the backstory that we got with certain characters! Like her mom! Chileeeee she was pissing me off but that’s ok too!
Zyla & Kai story was very cute for the teens aspect! But I couldn’t get enough of it. Knowing how they were both raised and how the parenting played a role in things just put the icing on the cake!
June 7, 2022
3.75 ⭐️ RTC
January 2, 2023
This was a really interesting and fun read. I love how both Zyla and Kai’s definitions and feelings about love evolved during the ups and downs of their relationship.
I think this book could have cut some things out, because it dragged at times but I loved it. Definitely recommended if you love romance.
I think this book could have cut some things out, because it dragged at times but I loved it. Definitely recommended if you love romance.
August 9, 2022
KRISTINA FOREST NEVER FAILS TO ENRAPTURE ME WITH HER BOOKS! I thought the concept of this story was so interesting with. Being able to read a love story begin, end, and then begin again was something most books never show us. In romance books we usually only see the start of the love affair. Zyla and Kai were just every part of precious! Throughout their relationship I really felt how much they loved and cared for each other but it almost felt like it wasn’t meant to be with how much went wrong. The miscommunication, codependency, and irresponsibility almost made it seem like their love story was a train wreck. I loved how Kristina Forest depicted the issues we rarely see in YA books like that. She knew how to write teenagers who were so deeply in love but still couldn’t help but to let their deep seated issues with love get in the way of their relationship. Even though I was so down for this story I felt like this book was way too long. This book was 480 pages and it started to drag at parts. I get it we’re being fake through the ups and down of an entire relationship but I still feel there was parts included that just unnecessary. Seeing both Zyla and Kai’s beliefs on love be challenged and changed for the better so they can experience the love story they both deserved from the beginning was just chef’s kiss. Kristina Forest proved to me once again how charming YA can be while also being thought provoking. So good!
February 2, 2023
At first, I was lowkey intimidated by how many pages this book had. I’m so glad I decided to read it. It was the most swoon worthy YA story. It was lowkey a YA mystery, cause as the reader, I was in the dark about what the heck was going on between Zyla & Kai. Kristina’s work kept me on my toes. Definitely recommend reading 🤍
July 2, 2023
this is one of the longer books i’ve read lately and i liked it because it told a very full story. although it’s a romance book, you get to know the full story behind both of the characters independent of each other & i loved that. very very cute love story. and the end 🥹🥹 too good
December 20, 2023
This was very cute but a little too long.
September 12, 2022
Zyla & Kai is not in the least bit what I expected. And not in the astounding it was everything I never knew I wanted way. It was actually kind of disappointing. The romance in this book is all the sweet, meet cute and cavity inducing fluff one would expected, which I absolutely loved.
I however didn't love the ending of this book. All Zyla & Kai's character development took place in the last 3 chapters of the book! Also I was a bit bereaved with the fact that this book is nothing at all like what the blurb describes it to be. It's told mostly through flashbacks which most people seemed to dislike. I didn't have a problem with the flashback, I actually quite enjoyed that portion of the story (which was like 75% of the whole story).
The whole reveal of the mystery of their disappearance at the end was quite lackluster. Like come on! After 480 pages of wondering what really happened this is all I get! Anyway it was still a pretty great story and I found myself charmed by Zyla and Kai's characters. As well as how Kristina represented Kai's depression.
3✩ - This book was average. Neither good nor bad. Certainly not the worst book I've read, but not the best either.
I however didn't love the ending of this book. All Zyla & Kai's character development took place in the last 3 chapters of the book! Also I was a bit bereaved with the fact that this book is nothing at all like what the blurb describes it to be. It's told mostly through flashbacks which most people seemed to dislike. I didn't have a problem with the flashback, I actually quite enjoyed that portion of the story (which was like 75% of the whole story).
The whole reveal of the mystery of their disappearance at the end was quite lackluster. Like come on! After 480 pages of wondering what really happened this is all I get! Anyway it was still a pretty great story and I found myself charmed by Zyla and Kai's characters. As well as how Kristina represented Kai's depression.
3✩ - This book was average. Neither good nor bad. Certainly not the worst book I've read, but not the best either.
January 21, 2023
⭐️3
To begin with, I took WAY too long to finish this book. I found it to be a chore. I would have been perfectly fine with 100 pages or so being cut from this book. A romance book, particularly a YA romance, should NEVER be 480 pages long. I’m sorry but no.
The book isn't awful by any means, but it doesn't compare to other YA romances that I have read and adored like 'Love Radio' by Ebony LaDelle or anything by Joya Goffney.
The dynamics between Beatrice and Jamal intrigued me more than Zyla and Kai at times, which I thought were dragged on by tropes like miscommunication, foolery, and assumptions, especially in the middle. The structure of the book also didn't appeal to me.
The ‘mystery’ surrounding Zyla and Kai's disappearance at the end was rather lacklustre and anticlimactic.
Despite all this, the romance in this book is filled with cute, light-hearted fluff, which I enjoyed for the most part, but that didn't make it any less of a 3 star read.
Overall, I'm not heartbroken that I didn't love this book. However, some part of me feels a tad irritated that I didn't DNF this book, because it honestly felt like a chore.
To begin with, I took WAY too long to finish this book. I found it to be a chore. I would have been perfectly fine with 100 pages or so being cut from this book. A romance book, particularly a YA romance, should NEVER be 480 pages long. I’m sorry but no.
The book isn't awful by any means, but it doesn't compare to other YA romances that I have read and adored like 'Love Radio' by Ebony LaDelle or anything by Joya Goffney.
The dynamics between Beatrice and Jamal intrigued me more than Zyla and Kai at times, which I thought were dragged on by tropes like miscommunication, foolery, and assumptions, especially in the middle. The structure of the book also didn't appeal to me.
The ‘mystery’ surrounding Zyla and Kai's disappearance at the end was rather lacklustre and anticlimactic.
Despite all this, the romance in this book is filled with cute, light-hearted fluff, which I enjoyed for the most part, but that didn't make it any less of a 3 star read.
Overall, I'm not heartbroken that I didn't love this book. However, some part of me feels a tad irritated that I didn't DNF this book, because it honestly felt like a chore.
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