I was interested to read this one for it's insight into Sri Lankan cultures. And right away we get into class divide and ideas of perception and wealth, which can be quite compelling. But I found Kavi to be a difficult protagonist. and her poor decision making drove me away.

*Disclaimer: This copy was provided to me by NetGalley for reading and reviewing, which has not influenced my honest opinion.*

Thushanthi Ponweera's debut novel "I Am Kavi" immerses us in the life of a ten-year-old girl in war-torn Sri Lanka during the 1990s. The story, told in verse form, follows Kavi, who earns a scholarship that gives her the opportunity to leave her remote village and attend a better school in Colombo, the capital city.

What particularly touched me is the authentic voice of the protagonist. Kavi finds herself caught not only between two different places – her rural village and the bustling city – but also between identities. To be accepted in her new environment, she begins to deny her origins and fabricates a life that would impress her wealthy classmates. "Ever since I lied..." writes Ponweera in an especially poignant passage where Kavi reflects on her transformation.

The worldbuilding is remarkable. Ponweera gives us deep insight into wartime Sri Lanka without overwhelming the story with too many details. The small cultural rituals especially – like gathering jasmine flowers in the morning or the way Kavi and her mother drink tea together: "A sip from the cup, a lick from the palm" – give the novel a rich texture.

The character development is multi-layered and nuanced. Initially, Kavi is filled with anger toward her mother and stepfather, but throughout the story, she learns to understand other perspectives. The line "Maybe he was just a tired man sleeping in" beautifully shows how Kavi begins to see her stepfather in a different light.

I found it particularly impressive how the novel portrays morally complex situations without moralizing. Kavi's decision to lie and later to cheat isn't simply condemned but made understandable in the context of her desperation to belong.

If I had to offer one criticism, it might be that some plot turns toward the end are resolved a bit too quickly. Nevertheless, Kavi's journey emotionally moved me deeply and made me reflect on identity, belonging, and the question of what "normal" means.

"I Am Kavi" is a wonderful novel that leaves a lasting impression. It reminds us that we all, like Kavi, sometimes navigate between different versions of ourselves until we finally understand who we truly are.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed how this book flowed in a poetic way. Also, I really like the thes the author conveys, such as being honest with yourself and others and giving second chances.

* Thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own *

3.5 stars

I found this story very interesting, I like reading war stories from the perspective of children, and I liked that the focus of this book is different, I liked how the author worked on the differences of worlds here and how she makes clear the consequences of our attitudes, it is a book that I highly recommend especially for pre-teens, I feel that they would learn a lot from our protagonist.

Thank you to Netgalley and Holiday House for an arc in exchange for an hnest review.

I dont know what took me so long to read this book but I absolutely loved it and I binged it in a day!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. I did not expect to learn about aspects of history but this book created intrigue for me to learn more about Sri Lanka and its decades long civil war. Through this narrative, Kavi moves through changing relationships such as her recently remarried and newly pregnant mother as well as new, richer friends at the school she qualified for. This is a simple but impactful narrative that I highly recommend.

I read this in 2023 and enjoyed it.

Congratulations to the author and thanks to the publisher for the copy!

A couple of things about this book should not have worked: Novels-in-verse are not my favourite, and the story revolves around a young girl's wish to assimilate with her classmates. The latter is something I usually avoid in order to not get flashbacks to the unhappier times in school when I may or may not have made a fool of myself trying to stick with girls I befriended and was too afraid (or lazy) to move on from.
This is a short book that provides a stark look at war-torn Sri Lanka and how an average citizen would be looking at it. Our protagonist has harder things (for her) to be bothered with. Her mother has grown distant, both physically and mentally, and she craves the relationship they once had. She resents what she sees as an intrusion of the new man in her mother's life. With this resentment-filled mind, she moves in with her aunt, who is a maid at a rich person's house in the city.
Determined not to be outed as a villager, she decides to fib a little; this little fib turns bigger as she struggles to hold on to them till she learns a few lessons. The tensions in the country and the impact they have on both sides of the conflict are stark and make their way into this plot even when Kavi is more concerned about other things.
It was a touching story, and the author's note at the end clarifies how she tried not to take sides when talking about the conflict.
Finally, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book about a country, culture, or conflict they might not have heard of before in an innocuous format with a large impact.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I thought that this was a beautifully rich and well crafted novel in verse with memorable characters and a beautifully poignant narrative. So excited to read what Thushanthi writes next!

