Hello everyone! In this blog post, I will be reviewing the book, You Must Be Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied.
General Information
You Must Be Layla has around 277 pages.
Genres/Themes - Real Life, Self-Identity, Self-Perception, Robotics/Engineering.
Age Recommendation - 12+
Synopsis
Layla Hussein is a young Sudanese girl who has a dream on becoming a "full-on adventurer, travelling the world world, exploring new horizons, bejewelling wherever she went" (page 6). To achieve this goal, she needs to work hard to earn a scholarship for a private school, Mary Maxmillion Grammar. Layla's hard work had paid off. On her first day of attending her new school, Layla stands out from the crowd with her headscarf and long skirt. However, things do not go Layla's way. Lots of drama happens and it turns out (SPOILER ALERT) that Layla gets suspended on her very first day! To earn her scholarship back, Layla must prove that she is capable and well-deserving. By entering The Grand Designs Tourismo will Layla prove that she deserves her scholarship back?
My Review
The characters in the story are in Year 8 but when I started reading, by the characters' actions, they seemed quite childish and a lot younger. Some of the events happened quite quickly and the writing felt rushed. For example, the scholarship test; in two pages it started with Layla's friend Dina giving her advice and support and then the next page all of a sudden Layla opened the envelope and had qualified. In my opinion, some of the events should have been stretched out more. Also, being suspended on the first day of school!? That should have been over at least the first week to make the story a bit more interesting. Moving on to the positives, I really liked the character development of Layla, she had a friendly personality and was not afraid of being herself. By the conclusion of the book, she had matured more and finally accepted herself and her identity. The racism and bullying aspects made me feel more sympathetic as it shows how easily racism and bullying can affect people, but when Layla and Peter (bully) work together at the end, it shows there is no need to fear. The story line was original and I liked how Layla found a passion for engineering. The book will help inspire other tweens and teens to truly be themselves. Overall, the story was lovely and enjoyable to read. I also liked the determination of Layla; once she had an idea, she focused on it. There was some foreshadowing too (yay!)
"You Must Be Layla is book that inspires young teens to accept themselves as individuals and not be afraid to be who you are! With a determined protagonist You Must Be Layla is an enjoyable read!" Book Reviews By Sophie McC
Overall Rating
Overall, I rate You Must Be Layla ★★★★☆
Thank you for reading my book review and I hope it helped you!
Sophie x
♥♥♥
Follow my Instagram for updates and more!
@bookreviewsbysophiemcc
Email: bookreviewsbysophiemcc@gmail.com
For more information about the author click the links below:
https://www.penguin.com.au/authors/yassmin-abdel-magied
http://www.yassminam.com/#home-section
Photos accessed from Penguin.
General Information
You Must Be Layla has around 277 pages.
Genres/Themes - Real Life, Self-Identity, Self-Perception, Robotics/Engineering.
Age Recommendation - 12+
 |
| You Must Be Layla Book |
Layla Hussein is a young Sudanese girl who has a dream on becoming a "full-on adventurer, travelling the world world, exploring new horizons, bejewelling wherever she went" (page 6). To achieve this goal, she needs to work hard to earn a scholarship for a private school, Mary Maxmillion Grammar. Layla's hard work had paid off. On her first day of attending her new school, Layla stands out from the crowd with her headscarf and long skirt. However, things do not go Layla's way. Lots of drama happens and it turns out (SPOILER ALERT) that Layla gets suspended on her very first day! To earn her scholarship back, Layla must prove that she is capable and well-deserving. By entering The Grand Designs Tourismo will Layla prove that she deserves her scholarship back?
My Review
 |
| Yassmin Abdel-Magied |
"You Must Be Layla is book that inspires young teens to accept themselves as individuals and not be afraid to be who you are! With a determined protagonist You Must Be Layla is an enjoyable read!" Book Reviews By Sophie McC
Overall Rating
Overall, I rate You Must Be Layla ★★★★☆
Thank you for reading my book review and I hope it helped you!
Sophie x
♥♥♥
Follow my Instagram for updates and more!
@bookreviewsbysophiemcc
Email: bookreviewsbysophiemcc@gmail.com
For more information about the author click the links below:
https://www.penguin.com.au/authors/yassmin-abdel-magied
http://www.yassminam.com/#home-section
Photos accessed from Penguin.
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