The story: Laila grew up in luxury, thinking her father was the king of their Middle Eastern country. But it turns out he was a dictator--and when his regime is overthrown, her father is killed and the rest of her family has to run for their lives. Ending up in America, life is different than she could ever have imagined. And while it's harder than she dreamed, there are things that could never have happened Before--things like a best friend, a boyfriend, a first kiss. Now that trouble has followed them across the ocean, can Laila even consider going back?
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; sexual content PG-13; nudity PG; substance abuse PG-13; magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (murder of a parent, revolution) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.
Liz's comments: This is an interesting look at American teen culture as seen through the eyes of girl who's a total foreigner to it. Layla is used to a life of privilege, but one that is also very tightly controlled. American life is totally unrefined and chaotic--but she also knows she would never have gotten her first kiss before marriage in her own country. I found her point of view quite fascinating, but I think that only the very occasional teen would pick this one up on their own--it sounds too much like a social studies assignment!
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