Review
15-year-old Laila comes to Washington, DC with her mother and younger brother following the deposing and assassination of her father, an unnamed dictator of an unnamed Middle Eastern country. Moving from the grandeur of a luxurious palace to a cramped apartment with bare cupboards takes some adjustment, but Laila comes to adapt to life in an American high school while young Bastien dives headfirst into cartoons and toys. Life remains restless, however, with a CIA agent shadowing the family during clandestine meetings with people from her country - who may or may not be allies. Laila's mother carries her regal air and drinks as though disillusioned with this new life, but Laila suspects her mother is more enterprising than she lets on.
When I receive pre-approval for this title on NetGalley, I didn't expect The Tyrant's Daughter would be marketed as YA. It's a riveting story about a young woman, an Invisible Queen of another land who learns how others have viewed her life and people from afar. Laila is not shunned by her new peers but earns sympathy despite her heritage. I enjoyed the work right up to the ambiguous ending - we may not know Laila's definite future in a country where her younger brother may last in a puppet regime, but we sympathize with her desire to take control of her life.
When I receive pre-approval for this title on NetGalley, I didn't expect The Tyrant's Daughter would be marketed as YA. It's a riveting story about a young woman, an Invisible Queen of another land who learns how others have viewed her life and people from afar. Laila is not shunned by her new peers but earns sympathy despite her heritage. I enjoyed the work right up to the ambiguous ending - we may not know Laila's definite future in a country where her younger brother may last in a puppet regime, but we sympathize with her desire to take control of her life.
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