I am Layla Kareem Abdel-Hafiz Hussein, the greatest Sudanese Australian inventor the world has ever seen. And if they don't know my name yet, they soon will. Inshallah!
School's out for the summer! And Layla's going to spend it getting her inventions ready for the grand design competition. But when her grandmother falls ill and her family must rush to Sudan to be with her, Layla feels like she's being pulled in many different directions.
Family, friends, home, inventions - there's a lot to navigate. With big protests looming in Sudan, could Layla save the day with her revolutionary ideas?
The second book in Yassmin Abdel-Magied's Layla series carries on following the adventures of inventor Layla as she wins a competition but then faces the dilemma of family over the team against the backdrop of politics and events in her native Sudan as her world comes crashing down around her after family illness and resulting complications.
This was a great read - funny and with a fantastic set of characters (good and bad), and especially main lead, Layla - another brilliant female lead character breaking lots of stereotypical moulds.
Dealing sensitively but openly and honestly with some serious themes, it will undoubtedly provoke discussion but also raise awareness of issues around family, immigration, politics, family and friendships, and facing up to difficulties and making the right choices.
Find out more about this brilliant author/speaker at her website: yassminam.com or by following her on Twitter as @yassmin_a
Thanks to Blue at Kaleidoscopic (@KaleidoscopicBT) for having me on the blogtour for the book and to Puffin/Penguin for the copy to review. Find out more or buy a copy from: Listen, Layla (penguin.co.uk)
Review by Rich Simpson (@richreadalot) July 2021