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The Princess Diaries Book Review

ALA Booklist already said it best—reading The Princess Diaries is like reading a note from your best friend. Probably Meg Cabot's most successful series, everyone could say they've heard Mia's story before—and I can definitely say that even despite that, returning to it in its original form is just as fun and entertaining as the movie series we all know and love.

Meg Cabot's many books for both adults and tweens/teens have included multiple global and #1 New York Times bestsellers, selling over twenty-five million copies worldwide. Her Princess Diaries series has been published in more than 38 countries and was made into several hit films by Disney. Meg is still waiting for her real parents, the king and queen, to restore her to her rightful throne. She currently lives in Key West, FL, with her husband and various cats. You can read more of my reviews of books on TIME's Top 100 YA Books of All Time here. 

Mia Thermopolis is pretty sure there's nothing worse than being a five-foot-nine, flat-chested freshman, who also happens to be flunking Algebra. Is she ever in for a surprise. First Mom announces that she's dating Mia's Algebra teacher. Then Dad has to go and reveal that he is the crown prince of Genovia. And guess who still doesn't have a date for the Cultural Diversity Dance? The Princess Diaries is the first book in the beloved, bestselling series that inspired the feature film starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews.

I did used to wonder, as a kid, why the series was called the Princess Diaries, because in the movies it doesn't seem like diaries had a big part—and after reading the book, I can see why. Cabot writes as Mia, detailing everything about her life from the start of freshman year of high school through the trials and tribulations she has with her friends all the way into the darkness of discovering she's a princess. This diary format works so well—Cabot is able to have a strong control over Mia's funny and honest voice in this way.

Cabot stays true to this form in the way she reveals information as well. Mia writes notes about her classes at the end of entries, signaling that she's tuning back into the classes she's supposed to be paying attention in. When she hides in the bathroom to write, she lets us know her current status, and then dives into everything that happened to get us there. She deviates into tangents that let us get to know her, and sometimes their only function in the story is for us to get to know Mia better. The diary style of the book is truly one of its triumphs. 

It's been over 20 years since the novel's original publication, and yet so many of the experiences and feelings Mia faces still ring true. Unfortunately there will always be the high school cliques and the cute guys who want to take advantage. Because it's been more than 20 years, I will say there is maybe one thing that didn't age so well, about Lilly's activism against a deli, but otherwise, I can see why this book has endured, especially knowing how powerful and prevalent the movies are as well. 

Lastly, one of the best parts about The Princess Diaries is Mia's arc. At the beginning, she is literally just your average high school freshman who cares about the normal things girls do when they're fourteen. When she's told she's a princess, a few things change, but ultimately she's the same person. I love that Mia is able to stay true to herself while also working in this absolutely insane element into her lifestyle. I think it creates a powerful and thought-provoking statement about staying true to yourself, and also finding the courage to be who you want to be, without sacrificing other parts of yourself to get there.

The series continues in Princess in the Spotlight. I'm not sure if I'll be continuing, but I definitely won't say never! You can find more of my reviews of books on TIME's Top 100 YA Books of All Time here. 

*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*

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