This story was so engaging - although there was a time I wanted to throw this book at the wall because of the injustice Layla was facing, a lot of the story was vibrant and fun and a story you would read to cheer you up when you’re not having the best day. I particularly enjoyed Layla's internal monologue; careening into disastrous interactions against her better judgement, watching it and critiquing it happening in almost real time, narrating her own disasters. This warm, humorous account of a larger-than-life Sudanese girl navigating a posh Australian school is an engaging read' Guardian Initially, Layla attends the Islamic School of Brisbane (ISB) where there are students from all over the world, includingIndia, Fiji, Nigeria, Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Algeria, Malaysia and South Africa. Most of the students are recent migrants so their families also start to spend time together and become friends, creatinga wonderfully diverse and welcoming community. Layla loves the school and her friends there, especially best friend Dina, but starts to want something more.

Apart from me feeling a but "meh" about the private school theme this book did make a good point about Sudanese needing to strive for wealth more because they have family in abject poverty they are trying to help. I've heard similar stuff from Afghani young people too. Nevertheless it erodes the public system more when authors keep portraying that the way to succeed is get a scholarship to a posh school. A minority of students get those scholarships anyway, the majority are like Dina. I loved the Arabic included within the text, seamlessly spoken as it would be within a family in Australia with English as a second language. Many phrases I knew because of my own growing Arabic, but mostly context covered it. Although I don't know what to do with the numbers in phonetic Arabic (I just found the glossary at the end, when I finished), even when I know the reasoning if it use. It was refreshing to have a book that added the bilingual way of many Aussie families. Is this censorship or cancelling individuals? No, it is called enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and it's obligatory to do this with wisdom, not hatred. This reads a bit more of older middle-grade than young adult, and I think the themes and issues explored in this book are more fitting of older MG. Unfortunately, there were two main problems with this for me. The first is that the writing is...it's awful. It's really awful. It feels like a draft rather than a finished book. It's unpolished, the conversations don't feel authentic, and there are so many pop culture references and slang words in it that it will feel out of date within two years. And honestly, that makes me incredibly sad because this had the potential to be a game changer.

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An advocate for the empowerment of women, youth and people of colour, Yassmin has been awarded numerous awards for her advocacy, including the 2018 Young Voltaire Award for Free Speech. Yassmin has travelled to over twenty countries speaking to governments, NGOs and multinational companies on a range of topics including unconscious bias, resilience and inclusive leadership. Her TED talk, 'What does my headscarf mean to you?', has been viewed over two million times and was chosen as one of TED's top ten ideas of 2015. Yassmin's critically acclaimed essays have been published in numerous anthologies, including the Griffith Review, the bestselling It's Not About the Burqa and New Daughters of Africa. Her words can also be found in publications like the Guardian, Teen Vogue, The New York Times, The Independent and Glamour. The book discusses migrant experience, discrimination and inequality in perfect way for readers who are just starting to read young adult fiction. Inspiring themes and messages are communicated throughout, and these are some of the elements I loved which made me so excited to talk about in this review. The family’s culture and beliefs are portrayed and the language, being Arabic, is also incorporated. I discovered and learnt a lot whilst reading, which I really enjoyed and found to be yet another impressive element in this story. The introduction of Layla’s family and friends was one of my favourite moments whilst reading. I adored meeting these characters and seeing their relationship dynamic, a strong sense of family and love is consistent throughout the text. This aspect also displays Layla’s characteristics beautifully, she is an optimist, with a strong sense of mind and passion and tries to always remain happy. Layla herself, I found as an inspiring character whose narration made me smile and motivated me to look on the bright side, no matter the situation. And whilst I anticipated the twists, I don't think Emily did. The book is pitched at kids, after all, though suspect there's something in there for everyone, particularly those who think about identity and conflict.

A community school, ISM doesn’t have a lot of funding for extra equipment and opportunities and when she meets private school student, Adam, in the park, she begins to realise that she may need to branch out. Adam attends Mary Maxmillion Grammar (MMG) a private and very exclusive school that has everything you could imagine, including a workshop with all kinds of equipment that Layla could use to bring her beloved inventions to life. Layla loves to make jewellery at home – the precision of threading beads and creating patterns appeals, but she would love the opportunity to make so much more. You Must Be Layla is a heart-warming story that will give young readers insight into the lives of migrants to Australia and the struggles with racism and identity that they grapple with. It also explores the pressure that students can be under from their parents to perform at school and how this can play out in very detrimental ways. Layla is a wonderfully warm and vibrant character who will stay with you long after you have finished reading her story. A perfect book to get young readers thinking more about issues in the playground and to the bigger world beyond it.Looking outside and in, Layla will need to come to terms with who she is and who she wants to be if she has any chance of succeeding. The pace of the story was just right — although the last chapter felt like an unnecessary sprint race, which I ended up forgiving. It is a perfect “get-me-out-of-my-slump” read. It's a lovely book, about a girl finding her place in an unfamiliar &intimidating context. Pitched at kids, maybe 10-12 ish. I had to keep reminding myself not to be irritated by the silly science (gummy bear actuator) as this is actually a teenage book not aimed at adults and not mainly seeking to be scientifically accurate. I wasn't fond of Layla being the "queen" of all the boys with no female friends at her new school. I don't see the point of that. I sort of got that this brashness was her new self, that she'd had to code switch around her new place in life. I loved that her mum was the main career woman and her dad was the cook and also the affection between family members. The plot twist with Ethan was welcome but a bit hurried, I guess it had to be. However, the story overall fell a little flat for me. The story itself (beyond Layla's journey and growth) wasn't quite compelling, the resolution felt off to me (I felt weird that [1] the resolution of the conflict fell on the onus of the white bully's forgiveness and [2] the best friend's gay character arc felt shoe-horned).

