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Book reviews for "Cabot,_Meg" sorted by average review score:

Haunted
Published in Audio CD by Random House (Audio) (27 May, 2003)
Authors: Meg Cabot and Alanna Ubach
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i love love LOVE this book!!!
this is definitely my favorite book (well, besides the other books in the mediator series, written under meg cabot's pseudonym jenny carroll) and it has THE BEST ENDING!!!!!! i dont want to ruin it for anyone who wants to read the book, but if you have read it, you know what im talking about (i literally screamed when i read the end because it was SO good) i think ive already read this book 5 or 6 times the in last few days, but there are still a few unanswered questions in it, like the whole paul thing, and then what happens with jesse and suze, oh and ceecee, and then what mr slater said to suze at the end i could go on forever... i hope meg writes a sequel anyways THIS BOOK IS EXTREMELY GOOD AND YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

A Great Sequel To A Great Series
I started reading THE MEDIATOR books when they were still under the name Jenny Carroll and fell for the protagonist. I introduced a friend to them and spent the entire night reading them aloud.
Suze Simon is a well-developed character although she changes vastly over the five books in the series, developing into a fashion girl compared to the tough girl in the first book. In HAUNTED the story picks up on the first day of Suze's junior year and the return of an old enemy. While dealing with the return of **suspenseful music** Paul Slater, her not-quite-boyfreind, who, for all intents and purposes, is dead, and a new ghostly pal bent on the destruction of his brother, Suze has to cope with the norms of being a typical sixteen-year-old girl.
While her life is not a piece of cake, there are moments that are laugh-out-loud funny. Over all, this is a book for anyone who enjoys a simple read and doesn't try to "pick" the book apart. Try it out!

This Was an Amazing Book!!
This book was COMPLETELY amazing...it was my first book of both Meg Cabot AND "Jenny Carroll." My first in the Mediator series, I can't wait for the next one to come out to find out what happens next with Suze and Jesse. Whatever happens, I'm sure I'll enjoy it...read these books!! They are SO GREAT!!


Princess Diaries, Volume III: Princess in Love, The
Published in Digital by PerfectBound ()
Author: Meg Cabot
Amazon base price: $12.95
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Just One Terrific Book
The last of the Princess Diaries (or so I assume, because the ending sentence is so final-sounding), Princess in Love is by far my favorite. Mia, a freshman at Albert Einstein High School, is now approaching her final exams. To add to that stress, she has her mom's pregnancy, the fact that she doesn't like her boyfriend, her upcoming visit to Genovia, her grandmother, and her feelings for Michael to deal with. Oh, yeah, and not to mention she just can't seem to get used to the fact that she's living with her Algebra teacher.

Written in the language of your average fourteen-year-old, the hilarious events in Mia's life make me wish that my freshman year of high school had been a heck of a lot more fun! Filled with over-the-top characters (such as Grandmère and Lilly) and hilariously funny situations (like Mia biting a hole through her tongue at Rockefeller Center's skating rink or having her boyfriend express his love to her in the middle of the hallway), Princess in Love is not to be overlooked.

The best yet of The Princess Diaries
After enjoying The Princess Diaries and Princess in the Spotlight, I decided to read Princess in Love. This one is the best yet of the series. Mia Thermopolis, 14-year-old freshman of Albert Einstein High School, not to mention Princess of Genovia, finally has a boyfriend (aka JoCrox of Princess in the Spotlight). What more could she possibly ask for? Except for, that her boyfriend, Kenny, isn't the person that she truly loves! Michael Moscovitz, Mia's best friend, Lilly's, older brother, is who Mia has been in love with for like, ever. Only now, he is constantly seen with Judith Gershner, a member of the Computer Club, who can also clone fruit flies. Mia feels that she has no chance with Michael. Meanwhile, Mia's mother, Helen Thermopolis, is married to Mr. Gianini, Mia's algebra teacher. And Mia still has to endure princess lessons, prepare for her trip to Genovia, study for finals, and break up with Kenny. How will she finally get what she wants with so many other important matters? Read this excellent third novel of The Princess Diaries to find out how Mia finally lives "happily ever after." I can't wait for the next book!

