Customer Reviews

Project Princess (Princess Diaries)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Well, this is a tiny volume of everyone's favorite series (besides the series about that English boy with the funny head scar) and it only took fifteen minutes (tops) to read. That said, you will not get the full impact of Mia's writtten musings and rants, but she does have her moments in this book. Volume 4 1/2 takes places over Spring Break, when the Gifted/Talented class goes and bulids houses for the less fortunate in West Virginia. Once again, my parents asked what was so funny when I was reading this book. I won't give it all away but, well, since you're nice, here's a little taste:
1. Mia is doing something with her finally realized talent that was discovered in Volume 4.
2. Boris gets bus sick. A lot.
3. Mia falls off the roof of the house. But only once, mind you.
4. Dairy Queens are good.
All of Meg Cabot's proceeds from Volume 4 1/2 go to the building of the first permannent Lower Eastside Girls Club of NYC. So buy, read, and feel good about helping. Also... there's a preview of Volume 5, "Princess in Pink," which looks to round out Mia's freshman year at Albert Einstein with what else but... prom. Egads. Enjoy!

Ok, before you decide you want to bite my head off, I am a GREAT big fan of The Princess Diary collection of books. This book, 4 ½ was very...very...short. Though I loved it and every thing was good...I have to say I was very disappointed. Let me explain.

First Mia convinces her pregnant mom to let her go to help homeless people build homes. Yes, seems noble doesn't it? Something that you would want your future ruler of your country to support, but her ulterior motive is to go so she could make out with her boyfriend, Michel. Her mother was convinced by the mentioning of Mia's Grandmother NOT wanting her to go.
So her father, also against her going to help the homeless, does not disagree, so not to contradict Mia's mother.

Mia gets on the bus to go to West Virginia (to build the homes) and the entire time is complaining, and thinking about making out with Michel. After the bus ride she complains some more, while building the house (in which she admits she is relatively useless) she complains, through the entire book it seems like Mia is complaining about something or the other.

She finally kisses Michel, I think once or twice in the book, and I'm not entirely sure if she even felt good about helping the family, because she isn't really thinking too much about them. Only about Michel.

Though this looks like a really bad review, I want to say that I did like the book, as I LOVED the others. I just wish that Meg Cabot could have maybe made it longer, as in adding in other thoughts besides the `teen' hormonal infatuation of making out. I feel like I was stereo typed. LOVE MEG and all the Princess Diaries, just hope the next is a little more....enlightening.

As a HUGE fan of the Princess Diaries, I knew I had to get this book. Well, I got it today - and already finished it - but thought it was pretty good. The only complaint I have is the length of the book - 64 pages is wayyyyyy too short!

Mia is back, and sassier than ever! This book takes place over spring break, and Mia and her G&T class are going to West Virginia to build houses for the less fortunate. Mia is mostly looking forward to it because it means five days with Michael, her boyfriend, without her parents around.

But, the trip isnt as great as they thought it would be - first of all, Boris gets sick on the bus, so for the seven hour ride, he's throwing up. Then, the giant bugs eat everyone alive, the tents leak, and Mia and Michael can't get a second to be alone. But, as everything starts to look up, a surprise visitor ruins the moment.

This book's really funny, and I enjoyed it a lot, but it's just too short to really explain a lot.

Overall grade: A-

Mia decides to head out to West Virginia to volunteer with Housing for the Hopeful, along with all of her friends, and her very own boyfriend, Michael, during their Spring Break from Albert Einstein High School. Mia thinks that it'll be a piece of cake, and that she'll be spending tons of alone time with Michael, but she soon realizes that that isn't the case. At all. Now she's worried that she's building the house all wrong, and that the reason that Michael hasn't kissed her during the whole entire trip, is because she smells.

This is a great book for all PRINCESS DIARIES fans. It will hold them over until Cabot releases the 5th book in the PRINCESS DIARIES series, PRINCESS IN PINK. A must-have book for all.

This book was only originally written as a short book for the United Kingdom's national book week. Every year, successful authors write short books that will go on sale. Each schoolchild gets given a £1 book token, to be exchanged for one of these special books or for discount off of another book (to encourage reading, probably). The only reason this was released in the USA (except possibly making money) was that many USA fans were buying the £1 book from British sites and wanted to see it in American stores. So worry no more. It was a one-off British special. It was probably written in a week. So now you know. Don't let this put you off the brilliant Meg Cabot.
Give it a try. It's alright actually.

This new edition in the Princess Diaries Series, is agreat book, There's only one problem.... it's really short. If you have read most of the Princess Diaries Series, I would reccomend you read this book, while you wait for the 5th Princess Diaries book to come out.

In this book, Mia goes on a school trip to build a house for the poor. The only reason why she wants to go is so she can spend time with her boyfriend Micheal. She learns many valuable lessons while shes there.

I hope this helps!

As someone who is actually from one of the poorer regions of West Virginia, I tend to cringe whenever the 'city kids visit the sticks' theme is pulled out. In that regard, this book could have been worse, though the concept strains the bounds of realism; dirt poor families are not exclusive to the Appalachians. There is no reason this story could not have taken place in NY State.

As far as the book itself went, the one major point in its favor was that the proceeds went to charity. There were a few lines that made me smile, but none that made me laugh out loud the way the first two books in the series did. In my opinion, Ms. Cabot would be far better served to leave off writing the short novelty books, and concentrate on revitalizing the full length ones.

First, let me say that i have read and own all the hardcover editions of the first four and that i love them, though the earliest two were by far superior to the latter two. I immediately bought this book, and upon finishing it, thirty minutes later, i must say that i was dissapointed. I kept waiting for something to actually happen, for, say, a plot to develop? but, sadly, it didnt happen. Although, it was interesting enough that i didnt cast it off and throw it on the floor, it was, i'm sorry to say, not worth reading. I guess its nice of Meg Cabot to give profits from the book to charity, i find it hard to believe that she's not making some profit from it, otherwise i cannot fathom why she would put her name on a tiny, uninteresting, shoddy book like this.
Overall, if you are a fan of Meg Cabot and the PRincess Diaries books and have read all the prior ones, you should read this book..however, if you have not read any of them, i'd recommend reading them in order and only reading #4 and a half if you really, really like the series. Hope this was half way helpful....

Meg Cabot's 'The Princess Diaries' series has been steadily going downhill ever since the fourth book 'Princess in Waiting'. I mean the books aren't necessarily bad, but no longer funny. I need to ask, what exactly is this book? 4 1/2? What was she thinking? It's almost like an excuse to make more money. It seems like ever since Mia got together with Michael, her personality has changed. I can no longer relate to her, which was one of the reasons why I loved this series so much. She's too obsessed with Michael, worries about stupid things, and suddenly seems shallow. It almost seems like she's turned into the snobby girls she used to rant about. The only thing that keeps me tunned into this series is, I'm curious to see if Meg will bring back the charm and flavor that was in the first three books. But apparently it looks like it isn't going that way. And Meg Cabot says she plans to follow Mia all through highschool. What?? She's already made 5 books and Mia is still a freshman. It looks like the 'Princess Diaries' is going to be a long drawn out series like the 'Baby-sitter's Club'. You know, they beat it to death. If you want good Meg Cabot books read the first three books in this series. They are all hilarious and tie together in a perfect triogly.

my daughter is thrilled with this added book. Though very short it would have been missed if it wasn't in the series.