Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

Available in Swift Current Library?: Yes

General Topics: Sexuality, relationships, friendship, love

Rating out of five: 4 1/2 out of 5

Summary: Teenage girl, Nicola (aka Nic) is a gifted student who has been sent to a gifted school to decide her future in archeology. There she meets all sorts of friends. There is Kevin, the gifted composer who is a little withdrawn. There is Issac, who is just to perfect for his own good. There is easily excitable Katrina, her favorite computer geek. And then there is Battle. Daughter of an over-eccentric preacher and named after Battle hall, this odd gifted teen is the best friend Nic has always wanted. But will the line between friendship and love be crossed, and will either of them be able to deal with their own confusion?

Good Points:

-Realistic emotions

-Interesting diverse characters

-Not extremely long, a fairly quick read

-Really interesting format

Bad Points:

-Unrealistic surroundings and reactions (everyone else was to understanding....)

Overall Review: Wow! This was a wonderful book! I highly recommend it to anyone! I think it tackled a controversial topic with grace, and the characters are lovable and unforgettable. It made me cry at least once, and it made me laugh a lot too. Nic's confusion and inability to confront her own feelings could be clearly understood by anyone due to the wonderful description. It showed how she felt towards both guys and girls and how she didn't understand how she could care for both. Throughout the book, there are small journal entries (called field notes) that more deeply reveal Nic's feelings.

The only thing I dislike is that the other characters do not seem fazed by this drastic news. None of her friends are even remotely shocked, let alone disapproving. Members of the general public, (other then two obnoxious boys) don't even give them much of a second glance. I find that slightly odd, because most friendships, especially new ones, do not survive that sort of catastrophic news. Also, our society, though getting better, still does not really approve of homosexual relationships. I would think there would be more then two opposing, obnoxious boys. Great book though.

Visit the autor's website at: http://sararyan.com/