Princess in the Spotlight (The Princess Diaries, Book 2) [Paperback]

Meg Cabot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2008

No one ever said being a princess was easy.

Just when Mia thought she had the whole princess thing under control, things get out of hand, fast. First there's an unexpected announcement from her mother. Then Grandmère arranges a national primetime interview for the brand-new crown princess of Genovia. On top of that, intriguing, exasperating letters from a secret admirer begin to arrive.

Before she even has the chance to wonder who those letters are from, Mia is swept up in a whirlwind of royal intrigue the likes of which hasn't been seen since volume I of The Princess Diaries.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fifteen-year-old Mia Thermopolis, the witty, lovable star of Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries, has had it with princess lessons, also known as torture sessions: "Do they really think anyone in Genovia cares whether I know how to use a fish fork? Or if I can sit down without getting wrinkles in the back of my skirt? Or if I know how to say 'thank you' in Swahili? Shouldn't my future countrymen be more concerned with my views on the environment? And gun control? And overpopulation?" To make matters worse, she's getting these lessons from Grandmère, a rather judgmental woman who dresses her pet in chinchilla bolero jackets and has eyeliner permanently tattooed on her eyelids. Princess in the Spotlight further records Mia's path to princessdom: her artist mother's relationship with her algebra teacher (how awkward), her forced television interview, broadcast to all of America (how humiliating), and her crush on her best friend Lilly's brother Michael (how excruciating). The result is another thoroughly entertaining diary of a very human, very self-deprecating, very unprincesslike princess. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In a follow-up to The Princess Diaries soon to be a film starring Julie Andrews Meg Cabot chronicles Mia's crowning as princess of Genovia in Princess in the Spotlight. The new monarch quickly discovers the power of an interview, as she nearly gets a teacher fired and manages to alienate her best friend and her royal subjects with a few simple sentences.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (March 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061479942
• ISBN-13: 978-0061479946
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (167 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Authors, A-Z > ( C ) > Cabot, Meg
  • #45 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Royalty
  • #69 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Obsessions > Princesses

More About the Author

I write! Books for you, your sister, your best friend, your mother . . . . even for men with good taste!

Most of my time is spent over at my website, http://megcabot.com, so be sure to stop by!

UK, New Zealand, and Australia fans, visit http://www.megcabot.co.uk.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hilarious continuation of Mia's story., June 19, 2001

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Princess in the Spotlight (The Princess Diaries, Vol. 2) (Library Binding)

It's been a month since Mia got the shock of her life and found out she was a princess, and the sole heir to the throne of Genovia. But things haven't gotten any easier - in fact, they've gotten even worse! It's bad enough that Mia's mom is dating her algebra teacher, Mr. G. - but then she announces that she's pregnant! And then her mom and Mr. G. announce that they will be getting married! Of course, with all these horrible things happening, Mia thinks it can't get any worse - until an utterly humiliating interview with her appears on TV and her Grandmere begins to plan a royal wedding for the happy couple. But if anyone can get through all this, it's Mia, who tells it all in her journal, in her usual, hilarious style. This wonderfully funny book continues Mia's story, right from where the first book left off. I can't wait to read the third book in the series.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Being a Princess is far from easy, June 30, 2001

By 

Nancy E. "Nancy" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess in the Spotlight (The Princess Diaries, Vol. 2) (Hardcover)

It's pretty obvious that Mia dosen't really enjoy being the princess of Genovia. I mean it's pretty stressful for any 14-year-old. She has to take Princess lessons, have a body guard follow her around and one day she has to inherit the throne of a country she's only visited. But now to top it off Grandmere has thrown in another ball for her to juggle, interviews. WHen Grandmere plans an interview with one of the most famous newscasters Mia freaks. And of course she makes a complete fool of herself. And at the same time she has to deal with her mothers new pregnency and marriage (thanks to her Algebra teacher). ANd to top it off she has a secret admirer. Couldl it be Michael, Lily's brother who she just adores? Or is it someone scary? But knowing Mia it will be the most entertaining Halloween you've ever read about.

I found this book to be even better than the 1st book. In this sotry Mia is put in the spotlight (yet again) and has to try to deal. I enjoy these books so much becasue Mia not only has to deal with being a princess, but a normal teenage girl. Her writing style is humorus and makes me reflect on being a freshman and how awkward it was. If you like funny books and diary books (as I always have) read this one. You won't regret it!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it in one day!, November 22, 2001

By 

Rebecca (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess in the Spotlight (The Princess Diaries, Vol. 2) (Hardcover)

I loved this second book in THE PRINCESS DIARIES series so much that I read it all in one day! It's very hilarious and just a wonderful book. In the second "diary", Mia tells how her life just keeps getting worse and worse a month after she finds out she is heir to the throne of that small European country, Geonvia. It's bad enough that Mia's mother has been dating her algebra teacher for the past month. But now Mia's mother confesses that she is pregnant with his kid and they are getting married! Then Mia receives a letter from a "secret admirer" from her school telling her that he's loved her even before he found out she was a princess...which gets Mia guessing who it could be (hoping that it's her best friend's older brother, Michael - who seems to have an interest in her), and whether or not her father has secretly bethrolled her to some other prince she doesn't even know! While all this is happening, Grandmere insists that she get this interview from some famous interviewer and Mia ends up spilling a lot of stuff about what goes on in her school - and making some of the students angry at her, especially her best friend, Lilly. Then Grandmere tries to turn her mother's wedding into this huge giant glamerous one with a ton of celebrities even though her mother and algebra teacher only wanted a very small one. Even Lilly ends up falling for Mia's cousin, Hank, when she helps him get a contract for being an underwear model! IN THE SPOTLIGHT is full of surprises and laughs. It's a great teen novel and it is written in diary form so you really get an insight of Mia's life as a princess. The book is a fabulous sequel to the first, which I loved as well. I am hoping that Meg Cabot writes a third novel to this awesome series and if she does, then I will definitely read it. If you've read THE PRINCESS DIARIES (and enjoyed it), then I highly recommend IN THE SPOTLIGHT. This book is great! :-)