Rating: 
Summary: the best book ever...
Review: "Empress of the World" is most certainly the best book I have ever read. I cannot describe it adequately in words. If I could give it more than 5 stars I certainly would without hesitation!
Rating: 
Summary: Sara Ryan should write sitcoms!
Review: ...and I mean that in a good way. This is a perfect summer read: the characters (albeit a little under-developed) are nonetheless memorable, the dialogue is snappy and often hilarious, and the book is generally an extremely realistic portrait of how teenagers act.I always feel a little ashamed when I read a book about a gay teen and I find it's a whole lot better than mine. Ryan managed to resist the temptation of turning this story into an overdramatic sobfest centering entirely around the main character's sexuality, and created a funny teen romance - that just happens to involve two girls. There are only a couple of things I could find to complain about. For one, sometimes you think you're reading foreshadowing, and the build-up fizzles into nothing. For instance, Nic confides in her teacher (who obviously doesn't approve of her students' homophobia and who seems to understand where Nic is coming from). The conversation ends up being an isolated incident, and isn't followed up by any more information about that teacher. I certainly would have liked to know more about her! Oh well. All in all, this is a very cute read. ^_^
Rating:
Summary: Yeah, They're Lesbians.
Review: ...Not many writers could write a first novel this beautiful and touching. The characters are all totally believable wonderfully three-dimensional, from manic, computer obsessed, nicotene addict Katrina to genius composer Kevin to San Francisco Jew Isaac they all have theirstengths and weaknesses and many-faceted personalities. And it's about two girls... who FALL IN LOVE. With each other. And Sara Ryan manages to tread on this dificult territory without making the book sound dumb or preachy, something very difficult to pull off.
Rating:
Summary: better than the usual
Review: Although Ryan's characters were not very developed (especially Battle, one of biggies), the story was effective. I really related to it, even though I am 8 years older than the narrator. I appreciated that this wasn't an attempt to write about gay sex, like so many GLBT coming-out fictions seem to be. Ryan gave enough information that anyone could fill in the blanks to their own satisfaction, without having to feel like they were reading a romance novel. The language was a bit simplistic, but it's in fitting with the narrator's age, and not distracting at all. The pacing was good, imagery ok, and by the last page, I was sorry it was over. That's a good sign.
Rating:
Summary: Author makes characters believable
Review: An endearing look about a young lesbian (she is still coming to terms with her sexuality), and her friends at a gifted youth program. It is a coming of age story, and the main character, Nicola, writes journals about her friends, and her feelings. I enjoyed the book, and I felt that the author did a terrific job in identifying with the age group.
Rating:
Summary: the Annie On My Mind for my generation
Review: awesome book. all the reviews that say the dialogue is fake and the characters aren't interesting obviously don't know what "gifted" teenagers of the late 90s are like. as someone who would probably be friends with Nic, Battle, and the rest if they were real and I knew them, I can say that Sara Ryan has done an absolutely realistic portrayal of the type of kids you might find at a college summer program. I did originally find the dialogue somewhat contrived, but then I realized it was just because I simply wasn't used to reading dialogue in books that sounded the way my friends and I talk.
Rating:
Summary: Empress of the World by Sara Ryan
Review: Empress of the World by Sara Ryan is a great book. I love all the charactors. This book almost made me cry. It is a great first novel by Sara Ryan and I hope that she continues to write. I would reccomened this book to anyone who likes a good love story.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely story, well written, worth reading
Review: Empress of the World is more than a story about two girls discovering their sexuality, it is about the force of teen friendships, the struggles teens face (and overcome), as well as the pressures teens endure from each other and their parents. The romance between Nic and Battle is the focus of the story, but not for the sake of shock value. Their falling in love is as lovely, innocent, and believable as any boy-girl story. The other characters, Katrina, Issac, Kevin and Anne are all finding themselves as well, one summer at a camp for gifted children.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written
Review: I bought this book because it was written by a friend, but I'm reviewing it because it is a genuinely good book. The story is told by Nicola (Nic), a student at an academic summer institute for "gifted" high schoolers. It follows her and a group of friends through the summer as they meet, go to class, deal with their families, fall in love, confuse and hurt each other, and find balance in their friendships. It is a story about two girls who fall in love, but this is not only a story for gay and lesbian readers. The story has more to do with the confusing joy and awkward communication of new love than the gender of the participants. The story is well-paced and emotionally involving. The dialogue captures the feel of modern teen speech without becoming bogged down in trendy slang. Nic is focused on her own story and her own problems, which means that the other characters are mostly not fleshed-out as fully as they might be, but her self-focus contributes to the plot. As happens in real life, the narrator's attention to her own troubles means that she doesn't always notice what's going on with others. This leads to the usual problems of misunderstandings and poor communication familiar to readers of romance as well as anyone who's been a teenager. If I hadn't been interupted by a visitor I would have read this book in one long sitting. Although it's deeply involving, this still makes for light summer reading. The plot is much like that of many teen summer romance novels, but the reader is spared from the hokey writing that plagues many young adult romances. The genuine emotion and beautiful telling set this book apart.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written
Review: I bought this book because it was written by a friend, but I'm reviewing it because it is a genuinely good book. The story is told by Nicola (Nic), a student at an academic summer institute for "gifted" high schoolers. It follows her and a group of friends through the summer as they meet, go to class, deal with their families, fall in love, confuse and hurt each other, and find balance in their friendships. It is a story about two girls who fall in love, but this is not only a story for gay and lesbian readers. The story has more to do with the confusing joy and awkward communication of new love than the gender of the participants. The story is well-paced and emotionally involving. The dialogue captures the feel of modern teen speech without becoming bogged down in trendy slang. Nic is focused on her own story and her own problems, which means that the other characters are mostly not fleshed-out as fully as they might be, but her self-focus contributes to the plot. As happens in real life, the narrator's attention to her own troubles means that she doesn't always notice what's going on with others. This leads to the usual problems of misunderstandings and poor communication familiar to readers of romance as well as anyone who's been a teenager. If I hadn't been interupted by a visitor I would have read this book in one long sitting. Although it's deeply involving, this still makes for light summer reading. The plot is much like that of many teen summer romance novels, but the reader is spared from the hokey writing that plagues many young adult romances. The genuine emotion and beautiful telling set this book apart.
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