The Tyrant's Daughter
by J. C. Carleson
The first time I have ever heard about this book was in an ad featured in Teen Ink, a monthly magazine composed of writings written by teenagers. At first glance, The Tyrant's Daughter gives a feeling of adventure, political intrigue, high school drama, and rebellion all in one go. But does it really meet up with it's first impression?
To summarize it, The Tyrant's Daughter focuses on fifteen year old Laila. She is the daughter of a European sovereign who contains absolute control over the country in which he rules. The novel begins just a little bit after her father's death. The novel takes place entirely in the United States where Laila lives with her mother and six year old brother. Throughout the book, Laila tries to adjust to a new environment while her mother tries to bargain to restore the family's power back in Europe. Laila, in the mean time, tries to learn what her mother's up to.
As for how the book was, I'd say it was surprising. Not because of what's actually it, of course, but rather because it actually wasn't boring. I'm not really a fan of novels centered around school life. To me they are so...dull. But, The Tyrant's Daughter actually has color to it. No, it was not good, but it was okay. Even though it wasn't necessarily to my tastes, I have to say that I would highly recommend this book. It is a unique twist to novels about teens and would be fun for those who like books such as Pretty Little Liars.
When writing The Tyrant's Daughter, Carleson's lack of background on Laila's country was his/her primary mistake. Laila's nation is nameless and lacks description in depth. Overall, I think the book was fine and recommend it.
