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Mia Thermopolis is five-foot-nine, awkward, practically invisible, flunking algebra, her teacher is dating her mom (how awkward is that?!), and now she’s found out her dad is the crown prince of Genovia. That makes her the future heir to the Genovian throne and a princess. Seriously, why do these things always happen to her?
Mia is determined that this “princess” news cannot get out, but the pressure is building, between princess lessons with her Grandmere and tension with her friend Lilly. In the end, she may know which utensils are used for which dinner course, but she still has no idea how to mend the tension in friendships, endure her Grandmere, keep this princess thing a secret, survive high school, navigate the press, or find a date for the Cultural Diversity Dance.
When I picked up The Princess Diaries, I was looking for a short, funny, not-too-serious read. Add a heavy dose of ditzy contemporary and angsty teenage drama, and that’s exactly what you get. Mia is a spirited girl who discovers her heritage, learns about responsibilities she didn’t know she had, and through it all struggles to find her place in the world. A lot of topics are covered that might be familiar or encouraging to readers — the awkwardness of a single parent dating, how friendships can persevere despite disagreements, how to stick to your morals and remain true to yourself. Overall, it was an OK story, but I found the pace slow, and I wasn’t really into it.
Rated: Moderate. There are one or two instances of mild and moderate language and over 30 uses of God’s name in vain. Sexual references are common. Mia seems to be fascinated with the idea of french kissing (It’s brought up many times throughout the book). Repeated reference is made to her “lack of figure,” and in one instance, she is ridiculed for being flat-chested. There is talk of sexual harassment. A blind guy “feels girls up” who help him cross the street. Some characters discuss reasonable conditions for losing virginity. Male and female body parts are referred to several times. A few underage characters drink.
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