Empress of the World

Rating:
Summary: Very, very good
Review: I don't know what I can say about this book except for I loved it. I saw it in the library and picked it up and just started reading and couldn't stop until the end. I cried more then once. It got me started on this genre of books and I'm so glad that I picked it up. Sarah Ryans definatley has to write more stories. She made the characters defined enough for me, well, at least Nic was.

Rating:
Summary: intriguing firsts
Review: I felt that this book wonderfully described the effects of first love on and between teenage girls. The author expertly wove the book into a tapestry of characters complementing eachother and widening the world of the story. The fear and intensity that comes with first love is clearly demonstrated between Battle and Nic making the story more real and emnjoyable. This is one of the best stories about first love I have ever read and I recommend it to everyone with a taste for a good story with a happy ending.

Rating:
Summary: Great, Beautiful and humorous
Review: I picked up this book at [a local store] thinking it looked alright, but really, it was so much more for me than just "an enjoyably read." The discription is almost magical in that it is stark, not wordy or "lacey" but simple, getting the point accross simply and elegantly. It doesn't shy away from anything; it's confronting and outspoken, something i like. something i noticed and appreciated were the small little details of the main character's thought process, for instamce, "I look at the carpet. It's dull gray with black diamonds. Probably they picked it because it wouldn't show the dirt. I wonder how many diamonds there are per square foot." This remark would seem desultory and entirely non-sequitorial, but actually, it demonstrates quite well what you you do when you're awkward: you hook on to the nearest most insignificant thing possible, and become apparently inerested. things like this in writing enforce a kinship with the book from the reader; if the author uses experiences that aren't strangely far from our own experience, then the reader can sympathize, understand, and get more enjoyment out of the book. Though the plot may seem sad or daunting sometimes, there is never a failing of comic releif; again stark, simple, and allowing the reader to empathize. this book is wonderful, addressing highly argued issues, (issues that need to be addressed and thought about!!) in a way that isn't boringly and passively diplomaitc, but not altogether with a "you are stupid, i am right" attitude either. this is one of those books that enables you to get more out of life. it is an understatement to say i reccomend it!

Rating:
Summary: the best book
Review: i read this because my girlfriend had it and said it was her favorite book. so i asked if i could borrow it, not expecting it to be REALLY good, i guess. but i was wrong! the story is about this group of teenagers who are sent to live like college students for a full summer. Nic (the narrator) starts to realize that she's falling for someone that she's been hanging out with. that someone just happens to be a girl! love and heartbreak is made even harder when it's your first time with either. . .

Rating:
Summary: kind of bad
Review: i read this book about a year ago so i can't remember all the details, but i remember it left me very disappointed. though it was written decently enough, with some amount of wit, (but that amount is pretty much standard i would say), i think some of the storyline just [was not good]. it was awfully cliched. things like, when the main character finds her girlfriend making out with some guy in an elevator, and then she says 'this is not what you think it is', or at least thats what i think she said though there's a good chance she didn't. but still. it wasn't interesting. it was awfully predictable and the only thing holding this up is that they're gay. if they were straight, i would go, wow. that just was stupid. all that happened was they took an overworked teenage love model and switched around the gender of one person.

Rating:
Summary: I tried...
Review: I really did. But I just couldn't like this book. The dialogue was very clunky and pretty surface - some of the time the flow was completely off and did not fit from one line to the other - kind of like if one asked what was for dinner and the answer was what the weather was like in Colorado on April 5, 1976. I found the relationships very superficial - here was this teenage - 'new' lesbian who is a self-proclaimed shy person, and when she gets her first real homosexual relationship, she proceeds to joke about it and doesn't bat an eye when even her so-called friends call her words that are cnsidered offensive to homosexuals. Nothing was really discussed about how Nic felt about her discovery and acting upson her sexuality - and nothing at ALL was revealed about Battle's feelings about her sexuality and how that would affect her family. Katrina asks her once about it, and Battle drops the subject - and it is never brought up again. Another example - a big deal is made about Nic's teacher needing to see her - they build up the situation by taking a walk. The big deal: the teacher says she is worried as Nic hasn't seemed like herself lately. Nic basically tells her that a relationship went bad. The teacher says not to make her schoolwork take the place of her personal life. And that is it. To me - this is not a realistic book at all. Much better and more realistic about the discovery and exploration of lesbianhood is Nancy Garden's Annie on my Mind.

Rating:
Summary: one of the best ive ever read
Review: i really enjoyed Empress of the World because of the realism and honesty that radiated from it. I have read it through at least three times, and from the first time through the story stayed with me long after i closed the book. i cant wait for Sara Ryan's next book to come out.

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing Read
Review: I really enjoyed Empress. Nic and Battle are talented and realistic teens. The few Teen books that deal with homosexuality or bisexuality are often dark and depressing. This book is delightful reading for everyone. The setting of the summer camp for gifted is interesting and humorous, with the usual romantic mix-ups and bad food. Ryan is a talented writer who obviously knows and likes teens.

Rating:
Summary: Great book!!
Review: I was quite impressed by this book. I loved how Sara Ryan made comments about other characters from different books. For Example; Weetzie Bat. I love the Weetzie Bat books, so I found that to be really entertaining. This book is a great story about love and friendship. It tells a great story about "Nic" and the different things she faces during the summer. I am looking forward to reading the sequal and I hope it is as good as the original! All in all the books was a tale of romance and the hardships that go along with it...

Rating:
Summary: Amazon.com Book Review: Empress of the World
Review: If you're looking for a fun, frothy book to read during vacation, Empress of the World by Sara Ryan is a perfect fit. While it is a very light and catchy book, the characters still take us through the joys and difficulties of finding a new self. It focuses on the characters' problems, while still managing to be very funny a lot of the time, so it doesn't suffocate the reader in the conflict throughout the whole book. The humor in Empress of the World reminded me of the hilarious Louise Rennison books, Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, etc. Although it seems not so well written at points, with some confusing metaphors and run-on sentences, and has some gaps where my interest was lost (which later was made up for), the book overall is still one to read or recommend to someone who may enjoy it.