Family - tangled lives we lead
Sixteen-year old Laila has to share her bedroom with her brother, the king. She calls her six-year old brother the King of Nowhere and she herself, the Invisible Queen as they are now exiled into the U.S. of A. Home of the unending supply of cereal, Starbucks and short skirts, Laila is not happy to be living in the states. Too much is happening and she just can’t get a handle on it. Too many changes are occurring since her father’s death, when will it all end. Killed at the hands of his own brother, Laila is confused at why her uncle took her father’s life. There are many new adjustments Laila deals with as she adjusts to school from uncovering her face, short dresses and boys. Her new friend Emmy is helping her handle these changes and Ian is fond of these changes. Ian’s parents were missionaries so he knows about moving around and Laila and Ian hit it off. At home, Laila is concerned about her mother who has started to host meeting and drink heavily. Tensions run high as the visitors arrive quite frequently to their apartment. Not a social gathering, “I recognize their features.” from “The Trouble Spot, my father used to call it.” Laila is now on alert, what exactly is her mother doing talking to men from this region?
So much mystery surrounded this book as I read it. I didn’t know where Laila’s family was from exactly, you didn’t know why her father was killed and then there was her mother’s involvement with the men and these meetings. I kept reading along trying to uncover the mysteries as Laila tried to handle school, her brother and her mom. I was surprised at her brother’s attitude with the move, I expected stronger emotions from him. I realize he was six-years old but with his father’s death and the transition to the states, I was waiting for the ball to drop. It was a fast read and perhaps that was the anticipation as I was reading that it went so fast. When I got to the end, I was shocked. I kept looking for more pages, something else for me to read as I wanted more. So, I guess you can say, I didn’t like the ending as it left too many things open for me. I will have to say, she is smart, that Laila. She’d make a good Queen.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book.
