Zyla & Kai
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4.4 • 7 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
A fresh love story about the will they, won't they—and why can't they—of first love.
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 dater 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's 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Black 17-year-olds and southern New Jerseyans Zyla Matthews and Kai Jones are polar opposites. Zyla, who doesn't date to avoid repeating her now-divorced parents' mistakes, is singularly focused on her dream of studying fashion abroad; hopeless romantic Kai plans on attending Morehouse College while steering clear of his capricious ex-girlfriend. After getting paired up at their amusement park jobs, Zyla initially rejects Kai's advances—and though Kai himself is forbidden to date until graduation after an incident with his ex, the teens easily shift from friends to lovers, embarking on a whirlwind romance before mysteriously breaking up a few months later. Their classmates and families are soon shocked to learn that, while on their senior trip to the Poconos, the two have supposedly run away together. Using alternating past and present narratives, Forest (Now That I've Found You) artfully blends Zyla and Kai's story of star-crossed lovers with the slowly unfurling mystery of their departure. 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. Ages 12–up.
Customer Reviews
I Just Wanted the Story Line to Catch up!!
I love how Kristina started this book and then broke up the story line. I just wanted to keep reading and find out what truly happened with Zyla and Kai. It was definitely a great read!! It’s like Pringles, once you pop, the fun don’t stop. It is going to be hard to put this book down!
lovely
I truly loved this book. After I read it I cried because of how beautiful it was. The ups and downs of high school relationships (considering i’m in high school) makes me want a Kai for myself! Idk, it’s just sum special about this book. It’s just so..realistic? rumors, bad exes, ERRTHANG about this book is amazing.