Princess in Love
This is probably one of the best books I have ever read!Mia Thermopolis has just found out she is a princess of Genovia.In the book before, someone was sending Mia anonymous love letters and she had found out that they were from a boy named Kenny.So in this book Kenny is Mia's new boyfriend but he is not the boyfriend she wants.She has had a huge crush on her best friend Lillys brother Michael for a very long time but thinks Lilly will make fun of her if she knows.She wants to break up with Kenny because he told her that he loves her but she doesn't love him back but she decides to wait until after exams.She sends anonymous love poems to Michael.Lilly finds out and tells Michael.Mia thinks Michael could never like her because he likes smart girls.At the fair,since Michael is part of the computer club he has to work at that booth and tells Mia to go there.Mia had said in one of her poems "some one loves you."On the screen that she is looking at a castle comes up and then then one of her poeams but in stead of saying "some one loves you" it said "I love you too."But Mia thinks he is making fun of her and starts crying.But in the end everything works out and Mia and Michael get together.
You should definetly read this book but it would help if you read the two before this first.


Victoria and the Rogue (An Avon True Romance)
Published in Paperback by Avon (March, 2003)
Author: Meg Cabot
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Victoria and The Rogue
Meet 16 year old wealthy young heiress Lady Victoria Arbuthnot. Since her parents died when she was 4, she has been living with and was raised by her 3 army officer uncles. That is until recently, when her uncles send her off to England to find a hushand! And find a husband Vicky does! During her journey to England on the ship the Harmony she meets Hugo Rothschild, the ninth earl of Malfrey, and Victoria thinks he is absolutely perfect for her. And Hugo seems to agree since he asks Vicky to marry him. Victoria is absolutely thrilled with her life now, well she would be if Jacob Carstairs, who is far too handsome for her state of mind, would just leave her alone! Is Hugo really a rogue like Jacob says? Is he hiding some secret? And why is Jacob so determined to get involved?

This was another great book by Meg Cabot. I liked it even better than her first Avon True Romance!

Another wonderful Avon True Romance.
Victoria Arbuthnot was just four years old when her parents died while the family was visiting India. Since then, she has been raised in India by her uncles, but now that she is sixteen, she has been sent back to England to find a husband. On the long sea journey from India to London, Victoria meets Hugo Rothschild, the ninth early of Malfrey, who proposes to her shortly before the journey's end. Victoria is thrilled with the proposal. But why is Jacob Carstairs, who was also a passenger on the ship, trying to get her to end her engagement? Now that they are in London, why won't he just leave Victoria alone? And why is she even attracted to such an infuriating man as Jacob? And is Hugo hiding a terrible secret? I enjoyed this book even more than Meg Cabot's first Avon True Romance. It had a really good romance and also a good mystery subplot.

Another well written romance
Victoria Arbutnot is 16 a rich heiress to a big fortune who grew up in the Far-East land of India. Victoria is very independent having been raised by her uncles after her parents died in India when she was only 4. Now, though, she finds herself on a ship back to England to find a suitable husband. During her journey on the ship, Harmony, she meets the charming ninth earl of Malfrey, Hugo Rothschild. The two seem to immediatley fall in love and before Victoria even sets foot on English soil, she finds herself engaged to the perfect husband. If only the handsome Jacob Cartairs, the ship's young captain, would stop meddling in their business. Victoria is extremely puzzeled by the young captain's persistantness at getting the engagement cancled and when the truth finally comes to light, earl Malfrey might just not be the perfect person after all. I definitely liked Meg Cabot's second Avon True Romance better. It seems she was more experienced this time and the mystery was definitely good.


