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The Lebs
- Narrated by: Hazem Shammas
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
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The Lebs
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Publisher's Summary
Winner of the Premiers Literary Awards Multicultural NSW Award 2019
Longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2019
'Bani Adam thinks he's better than us!' they say over and over until finally I shout back, 'Shut up, I have something to say!'
They all go quiet and wait for me to explain myself, redeem myself, pull my shirt out, rejoin the pack. I hold their anticipation for three seconds, and then, while they're all ablaze, I say out loud, 'I do think I'm better.'
As far as Bani Adam is concerned Punchbowl Boys is the arse end of the earth. Though he's a Leb and they control the school, Bani feels at odds with the other students, who just don't seem to care. He is a romantic in a sea of hypermasculinity.
Bani must come to terms with his place in this hostile, hopeless world, while dreaming of so much more.
Critic Reviews
"An open-eyed and highly charismatic novel broiling with fight, tenderness and ambition." (Big Issue)
What listeners say about The Lebs
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hayley
- 28-12-2021
What a journey
Whoa.
As a white, middle class Aussie women, this book took me on a journey of discovery that I’m not sure I ever wanted to take, but now am really glad I did. Whoa. My head is still spinning.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 28-07-2022
Brace yourself
Shocking, tragic, hilarious, familiar, endearing, heart wrenching, disgraceful, all at once in a swirl of frustration, anger, helplessness, confusion, brainwashed self righteousness and finally... some hope...
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-06-2024
Honest hard hitting and evocative.
Wonderful capture of the narrator's experiences, ovservations (unfiltered) and personal insights. He paints the environment, vernacular and cultural discord in bright, bold and sometimes shocking language. It is as confronting as it is beautiful. I loved it. And appreciated it. Thank you
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 26-12-2021
Authentic (coming of age??) story
Wow - The Lebs was hard to listen to at first & I didn’t think I could do it until I realised it was about teenaged boys & all their bravado & BS. Really worth listening to & getting into the minds of these young guys. Great story!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 21-11-2021
unfamiliar yet relatable
beautifully written, authentic cultural perspective with insights into a life different from my own.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mark Hampstead
- 01-01-2020
raw and real
A great look at life for arab Australians and the barriers that they and non-arab Australians are presented with, build or reinforce. Heaps of swearing and sexual references, but contextually appropriate and we'll performed. looking forward to the next book Ahmad writes
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 07-06-2021
Brilliant, authentic, analytic
The Lebs by Doctor Michael Mohammed Ahmad.
This novel took me back to my high school years, as I too attended high school in the late 90s early 2000s, and went to a high school in Western Sydney. The characters, dialogue and world was authentic to the time and place of the novel. It also makes valid arguments about bad behaviour by young marginalised communities in Western Sydney and who’s to blame? The media, government, the failed education system? Additionally, Ahmad subtly tells you through fictional anthropology, that if you were placed in these circumstances this could be you too. He also brilliantly juxtaposes Punchbowl High School with Bankstown Arts Centre in which “bad behaviour” is seen differently depending on who is observing and who is participating in the bad behaviour. He also has so many references to literature, and he uses each and every reference exceptionally. There is so much more to say but I haven’t the time. Definitely, a must read.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 16-02-2022
Waiting
Any Australian who has attended a multicultural school will be able to identify with the characters. As the narrator was speaking I was back in the classroom listening to the boys tell the Aussie girls that they would screw as many of us as they could before settling down with a nice ethnic girl. Although the scene that was set had a promising story line it failed to go anywhere. I was waiting for something to happen and it didn't.
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