Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna

Kiki Kallira has been raised by a loving Indian-American mother and father.  She used to be a bright, sunny girl, but in recent years she has struggled with anxiety. Constant, sometimes irrational fears highjack her brain, and are starting to make living a normal 13-year-old's life difficult. Her one refuge is drawing.  She loves to draw pictures that combine the ancient stories of her culture with her modern life.  Little does she know that one day someone from her sketchbook would appear in her room and lead her into the world she created with her art. It is a world of wonders, and terrors. The most terrifying thing might just be what Kiki begins to see within herself.

It was interesting to compare this book with the Snake Falls to Earth book.  Both talk about a child engaging with the mythology of their culture, while struggling with personal challenges. This one was way more entertaining to me.  The narrative takes the reader right into first ,the drama of Kiki's life, and then, fairly quickly, into the world of Hindi legend. The book is exciting and often humorous, but also deals with the real problem of anxiety in children. Some might say that this book is merely pop fiction while Snake Falls to Earth is real literature. I don't see it.  What I see is that one editor knew how to make a fast-paced story with an important message, and the other editor could see the potential in a story, but didn't quite know how to make it really engaging. (2021, 352 p)

P.S. Although I liked the story, I was not entirely thrilled with the reader. The voices the readers did for the different children were often annoying.  They were high and really nasal.  It actually sounded, at times, like she was holding her nose to create some of the character's voices.