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Empress of the World
Empress of the World
Author: Sara Ryan
Nicola Lancaster is spending the summer at the Siegel Institute Summer Program for Gifted Youth-a hothouse of smart, articulate, intense teenagers, living like college students for eight weeks. Nic's had theater friends and orchestra friends, but never just friend friends. And she's certainly never had a relationship. But on the very first day...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780670896882
ISBN-10: 0670896888
Publication Date: 8/27/2001
Pages: 213
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 4

3.8 stars, based on 4 ratings
Publisher: Viking Books
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Empress of the World on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Cute story, that shows that love (no matter what kind) will win out in the end.
reviewed Empress of the World on
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book. It was cute, heart-breaking, loveable, and well-written. Plus, the characters are all these really talented teens. It's great, it really is. Words do not do it justice.
lilliebette avatar reviewed Empress of the World on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Touching and sometimes brutal, this story tells a story of a teenager questioning her sexual identity. What I enjoyed about this book:

-Nic, the protagonist ,refuses to identify herself as any label which I enjoyed
-The relationships felt realistic for the age group identified, as well as the problems they faced
-Homophobia was present, but not overdone. Nic faces many types of homophobia, which I appreciated
-It doesn't end in a neat little package, which is a danger YA authors often face

Ryan's story has the ideal mix of teenage heartache, hope, and confusion that every 16 year old faces. The best way to describe this book, at the risk of sounding cheesy, is that it really warmed my heart.

Criticisms? I don't know the name of the sequel!
Read All 7 Book Reviews of "Empress of the World"

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reviewed Empress of the World on
good book very touching
reviewed Empress of the World on + 134 more book reviews
This was an enjoyable if quick read, with a predictable storyline and what I think of as typical teen summer camp romance plot. However, the genre of queer YA lit is sorely lacking in material so any addition to it is a positive. It's also a book I think I would have loved as a teen even though it didn't translate super well for me as an adult. The resolution wasn't clean-cut which was nice for its realism. This wasn't my favorite book but for teens and young adults I would easily recommend it.


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