Princess Diaries
Published in Library Binding by HarperCollins Children's Books (September, 2000)
Author: Meg Cabot
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Ironically Irresistable
The Princess Diaries is an entertaining, fun book about a freshman attending Albert Einstein High School in New York. All Mia Thermopolis wants is to stop being the "freak" she considers herself to be and to have a boyfriend, specifically Josh Richter,who is apparently "six feet of unadulterated hotness." Her mom simply makes things worse when she starts dating Mia's algerbra teacher.
Then her life takes the most dramatic turn yet: Mia finds out she's a princess!
Follow Mia's life from her day-by-day installments in her journal, complete with many amusing notes and observations. I think anyone who wants to read a light, enjoyable story should try this one. I read this book nearly a year ago and I still find pleasure in reading it.
However, there is emphasis on the word light. One of my main problems with this story is that it lacks depth. Mia isn't exactly the most intelligent teenager, and while she is congenial enough, she isn't on of my favorite characters in literature. Besides that, the plot of this book stems from such an overused idea: loser teen becomes famous and gets a makeover; now she goes through major changes at school. Josh Richter, the most popular guy in school, really turns out to be a jerk. Hmm, maybe I've heard that before?
Yet the ironic thing about this book is that despite its faults, it still manages to be a good read. I suppose one reson is the backdrop of the book; it has an interesting cast of characters and the environment Mia lives in is extremely entertaining. So, particularly if you're a teen girl or slightly younger, try reading The Princess Diaries. But keep in this in mind: it is in no way a profound story.

If you thought the MOVIE was good....
One word: WOW.

A bunch of people in my language arts class were reading this book, so I found it and read it, even though I didn't think I would like it much. I was SO wrong!

What happens in this book is that Mia Thermopolis, a flat-chested, ski-feated, ugly-haired Freshman living in a loft next to Greenwich village (not Green Witch) with her single mom, just discovered that she's the heir to a small European country! Every girl's dream, when she's little at least, right? WRONG!
Mia is totally shocked at first, and then it gets worse: She has to take princess lessons from her strict grandmother, who believes that it's more important to know how to say "No thank you" and "thank you" in a dozen different languages than, say, world politics.

Did I mention Mia's the most unpopular girl in the school, and her mom is dating her algebra teacher, which is a subject she's failing?

Oh, and to the people that say that this book should be read by people 12 and up, I say: PAH! You people are obviously adults. I reccomend 10 and up, since it's not like you don't know the things they talk about by at least the middle of 4th grade.

One of my favorite books of all time!
"The Princess Diaries" is a series of books based on the fictional journal entries of Mia Thermopolis, a 14-year-old high school freshman. In the beginning, Mia is the typical high school "freak". She's picked on by the populars, failing algebra, and on top of it all five foot nine, large footed, frizzy haired, so you get the point. An animal-rightest, feminist, and enviormentalist, who dreams of working in Greenpeace at a older age. Everything changes one day when her mom tells her that her far-off grandmother (who lives in Genovia--a small European nation) calls that she is coming down for "tea". Mia is obviously suspicious of her grandmother, who she hasn't seen in years, and doesn't even speak to her or her mother, to unexpectantly come down to New York City to visit them. That's when Mia learns the shocking truth--she's the heir to the Genovian throne. Of course, this is shocking to her, but considering that she's a pretty "plain" girl, she finds herself to be the last to be a princess! To make matters worse for poor Mia, her Grandmere insists on her taking princess lessons so that she can become "proper". As if school alone wasn't hard enough! So, all of you girls who dream of being a princess, go ahead and read this book--you'll soon learn it's not as good as it seems! Infact, Mia despises it. This is a modern day fairy tale, and is destined to be a classic! All teens (this book is appropriate for those 12 or older) can relate to Mia's likeable personality and struggles...even if you're not a princess. In a diary format and quick plot, this book is an extremely fast read, so I suggest you buying the other two books in the series (so far) to have on hand!


Princess Diaries, Volume II: Princess in the Spotlight, The
Published in Digital by PerfectBound ()
Author: Meg Cabot
Amazon base price: $5.95
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More of the same
Mia's life was just starting to get back to normal... or as normal as possible with her grandmother still insisting she attend princess lessons but that is all shattered when her mother announces she is pregnant. The father of the child is her algebra teacher, a subject which she still isn't doing all that well in. To make matters worse, her grandmother insists on planing an unwanted wedding for the soon to be parents. Mia's spirits are lifted when she starts to receive letters from a secret admirer, who she hopes is her long time crush, Michael.

This book is pretty much more of the same. If you liked the first one you'll like this one. It's kind of a transition book leading up to the major plot advancement of Mia's love life in the third book. What I love about this series is how the trivial stuff almost totally makes me forget about the princess plot, which would make a pretty boring book by itself. You may not enjoy this one quite as much as the first but it's still a really fun read.

