Empress of the World

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: 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: 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: 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: I was hooked
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: 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: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Stunning
Review: One of the best YA books I've ever read. Everything rings true - from the description of the gifted youth program, to the friendships Nic forms, to feeling uncomfortable that she actually gets along with her parents, to her infatuation with and later relationship with Battle. Some moments stick out for me - Katrina's reaction to the Nic/Battle relationship (which was delightfully true-to-life, and I loved it - Katrina is one of my favourite characters in the book) and Nic thinking she sees Battle while she's on an archaeological field trip, only to discover it's not her. Definitely one to reread. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Summer or Anytime Novel
Review: This is a great book. It deals with emotions of young teens and has a great story line. I personally think this would be a great book from ages 13 and up.. Its very cute and interesting and i cant wait for more of Sara R.'s storys

Highly Recomended
-sacha orlando,florida
15

Rating:
Summary: Very good book.
Review: This is the first lesbian-orienated book I've read, and I found it extremly intresting. I bought the book on a Saturday afternoon and finished the following Sunday morning.

Nicola Lancaster is spending her summer at the Sigel Institute Summer Program for Gifted Youth. Nic's never really had friends, and she's certaining never had a relationship with a boy, so when she starts having feelings for Battle Hall Davis, a girl, she's confused. It's a sweet story about two girls falling in love, getting hurt, then falling in love again only to have to leave the school, and not know if they'll hear from the other again.