A review by jnlletrry
Empress of the World by Sara Ryan
2.0
More of 1.5 rating. *Spoileryish*
I had been wanting to read this book for some time now. None of the local libraries had it, so I was happy when I found it online. I jumped right into it, and as I kept reading, I got this odd feeling that I was missing pages because there were things about this book I felt like didn't fit together.
Battle and Nic's relationship for one. It didn't seem like they had any romantic connection at all. It seemed more like an intense friendship with some kissing. And then the whole "I love you" thing after a few weeks. I mean, that's teenagers in reality, but there was nothing that led me to believe they actually loved each other besides hurt feelings.
I was confused about the setting/time period. The kids had computers, but none of them seemed to have cell phones or cameras. The only mention of the Internet - with a capital I - was towards the end of the book. Couldn't tell anything by their dress or the way the characters talked. On that note, the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic. I've never read a book or participated in a conversation where characters/people talk this way. And I felt like there was an over-usage of the word "dyke". It felt almost offensive every time I read it. Granted, "dyke" tends to be used as an insult to lesbians, but for it be to thrown around in conversation like it's everyday terminology felt wrong.
Lastly, there was very little character development for any of the characters. Nic learned to not over-analyze things/want an answer for everything, and Battle as able to be a bit more open, but we weren't taken through their journey. THAT was the disappointing part. It was like the book gave us these characters, some pages in between, and then at the end said, "Oh, look! They're different people!"
I don't know. I feel like I've been overly judgmental of books lately. Maybe I'm judging this book to harshly, but I'm glad I didn't waste more than a day on it.
I had been wanting to read this book for some time now. None of the local libraries had it, so I was happy when I found it online. I jumped right into it, and as I kept reading, I got this odd feeling that I was missing pages because there were things about this book I felt like didn't fit together.
Battle and Nic's relationship for one. It didn't seem like they had any romantic connection at all. It seemed more like an intense friendship with some kissing. And then the whole "I love you" thing after a few weeks. I mean, that's teenagers in reality, but there was nothing that led me to believe they actually loved each other besides hurt feelings.
I was confused about the setting/time period. The kids had computers, but none of them seemed to have cell phones or cameras. The only mention of the Internet - with a capital I - was towards the end of the book. Couldn't tell anything by their dress or the way the characters talked. On that note, the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic. I've never read a book or participated in a conversation where characters/people talk this way. And I felt like there was an over-usage of the word "dyke". It felt almost offensive every time I read it. Granted, "dyke" tends to be used as an insult to lesbians, but for it be to thrown around in conversation like it's everyday terminology felt wrong.
Lastly, there was very little character development for any of the characters. Nic learned to not over-analyze things/want an answer for everything, and Battle as able to be a bit more open, but we weren't taken through their journey. THAT was the disappointing part. It was like the book gave us these characters, some pages in between, and then at the end said, "Oh, look! They're different people!"
I don't know. I feel like I've been overly judgmental of books lately. Maybe I'm judging this book to harshly, but I'm glad I didn't waste more than a day on it.