Rules For Hearts by Sara Ryan

Rules For Hearts

Sara Ryan

Battle Hall Davies is sure of some things: she’s going to Reed; she loves girls; and her older brother, Nick, is cooler than she could ever be. Nick ran away when Battle was in high school, and four years later, he’s tracked her down. Now she’s spending her summer before college in,Forest House, the co-op where he lives in Portland. Battle is quickly swept into Forest House’s community Shakespeare production, its all-night card games, and the arms of her new roommate, Meryl. It turns out that Nick isn’t who Battle thought he was, and Battle’s not who she thought she was, either.

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From School Library Journal

Grade 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. Now 18 and about to start college, she decides to spend the summer with a houseful of quirky actors and bohemians in Portland, OR. What her parents don’t know is that one of the Forest House residents is Battle’s older brother, who ran away from home at 17. Her reunion with Nick is a prickly one, though, as she finds that he is not always dependable. Her crush on Meryl, a swimming instructor who lives in the house, is also full of ambiguities. Meryl is alternately seductive, manipulative, and confused, often leaving Battle baffled and hurt. 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

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

In this follow-up to Ryan’s Empress of the World (2001), Battle, just graduated from high school and still hurt from her breakup with girlfriend Nicola, has arrived in Portland, Oregon, where she’ll start college in the fall. Her parents don’t know that Battle chose Portland to be with Nick, her estranged older brother, and that her home for the summer is the rambling Victorian that Nick shares with fellow members of a theater group. 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. Battle quickly realizes that charming, charismatic Nick is also ‘a thoughtless bastard,’ who steals and lies, and Battle, ‘the queen of competence,’ struggles between anger and a powerful yearning to save him. Confusing and exhilarating, Battle’s first stretch into adult life will resonate strongly with the target audience. Engberg, Gillian –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Details

ISBN	670059064
Genre	YA Fiction (Young Adult)
Copyright Date	2007
Publication Date	30-Mar-07
Publisher	Viking Children’s Books
Format	Hardcover
No. of Pages	224
Language	English
Rating	NotRated
Paper Type	Electronic Format Available
BookID	10896