SO GREAT!
I read this book so fast that I can barely remember how the plot goes in this (well, I can sort of) ...I have to reread it...I just remember it was really great, but the first one was a bit better. I read it in several hours. Well, here's what it's about:
Mia's life is getting more complicated by the minute. First, she finds out that she's the princess of a country which is population 50,000, and has to take princess lessons from her strict grandmother. As if that's not enough, her mom is seeing her algebra teacher (that all happened in Book 1, just reminding you)--and her mom's pregnant now, too!
Mia thinks that her life can't get any worse now, but it turns out that her grandmother organized a national primetime interview--which of course, Mia totally doesn't live through.
BUT WAIT! Is there a bright light in the end of the hallway? Someone's sending Mia love letters--well, a love letter and several love emails. But she can't even figure out who it is!!!
This book's full of surprises. I'm going to read book #3 as soon as I can!

Princess, in the Spotlight
The first book I read in this quarter, was Princess, in the Spotlight It is written by Meg Cabot and is the second volume of The Princess Diaries. I chose this book because the cover of the book had a really big attraction. I took it off the shelf and read the first page. I wanted to keep on reading, and I figured that if wouldn't be fair if I just read the whole book without paying, so I bought it immediately. After reading the book, it was worth it.
This book is about a girl named, Mia Thermopolis, who finds out that she's actually a princess (her princess name is Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo) of Genovia in Europe, after fifteen years! After being suprised and depressed of her mother of not telling her sooner, she realizes that her mother is pregnant with her Algebra teacher's baby! What could go worse! In her diary, she writes that many horrible things already happen to her, and she still has another thing to worry about. In Mia's words: she's flat-chested, doesn't have a boyfriend, is responsible of groceries in the family, has to help her friend make an interesting show on television, finish her always un-done homework, and many more. When her Algebra teacher or father moves in, she'll have to move her furniture and objects back to her room, dump her mother's beer, buy baby foods, and others. Sometimes she and I wonder how come a princess has all these responsilbilities. Her Grandm`ere (grandmother) the queen, has even decided to plan a wedding for her parents! Mia, who has tried to do everything she can, cannot take any more responsibiities. Poor Mia!
In this book (diary), I'm sure a lot of girls can somehow relate themselves with this. Mia goes through a lot of problems, and girls at my age do too, especially when they're growing up. I think every girl should read this book because if they do, they'll be sure to know that they're not the only ones in this world who go throught those kinds of problems.


All American Girl
Published in Audio Cassette by Books on Tape, Inc. (August, 2002)
Author: Meg Cabot
Amazon base price: $32.00
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Formula 1 Again
All-American Girl was a fairly fun read. It had humor, romance, and the general angst of being a fifteen year old girl. It read quickly and provided me with some cheap, easy entertainment. The best thing about this book was all the background characters and many subplots- like when Sam has to choose the winning painting for a national contest, and when she meets Susan Boone at the art studio.
The problem is that it's so much like the books from The Princess Diaries series: something drastic changes the life of and ordinary, flat-chested girl, who has to juggle her new fame as well as the normal issues of being a teen. The main character, Sam Madison, thinks she loves one guy, then in the end discovers that someone else is meant for her. Surprise, surprise.
And the voice of the story screamed Mia Thermopolis. Both girls wallow in their own self-pity and use a confusing mixture of sophisticated and dreadful language. Meg Cabot made some clever changes when she created Sam, such as making her an artist and a middle child with somewhat normal parents-but still, Sam and Mia were a lot alike.
I'd say you should pick up this book at the library or borrow it from a friend first, and then if you see yourself re-reading it, by all means go buy it. I've read it twice, the second time for the quirky little details, like all of Sam's Top Ten lists, and my conclusion is: this book is enjoyable but nothing new.

A must read for every American girl!
"All-American Girl" is the brand new book written by Meg Cabot, also the author of the famous series for teen girls, "The Princess Diaries".

