The Tyrant's Daughter

by J.C. Carleson

ISBN: 9780449809976
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers               
Publication Date: February 11th 2014
Number of Pages: 304
Source: ebook (ARC from publisher)
Goodreads Summary: When her father is killed in a coup, 15-year-old Laila flees from the war-torn middle east to a life of exile and anonymity in the U.S. Gradually she adjusts to a new school, new friends, and a new culture, but while Laila sees opportunity in her new life, her mother is focused on the past. She’s conspiring with CIA operatives and rebel factions to regain the throne their family lost. Laila can’t bear to stand still as an international crisis takes shape around her, but how can one girl stop a conflict that spans generations?

J.C. Carleson delivers a fascinating account of a girl—and a country—on the brink, and a rare glimpse at the personal side of international politics.

*Bonus Backmatter includes a note about the author's CIA past, and a commentary by RAND researcher and president of ARCH International, Dr. Cheryl Benard. Recommendations for further reading are also included. 

My Rating:  

I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The main character of our story is a teenager girl named Laila who comes to America with her mother and younger brother (Bastien) after her father is assassinated in her home country, which is unnamed but we are told/it is implied that it is in the Middle East. Obviously, there is culture shock. Add on to this, she was royalty and is used to a higher standard of living. She must go to public school and she wears "American" clothing. She is fluent in English (as she has had private tutors her whole life) which helps but she does have problems with slang and some literal translations. Laila is taken under the wing of Emily, who is a delightful character who is dealing with her own set of problems and identity issues (wish her character was more developed!)

The story of her life back home is threaded into her life today. I feel that this story was well-written and Laila is a realistic and complex character. She has a number of things to deal with that she handles pretty well.

The accusations against her father:

"Are you sure you want to do this? I ask myself. Are you sure you want to know? I'm not sure of anything, really. But I do know that certain words have been planted in my head, and they are sprouting like unwelcome weeds: Dictator. This one compliments of Emmy.King. A tale told by my mother.
Massacre. An accusation in a newspaper.
Assassination. A sentence carried out by my uncle. ....I hope I can disprove them, replace them. Let them be lies, I plead silently." - The Tyrant's Daughter, 34

She struggles with doing "the right thing" for her family when confronted by a CIA agent named Darren Gansler, who tells her the truth behind her family's entrance into America:

"'Laila, I didn't bring your family here out of the goodness of my heart. You're here, or at least your mother is here, for a reason. Your mother made a deal the day you all got on the plane. We - the United States government, that is - went to considerable risk to get your family out of your country safely. I offered your mother a way out and guaranteed political refugee status here if she agreed to cooperate.'" - The Tyrant's Daughter, 69

There is an underlying political  theme that really makes you think about America and our relationship with Middle Eastern countries. The things Laila discovers are shocking & her reaction at first is full of betrayal and confusion. You really feel her struggle.

We also have her having conflicting feelings for the boys in her life: Ian, the nice American boy who helps her escape her home troubles but she also feels like she has to act around him as the "Americanized version" of herself. Then there is Amir, who is from her home country but is of a different status. I loved their interactions and his heartbreaking story.

At one point in this story, Laila is told the classic story of Cinderella, at least the story that most Western cultures know and tell. She is excited to share her own story told to her as a young child - A sultan locks his beautiful daughter away (reminiscent of our story of Rapunzel as well). One night, the princess hears haunting music and decides to escape her tower to be with the musician who is the cause of this beautiful music. She just happens to lose a slipper while climbing down the tower. They run away and get married. The sultan is so outraged that he orders his guards to go village to village and kill whoever fits his daughter's slipper. The princess couldn't stand the killing of innocents and turns herself in. Her father orders that she is to be stoned for her crimes. When she is lead out to die, her love plays a song and it melts the sultan's heart. He forgives his daughter but cuts off her toes so that she may never run away again and "so that he would never again be offended by the sight of a slipper the size of the one that represented his daughter's shameful act." - 80

Laila's friends are shocked by what seems to them a barbaric tale and can't believe she was told this as a child. Laila didn't realize the differences between her country and ours and this is just one example of that.

This is a coming-of-age story and one that tells a story of a girl that has seen and experienced events far from our understanding and has to work through these issues. I believe the author at the end of this book describes it perfectly:

"Ultimately, this book is pure fiction that is inspired by real events. It isn't about a specific conflict any more than it is about any one particular country. Rather, it's the personal story of someone living on the periphery of war. It's the story of a girl grappling with questions about guilt, choice, blame, and identity under circumstances both extraordinary and mundane. It's a big story told in small details, and I hope that my readers come away feeling as if faraway issues are now a little more personal." - The Tyrant's Daughter, Author's Note, 284

I highly encourage you to also read the commentary written by Dr. Cheryl Benard at the end, as it also puts a real life perspective on the events and themes presented in the book:

"After all, nothing is black-and-white. It's not even gray. It's a fractured, fragile kaleidoscope of colors ready to shift at the slightest nudge of the wheel. Good people can do bad things. Good people can do good things that turn out badly. Or they can do great things that shine like beacons for centuries to come. Bad people can do bad things that turn out well, or they can do terrible things that cause enormous misery. Or other people can do things intended to please the good or bad leader that he or she would not have endorsed." - The Tyrant's Daughter, "Truth in Fiction: A Commentary" Dr. Cheryl Benard, 291

I think this would be a wonderful book to use in a high school literature class and in book clubs. There is violence described in this book, but this is something that kids in other countries experience on a daily basis, thus I feel teenagers should be able to handle it. This book didn't not receive a full star rating from me due to the ending (I wanted more closure and more of her world!) and the development of some characters not being fully realized.