Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The one book you can't miss this year!, December 25, 2007
This review is from: Princess Mia (The Princess Diaries, Vol. 9) (Hardcover)
Mia Thermopolis - Princess of Genovia - may be sixteen, but her year has been anything but sweet. After two years of calling Michael Moscovitz her boyfriend, and spending countless hours smelling his neck; Mia made the mistake of calling of their courtship when she learned, on the night she was going to bestow Michael with "her Precious Gift," that he had lost his virginity to Judith Gershner - a girl who can clone fruit flies - years earlier. Devastated by this newfound revelation, Mia called it quits with Michael. But, after much thought, she realized that a mistake had been made; and strived to make it right with the love of her life. Unfortunately, he was already on a plane to Japan, where he will spend one very long year of his life constructing a robotic arm that is destined to change the medical world forever as we know it, leaving Mia on her own for the first time since their whirlwind romance began. Flash forward a bit, and Mia finds herself devastated beyond belief. After countless e-mails, calls, voicemails, and text messages to Michael, she has heard nothing from her beloved. Sure, she enjoyed a fun night at the theatre with J.P., a boy who managed to sit through the entire "Beauty and the Beast" production without laughing and/or falling asleep, and actually managed to shed a tear or two; but it's not the same. Mia wants Michael, and only Michael, and finds herself throwing a pity party all her own. One that consists of watching TV, avoiding people at all costs, raiding the refrigerator at all times of the day and night, and living in her Hello Kitty pajamas. Until her father gets wind of her newfound personality. Whisking her away, Mia finds that she is now forced to endure therapy with a Psychologist cowboy on a weekly basis, and couldn't be more shell-shocked. Even worse, she's forced to go back to Albert Einstein, to finish out her high school education - much to her chagrin. Unfortunately, Lilly refuses to even look in Mia's direction, the whole school believes that Mia is dating J.P. - which she's so not - and, suddenly, for the first time ever, Mia finds that her school uniform - along with the rest of her clothes - have gotten a little snug...everywhere. With all of the drama surrounding her, Mia is convinced that she'll never make it through the next two years. Luckily, she has stumbled upon the diary of one of her long-lost relatives, who ruled Genovia for a total of twelve days; and has discovered a secret that will rock her future, and the entire country of Genovia, more than she ever thought possible. I feel as if I have grown up with Princess Mia. From day one, I have devoured each and every one of her rants and raves, and have found myself drawn deeper and deeper into the world of Mia. PRINCESS MIA is no exception. The second to last installment of THE PRINCESS DIARIES series packs more punch in its 274 pages than any of the previous novels. Mia, as always, is her usual philosophical self - freaking out over mysterious illnesses, worrying about anything and everything in her life. Only this time, she has fallen into a deep depression that has truly changed her. Gone are the complaints about the lack of vegetarian items in Albert Einstein's cafeteria, and her musings about whether or not she will ever develop a chest; and in their place are insecurities about where she stands with Michael, wonderment over who has started a hateful website about her, and confusion over her feelings for Michael, J.P., and even her new psychologist. Lilly has been one of my favorite characters for years, but her new personality, and way of thinking, has truly made me dislike her. The mere presence of her character brings a sour taste to my mouth. On the other hand, Lana's character is presented in a new light that makes you see that she's simply misunderstood, and, possibly, not as mean as originally believed. The disappearance of Fat Louie was rather disheartening, as I always loved reading about his furry face. However, the inclusion of Dr. Knutz was humorous and rather delightful from the moment he was introduced to the story. Cabot has dropped many bombshells over the years, but none have rocked Mia's world as much as the ones found within the pages of PRINCESS MIA. It's obvious that Cabot is gearing up to end the series; and, at this rate, it will most certainly go out with a bang. The one book you can't miss this year! Erika Sorocco Freelance Reviewer
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real and Riveting!, December 31, 2007
This review is from: Princess Mia (The Princess Diaries, Vol. 9) (Hardcover)
Nine books into this series, you might expect that the story of Mia, Princess of Genovia, has grown stale and predictable, heading toward a pat ending soon. If so, you're in for a treat with Princess Mia; it's definitely the freshest, most absorbing entry in the series to date. The book opens with Mia and Michael, her one true love, having broken up; Michael's gone to Japan for a year and through a series of misunderstandings, he feels it's best for them to just be friends for now. Mia is beyond devastated; she takes to her bed and refuses to leave or shower. We can feel Mia's pain with every word, and it's apparent that this is not something that's going to pass quickly. Indeed, her family becomes so worried for her that her father "kidnaps" her and forces her to go to a psychologist. No quick fix here; Mia begins therapy reluctantly but also sees the value in trying to pull herself out of the black hole of depression. Along the way, she makes friends with Lana (her archenemy), discovers that J.P. is in love with her, and finds a long-lost directive from an ancestress that declares Genovia should be a democracy. What she decides to do is both believable and mature. One of the issues that forces Mia into depression is the fact that her friendship with Lilly seems to be over, and in a most vehement way: Lilly actively shuns Mia and seems to blame her for every ill effect that's ever happened to her. While my heart ached for Mia because she was so upset over the loss of such a close friend, I have to say that this is a turn of events that tickles me because I've felt for a very long time that Lilly has not been a friend to Mia at all. Mia's learning to deal with it, and also her loss of Michael, and I was behind her all the way. This is indeed the best book in the series so far, and can be highly recommended for readers of all ages. Mia's coming into her own, and it couldn't have been harder or more hard won. Cheers to Mia and to Meg Cabot for keeping this series fresh and entertaining!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Meme Grades., August 6, 2009
A Kid's Review
Grade:B- Comment:This book actually disappointed me when I read it.Because,basically,the only thing she did in this book was mope about Michael and how she had grown a a cup size which I hear reverts back to a B34 in the last book.What really shocked me was that Lana and Mia became FRIENDS!How ironic is that?!Seriously and the climax is so suspenseful and the last book is soooo hard to acquire. Sincerely Meme
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