PLOT SUMMARY: 15-year-old Samantha Madison lives in Washington DC with her mother, father, and two sisters (she's the middle child). Sam describes herself as total redheaded outcast--always dressing in black, listening to punk/rock music, etc. Her older sister, Lucy, is the most popular girl (cheerleader, nonetheless) at her high school and is dating the guy of Sam's dreams, high school rebel, Jack Ryder. Sam's younger sister, Rebecca, is a genius who attends a special school for gifted children. Sam's life abruptly changes when she saves the president of the United States from an assassination...while cutting her art lessons. Not only does Sam receive a broken arm, but she also becomes famous when the president himself announces that she is teen ambassador to the UN. Things couldn't get worse, right? Wrong! Because now she thinks the president's own son, David, may be in love with her and all she wants is for Jack to love her!

OVERALL THOUGHTS: I'm a little old for Meg Cabot's teen books but I must say that I am always amazed by her well-written/described characters and witty sense of humor. This book is well-written, and should be enjoyed by all teenage girls. If you like romantic-comedy novels with a little bit of fantasy twisted into it, then you should definitely read "All-American Girl". The plots are always simple, straight-forward, and a little bit predictable but it doesn't matter because these books are too good not to read.

I highly recommend "All-American Girl" by Meg Cabot.

Score:
98/100
A+

From good to bad, great to worse, then horrible to wonderful
All-American Girl is absolutely a Must-Read! However, in this book 5'2, sophomore, teenage, and artistic girl Samantha Madsion goes through MANY changes! Like when she ditches her second art class at the Susan Boone Gallery (because of drawing in her German notebook and her mom putting her on probation to take a class of art), she actually sees the president of the United States!
The president was walking in this Cookie store with his "security guard-men", so this Billy Joel fan guy near Sam takes this gun out of his coat and then...KABLAM!!! Technically, the "Kablam!" wasn't what happened at all. Instead, Sam saves the president by making the Billy Joel fan assasssinator shoot his gun in a different direction!
Since the guy was heavy, he landed on top of Sam and she injuries her wrist. So these people come and take her to the hospital. And then Miss Samantha's life changes forever! By becoming a hero, totally popular and famous, becomes US Teen Ambassador, gets invited by her enemy's party, and even the president's son David falls in love with her!
There are some big surprises and laughs and dramatic moments in this American book too! Sam's life goes good to bad then so on.... But, I had also liked when Meg Cabot dedicated this novel to the heroes of the September 11th attack!
I was impressed, all right! So All-American Girl is one of the best Young Adult Books to get at the library or at the bookstore. It might have been really different than Cabot's Princess Diaries series, but this book was better, to be honest. I mean, she put some good things in it. Like things about art. The "listening and hearing" and the "seeing and imagining" parts was pretty creative, in fact. If you like books about love, semi-drama, laughs, surprises, and especially about America, then you'll this book.


Nicola and the Viscount (An Avon True Romance)
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Avon (23 July, 2002)
Author: Meg Cabot
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An Excellent Book
It's the year 1810, and Nicola Sparks, has just graduated from Madame Vieuxvincent's. She's now moving in with the Bartholomew's to get ready for her first London Season. The Bartholomew's are awfully kind to her, and Nicola is in love with the God (aka Lord Sebastian Bartholomew), though he doesn't know it, at least that's what Nicola thinks. But suddenly she is engaged to the God, and planning their wedding. Until she discovers that he doesn't really love her, he just wants to get her to sell Beckwell Abby, a home that her father left her. Soon she realizes she was wrong about who loved her, and soon finds herself falling for someone else. Someone she's known for a very long time.

Meg Cabot has another hit with "Nicola and the Viscount." Her characters are strong and original, and the main plot mixes both mystery and romance into one. A must have for all fans of Meg Cabot, romance, or mystery.

A wonderful new book from the Avon True Romance series.
It's 1810, and sixteen-year-old orphan Nicola Sparks has just finished her schooling at a young ladies' academy. Now she's ready for her first London season. In fact, she's already picked the young man she hopes will ask her to marry him: Lord Sebastian Bartholomew, a viscount who will inherit his father's title of earl. Nicola is invited to stay with the Bartholomews, and eagerly accepts the invitation. And it seems like a dream come true when Lord Sebastian proposes marriage. But Nathaniel Sheridan, the infuriating older brother of Nicola's best friend, Eleanor, causes Nicola to question Lord Sebastian's true motives in asking her to marry him. Soon Nicola begins to wonder if it's really Lord Sebastian she loves, and not someone she's been overlooking all along. I highly recommend this new book from the Avon True Romance series. Meg Cabot is a wonderful author of contemporary and supernatural stories for teens, and I'm happy to say she's just as good at writing a historical romance for young adults.

