2008 Oregon Book Award winner
School Library Journal: Gr 10 Up—Readers of Empress of the World (Viking, 2001) will relish another chance to spend time with Battle Hall Davies in this terrific sequel…Ryan does a wonderful job of portraying a group of creative young people with limited finances, fluid sexuality, and complicated relationships. This novel celebrates the process of becoming an adult without providing any easy answers. Battle’s summer is a challenging one, full of possibilities and disappointments, and it’s a joy to share her journey.—Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Booklist: In this follow-up to Ryan’s Empress of the World (2001), Battle, just graduated from high school…has arrived in Portland, Oregon, where she’ll start college in the fall. […] Writing in Battle’s strong, believable voice, Ryan memorably captures an older teen’s tumultuous first summer of independence. As in Empress, the artsy, ensemble cast is memorable, and both gay and straight relationships are described with refreshing honesty. Battle begins a tumultuous romance with a sexy female housemate, but the family feelings are the story’s core. […] Confusing and exhilarating, Battle’s first stretch into adult life will resonate strongly with the target audience.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: “Ryan continues to be a smooth and thoughtful writer, […] and Battle, with her combination of stability and eagerness for new experience, remains a sympathetic character indeed. Her journey of maturation has a blend of authenticity and appealing glamour that will continue to make readers believe they could be in her place and wish that they were.”
Eclectica Magazine: “I really loved this kid and I was so impressed by how she came through what was truly a baptism by fire.”
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