Kavi lives in war torn Sri Lanka. The only to advance her life is by getting a good education and going to a city school as a scholarship student. To make matters worse, her mother has quickly remarried after Kavi's father's death and Kavi feels unwanted and unloved. Like in the big city of Columbo is not exactly what she expected. Kavi is allowed to love with her aunt, who is a housekeeper to a wealthy family. She doesn't fit in - not at home (where there's going to be a new baby), not at her aunt's, and not at school. Kavi has to find her place in the world in order to find her happiness.

Stunning historical fiction novel-in-verse about a young girl growing up in the 90s in Sri Lanka. Beautiful lines and incredible character growth are two reasons I loved this novel.

Can't believe it took me this long to start the book! Once I started it only took me less than half a day to finish it too! I enjoyed reading this quite a bit, Kavi is interesting to follow and I love how complicated and /real/ her emotions felt. She may come across as unlikeable to some people but unlikeable does not necessarily equal to unrootable in my book. And Kavi is easy to root for, imo


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free digital copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

An absolute gem of a book. I am a Sri Lankan and it brings me great pride to have been able to read and review this book. Absolutely loved the story telling and writing style of this book. Thushanthi was able to bring out the emotions so well in the book. Its a middle grade novel but i do recommend older readers to read this as well.

Excellent book with compelling characters and a thought-provoking plot. I enjoyed the thread about who has the privelege of ignorning wars and violence and who does not and how our geography or economic status impacts our access there.

I really enjoyed this middle grade novel in verse, though it was so heartbreaking! I wasn't very familiar with the historical and cultural context of this book and it was very eye-opening. The verse was beautifully written and suitable for the target audience. Kavi was a relatable character and I think many middle grade readers will root for her.

"I Am Kavi" is perfect for fans of Reem Faruqi or Rajani LaRocca. I will definitely be recommending this at my library!

This was breathtakingly beautiful. I loved it so so much. I loved you so much. I can’t wait to read more.

Beautifully written, I Am Kavi is a story of resilience, childhood and life set in the backdrop of the Sri Lankan Civil War.

I Am Kavi by Thushanthi Ponweera is a powerful novel in verse set in Sri Lanka during the Civil War.

Kavi lives in a village in Sri Lanka. Anger fills her as her mother remarries after her Thathha, a war veteran who lost his leg, passed away. A brilliant student, she gets a scholarship to a prominent school in Colombo.

The city life bedazzles Kavi, awestruck with her hosts' spacious rooms and material possessions. Kavi only had a cloth partition in their village home. Determined to do well, Kavi buries her nose in her books until she befriends some popular, affluent girls in her class. Things go awry as she tries to fit in and loses herself.

I Am Kavi explores class, friendship, self-love, belonging and family relationships in the backdrop of an ongoing civil war. She tries to understand the Sinhalese-Tamil dichotomy as a 10 year old who experiences the impacts of war at varying degrees.

This is a tender read for kids, relatable in many ways despite the lingering presence of war and death. A heartfelt novel that will undoubtedly resonate with children and adults alike. It highlights a bloody and tragic part of history that many are unaware of.

Thank you @netgalley @holidayhousebks for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I Am Kavi is a powerfully written novel in verse story about a girl living during the Sri Lankan civil war. I loved being immersed in the village and the city of Colombo. This was a wonderful and heart wrenching story about what a normal life of a poor village girl would have been like while living through a civil war. Kavi is an easily relatable character and her words in verse quickly endear her to you. The normalcy of the concerns about school and friends while living in Sri Lanka during the civil war are interwoven with themes that every kid can appreciate. I thought this story was so interesting and informative and if you are wanting to know a tiny bit about the war and to be transported to another wonderful culture than run to grab this book! It was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! Thank you so much to the author and the publisher for letting me read an early copy!

A beautiful novel in verse set during the Sri Lankan Civil War, 1998. A debut novel full of courage and a powerful heroine. Kavi is on scholarship to an elite school and fears her secret will be found out, where she's a poor girl whose mother chose a new husband over her.