Great !
I loved Nicola and the Viscount. Meg Cabot did a great job through and through. Nicola Sparks is a spunky orphan engaged to a god, Lord Sebastian. Lord Sebastian is very handsome and Nicola has dreamed of marrying him for so long, now she is going to !! Then a very good friend, Nathaniel Sheridan, begins to hint to Nicola that Lord Sebastian is not the perfect god she always dreamt he would be.
After a horrying discovery, Nicola is unsure of what to do.
Marry Lord Sebastian? Break the engagement? Run away?
You must read this book to find out, its a great addition to Avon Romance!


Princess in Waiting (The Princess Diaries, Vol. 4)
Published in Hardcover by Harpercollins Juvenile Books (April, 2003)
Author: Meg Cabot
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Not The Best In The Series, But Still A Winner!
I currently finished all of the Princess Diaries Series. I have to say, they are one of my favorite series to read. I love the characters, the real life teenage problems, and the humor. However, I must say that book 4 was a bit disappointing. I did enjoy reading it of coarse, how could one not! But I felt that it lacked the certain flair and character development that the last 3 books succeeded well in. The book begins with Mia in Genovia on Winter Break. She has just as many mishaps and problems there as she does in New York. She has meeting upon meeting, and dinner after dinner to attend. Which upon reading the first 50 pages of the book is all that is read. However, when she returns to New York, AEHS, and her friends, the mood of the book begins to feel more like the last 3 books. Her mother in is in the mists of pregnacy. She has just begun Algebra II. And on top of that she is now worring if Michael "loves her" or if he's "in love with her." And if that isn't enough for a 14 year old teenage girl, imagine your Grandmother trying to fix you up with a homeless prince! Yes, although this was not my favorite book in Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries Series, it was still amusing and funny. I smiled and laughed at the sweet Michael and Mia parts, which by far made the novel complete! I highly recommend that if you have enjoyed the series to read this one as well. It may not live up to the others, but its still a good read. And for those of you that keep up with the Princess Diaries Series, watch for the 4 1/2 installment (yes weird I know) called Project Princess. Which is scheduled to hit book stores sometime in late July! ...

Pretty good
Meg Cabot has created another winner with the fourth book in the Princess Diaries series which is both funny and romantic although compared to her other books in this series, it is a bit lacking.
In this Mia and Michael are finally together and totally happy. For the first part of the book Mia is in Genovia on her royal visit and then she goes back to New York looking forward to her first date with Michael. Then her interfering Grandmere announces that Mia is to go a black and white dance on the night of her date. If that's not bad enough she has a date lined up for Mia who is definitely not Michael!
I thought the fourth book was great. It may not have been as funny as the previous books but it made up for it with Mia and Michael acting so darn cute. Although they are the main focus of the book there are a million other interesting things to look out for. Like the gang using Jane Eyre as their relationship philosophy and wrecking one of the girl's relationships, Shameeka trying out for the cheerleading squad, Mia's missing underwear, Lilly protesting against her character in the movie of Mia's life, Mia trying to figure out her talent, Grandmere having an equivalent of Lana Weinberger and more.
This is a great lighthearted book that everyone should read even if it doesn't have the strength of Meg Cabot's previous books.
Happy Reading :)

Princess Mia's challenges continue
Princess Mia is upset when she's forced to spend her Christmas break in Genovia, away from her friends, mother, stepfather, and most importantly, her boyfriend Michael. Every moment she spends away from Michael, whether it's during a royal lunch with the secretary of finance or a museum visit, is agonizing for her. She ends up getting in quite a bit of trouble too when she makes a speech about the importance of parking meters. Although the trouble she gets herself in is nothing compared to the mess her distant cousin Rene gets in. As she writes in her diary she begins to have doubts. What if Michael doesn't really like her? What if he only loves her as a friend? What if he's spending his vacation with a Kate Bosworth look a like that can weave him necklaces for his birthday? (Makes little sense? Trust me you'll get it when you read the book).

