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The Tyrant's Daughter is a coming of age tale wrapped in political intrigue. As much as I tried to anticipate the next cunning ploy, the story shifted entangling me further into the web of international politics. At the end of the book, I wanted to know more of Laila's story. What would the next phase of her life be like? Would it resemble the past, a conservative version of her present, or something else entirely? Carleson perfectly matches the tension to the pace of the novel, gripping readers as the story unfolds. The short chapters will keep the most reluctant reader interested. I highly recommend The Tyrant's Daughter as a great addition to all high school and classroom libraries. ( )

The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson took my breath away.

The title had me thinking of some poor teen who had a very mean father. Child abuse. This reader was unprepared for the depth and intelligence of this story.

I was whisked away into the life of Laila; a fifteen year-old living in the U.S. Laila, her mother and brother are adjusting to a great upheaval which converted their style of opulent living on the other side of the world, into a cramped apartment on the outskirts of Washington D.C.

This book is highly recommended for Teen readers and above. Readers who enjoy learning about the world, and cultures of other people will be left with something to think about for a long time.

I am recommending this book for our YA Library collection, and look forward to reading the other books by J.C. Carleson.

The thing I did not like about this book was that it ended. I am a greedy reader and want more of good writing. The final pages are filled with citations, and references that many teen readers may not be interested in, but I found enlightening. For the teen who is looking for information on international affairs this is a gold mine.

**The author, "A former undercover CIA officer...now a full-time writer..." She spent over a decade as an officer involved in many clandestine operations. This lends strong credence to this fictional tale. ( )

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars!

*Disclaimer: I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are mine and 100% genuine.

So far in 2014, The Tyrant's Daughter is the book that has surprised me the most. When I saw it on Netgalley for review I was extremely close to passing on it due to the fact that I'm not a huge fan of contemporary/realistic novels. I'm glad I didn't though because The Tyrant's Daughter proved me wrong and completely exceeded all my expectations. I absolutely loved everything about it.

Laila is forced to flee her home in the Middle East after her father, the king, is murdered. As she moves to America with her younger brother and her mother, she struggles to assimilate to the alien society of America. However, her problems continue to haunt her as she uncovers truths about her family that makes her life even more complicated than it already is.

I'm not really sure what to say about The Tyrant's Daughter because I just adored it. At first I wasn't fully on board with Laila and her personality, but a couple of chapters into the novel I understood where she was coming from and found her to be a genuinely intriguing character. She definitely had immense character development throughout the novel as it touches on issues such as social conformity.

The plot of the novel was extremely fast paced and well written. I never quite knew what to expect from Laila's mother and what her motives were, so that definitely kept me on my toes. I liked how J.C Carleson incorporated a subtle romance in the characters as well, which just added to my liking of the book that much more. Carleson's writing style is beautiful too. She really draws emotion from the reader as she spins the tale of Laila's life in a heartfelt, honest way.

The only reason that I didn't give The Tyrant's Daughter five stars is because the ending was left to open ended for my liking. I wanted to know what happened to Laila and her family and Amir after everything and what her life would be like after moving back to the Middle East.

Overall, The Tyrant's Daughter is a must read for people of all ages with its lyrical prose that stays with the reader long after. Definitely one of my favorite books of 2014. ( )

After the sudden and unexpected death of her father, the military leader of a war-torn country in the middle east, Laia finds herself whisked away to the United States with her mother and younger brother. Deposed and exiled, her family must learn to cope with their new environment. Laila and her brother slowly begin to settle in, while their mother can't seem to let go to the past. But what will the developing situation their home country mean for them? Will they ever be able to go back?

The Tyrant's Daughter is surprisingly engaging and is a very well-written young adult novel. It is easy to read and I found myself pulled in by the suspense - for everything to how Laila's relationships developed to how the family will sort out their future. The characters and their interactions are all very real and create an easy depth to this fictional world that could very easily be true.


(eGalley provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.) ( )

Laila and her family are exiled to the United States after her father, the king, is assassinated. She must adjust to her new life and accept the terrible truth about her father’s regime. Author’s Note, Commentary, Resources.