Layla wins a scholarship to an impressive high school. On her first day, wearing a long skirt and a headscarf, Layla certainly stands out. Some of her fellow students (and teachers) make assumptions. And Layla doesn’t always help herself: speaking before thinking through the consequences can get you into trouble, even if you don’t look different. Layla gets suspended. Whether the suspension is justified or not, Layla knows that she needs to work hard to change the school’s perceptions. Her scholarship is at stake. Layla learns about a big invention competition, and she figures if she wins the competition, people will take notice. Can she do it? The story follows Layla, a Muslim Sudanese-Australian kid (in Year 8!) who gets a scholarship to a prestigious school that is predominantly white - which is quite different to her old school where most of the kids were Muslim. Now, given the recent tragedy in New Zealand, there is no better time for children to read books like this one. A speedy read, filled with creative ideas, heart-warming character moments and the concept of knowing who you are. You Must Be Layla follows Layla a young Sudanese-Australian girl about to start a new, fancy private school and the challenges she faces and overcomes.

Oh boy. I had such high hopes for this book because I have nothing but respect for Yassmin Abdel-Magied. Also, the protagonist is in year 8, which is almost unheard of in YA and I was super excited to have a book coming out for the younger end of the YA audience. And there was a reasonable amount about this that I enjoyed - a teenage girl who's interested in STEM, the struggles of being a Sudanese Muslim at a private school that's very white, and the difficulties of being a 14 year old girl full stop. Let's now turn our attention to the other major focus of the book: Ethan. He is Layla's crush, and at the end of the book, he comes out to Layla as gay, and Layla feels 'happiness for her friend' and 'honour of being chosen to be confided in'. Throughout the novel, she has intimate thoughts about him and comforts and hugs him when he cries; they get very close physically. At one point, she even asks herself, 'Rahhhhh, I don't even know if this is halal. Ah well, he's my friend, and he's sad. Allah can forgive that!' but still continues. Magied portrays Ethan as sympathetic to Layla; he is not racist. He's a good guy. Non-Muslim liberals and feminists love the book, and it shows Muslim girls in a good light, so what's the big deal? Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese-born, Australian mechanical engineer, writer and social advocate. Yassmin's broadcasting portfolio is diverse: she presented the national TV show Australia Wide, a podcast on becoming an F1 driver and created Hijabistas, a series looking at the modest fashion scene in Australia. Yassmin is a regular contributor to the BBC, Al Jazeera, TRT and Monocle 24, and has co-hosted The Guilty Feminist. With her long skirt and headscarf Layla certainly stands out at her new high school. Everyone thinks they know her, just from a glance. But do they? And does Layla really know herself?

Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese Australian writer, recovering mechanical engineer and award-winning social advocate who writes and speaks on politics, society, culture and technology. She has published three books with Penguin Random House, including two middle grade novels ( You Must Be Layla and the award-winning Listen, Layla), which she is now adapting for screen. Yassmin is also developing a slate of projects for the stage and screen. If you want to invent something nobody has ever thought of before, you need to read the things that others don't read, look in the spaces other people are not in...' You Must Be Layla features a protagonist and story that are pivotal in today's Australian lit, but a few things fell short for me. Nonetheless, I think this is a good story for kids who want an accessible and approachable story about confidence, ambition, and prejudice. My 10 year old loved it; as a Brit with mixed heritage, she will (and probably has already started) to find friends who struggle to understand why she's different, just as she starts to grapple with the complexities of her own identity. Also, Lut's (as) wife was destroyed, not because she took part in homosexual acts but because she was their ally.

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Yassmin worked on oil and gas rigs around Australia for almost half a decade before becoming a full-time writer and broadcaster. She published her debut memoir, Yassmin’s Story, at age 24, then became the presenter of Australia Wide, a national weekly current-affairs show on the ABC and Motor Mouth, a podcast on becoming an F1 driver. After hosting the documentary, The Truth About Racism, she created Hijabistas for the ABC, a series looking at the modest fashion scene in Australia. Her writing has appeared in publications like T een Vogue, London’s Evening Standard, the Guardian and numerous anthologies. You Must Be Layla introduces Sudanese-born author, broadcaster, social advocate and mechanical engineer Yassmin Abdel-Magied as an exciting new voice in children's writing.