Things don't get much better when she returns home. Her insecurities are blazing out of control, especially now when she realizes something important. Unlike all of her friends and acquaintances she has no noticeable talent. She knows nothing about computers. She's not musically talented. She can't memorize teen romance novels word-for-word. She can't seem to do anything right. She can barely pass algebra! What if Michael will break up with her because of that? To top it up, grandmere is screaming something that will make Mia's life absolutely miserable.

Although it starts out a bit slow, Princess in Waiting is just as good as the first three books in the series: The Princess Diaries, Princess in the Spotlight and Princess in Love. Mia is such an amazing character. She's so easy to relate to. Who hasn't felt insecure about themselves from time to time? I loved to watch her relationship with her boyfriend Michael and her best friend Lilly (who somehow manages to [anger me] and then redeem herself by the end of each book) develop even further. The character of Rene is also very interesting. I couldn't stand him in the beginning but now I'm not too sure. I have a feeling that in the books to come, we'll learn even more about him. If you're a fan of the Princess Diary series, read this! Trust me, if you can get through the first section it will be well worth your time! It's such a fun book! I can't wait to see what happens to Mia next!


Princess Lessons (A Princess Diaries Book)
Published in Hardcover by Harpercollins Juvenile Books (25 March, 2003)
Authors: Meg Cabot and Chesley McLaren
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Pure Fun
By now, most people who read YA novels knows that Mia Thermopolis is the star of the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot. Throughout the first four books of the series we have seen Mia's triumphs and pitfalls as she's dragged kicking and screaming into the life of a Genovian Princess. In Princess Lessons the bubbly anxious teen takes a break from telling us about her life in learning how to be a princess and tells us what all princesses, and teenage girls in general should know. After a quick introduction from Mia we hear about Beauty from the amazing Paolo ("I spit on kohl!" and fashion from Grandmere. Throughout the rest of the book we heard about manners, education and character from the various characters in the book and finally, about dating from Tina Hakin Baba. This last part includes a very funny interview from Michael Moscovitz.

This book is pure fun. It manages to provide a sort of self help book for teenage girls while throwing in much humor from the characters from the series. Mia is always there, writing in pink and commenting about the things she agrees and disagrees about. Some of my favorite parts has to be Paolo's humorous part on makeup and Sebastinano commenting on fashion, with his poor accented English. Another favorite part of mine has to be Michael's brief but amusing interview.

This book is not necessary for fans of the Princess Diary to read. It must have taken place after the fourth book but it doesn't really continue the story at all. If you're a fan of the series you don't have to read it. Personally I think that it's just pure fun. You'll read it in one sitting. Still it is not a real Princess Diary book, and I'd prefer another edition to the series than a self help book any day. Reading page after page of "how to"s gets annoying after a while but it's still a great thing for fans of the Princess Diaries to read while they're waiting for The Princess Diaries Volume Four and a Half: Project Princess to come out.

Fun, but Unsubstantial : A Quick One- Afternoon Read
Okay, Meg Cabot has definitely won herself a nice cozy place atop the literary-must-be-read authors, but Princess Lessons is less of the novel I had expected (in fact, its not a novel at all) and more an feel-good/look-good book for teens.

So some of the stuff is cute and fun to read with commentary from our favorite Princess Diary characters and with some definite hints about Prince Rene's involvement in further novels (hello, he's like her cousin! excuse me, but please don't set Mia up with him!)

...

So, three stars because it did have some fun stuff in it, but had nothing substantial for a reader to feast upon.

Happy Reading!

A Quick Read and a Creative Book
Princess Lessons, a book that is part of the Princess Diaries series was a creative way for Meg Cabot to get young girls looking, feeling and acting their best. I felt that it was inadvertantly written as a book for manners rather than a Princess Diaries book and that is why I gave it three stars and not five. I also thought that through this book, Meg Cabot was trying to further promote the Princess Diaries series. It was cute, but certainly not worth the price paid!
This was a pretty good book, but certainly was not long enough. I did like the cute pink cover and the crown on the front, though I felt it was written for a lower age group than intended.


The Princess Diaries Collection, Vols. 1 and 2
Published in Paperback by HarperTrophy (01 October, 2002)
Author: Meg Cabot
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