Meg Elison really shows that she has range with the release of Find Layla. This YA contemporary is hard-hitting and impressive. It is raw and heartbreaking, incredibly impactful, and gripping.

The writing blew me away. It's SO well done. The teenage perspective is very well handled and it truly feels like Layla leading the story rather than an adult writer. I sunk right into the pages and it felt like reading a diary. The detail to the senses is both impressive and assaulting. The detail to the squalor of Layla's living conditions was amazing, but so horribly evocative. I got seriously nauseated just imagining it.

Layla is a very well constructed character. She felt real. She is a strong, yet very sympathetic character. She is incredibly resilient and does not give up, despite the ridiculous obstacles she face.

The depictions of Layla's mother were interesting. The story is told by Layla, so the only views we have of the mother are what Layla sees, understands, and wishes to share. This limited narration is super powerful in its own way, drawing the reader even more completely into Layla's frame of view.

Find Layla is a short, but amazing novel. It is a great read for the upper middle grade and YA reading set, exploring the effects of bullying and the ways that circumstances and challenges are often hidden and/or misunderstood by those outside the situation. The book also is terribly relevant for adults, exploring the failures of CPS systems and the ability to allow all children to have a quality of life and a chance to succeed.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *