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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Smart, Quirky and Heartfelt, April 6, 2009
Since she was young, Quinn has constantly heard about how awful men are. Her mother, aunt, and grandmother have all been in bad relationships, and feel the need to warn Quinn about the men she should stay away from. This, unfortunately, also includes her dad, who has just recently come back into her and her sister's lives. But when Quinn discovers that all of her father's "prized possessions" are actually things he's stolen from the women he's been with, she decides to right her father's wrongs. Quinn calls up the half-sister she barely knows, and they set out to return the items that their father has stolen. On this roadtrip, Quinn learns the truth about her father, mends the hearts of some of his exes, and might even mend hers along the way. I absolutely loved this book. The whole idea for it was just amazing. I loved the fact that Quinn and her sisters were riding around and delivering the objects to their rightful owners. A lot the women that their father had dated or married were really nice people, and the objects were some of their prized possessions. The fact that they drove all around the state of Washington and even into Canada was so cool. I wish I could do something like that. I also liked how Quinn and her sister Sprout hardly knew their half-sister Frances Lee, and yet they got in a car with her to complete this quest. The three girls became so close, and it was nice to see everyone grow into a family. Every so often, there would be a story or little passage from Quinn's family, or from the women that her father dated, and it was talking about love and giving advice on love. Some of the things Deb Caletti wrote were so true, and they were things that everyone knows, but they don't know they know it until someone has the ability to articulate it into words. Here's an example of Caletti's insightfulness: "She said a marriage is like a well-built porch. If one of the posts leans too much, the porch collapses. So each must be strong enough to stand on it's own. I've thought about this over the years, and I've seen many a porch collapse. To know that you can stand alone, to know that he can too - it seems very good advice." Now, how true is that? And the whole book was full of little truths about love and relationships. Overall, the book was quirky, smart and heartfelt. Quinn was a great protagonist and she developed into a very interesting character throughout the book. She really grew up and learned a lot about relationships and love. It was so sweet to see everyone become a family over their four-day journey. And there were some really funny moments thrown in there, too, making this book a worthy read.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
a teen's quest for truth, May 12, 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
If you're looking for an interesting summer read, Deb Caletti's "The Secret Life of Prince Charming" would be a good choice. After hearing all the heartbreak stories of the women in her life, Quinn wonders what love really is. Especially since she's been dumped by her boyfriend and is trying to navigate a fragile new relationship with her formerly estranged father. Although her father is at turns charming and selfish, Quinn is desperate to make their relationship work... until she discovers that he's amassed a collection of stolen prized possessions from former wives and girlfriends. With her little sister, Sprout, and her half-sister Frances Lee, Quinn goes on a road trip to restore the items to their rightful owners. Along the way, she discovers what the meaning of love truly is. Caletti's premise is interesting and is what held my attention. Quinn is sort of a two-dimensional person in the beginning, content to go with the status quo and not take risks. I found the book sort of slow and ponderous - probably a reflection of the inner awakening Quinn goes through, but still a bit plodding. In fact, the book doesn't get too exciting until Quinn makes the fateful phone call to Frances Lee, and from there it becomes a much more enjoyable read. The cover is misleading - this book isn't about finding love or even romance, but is more of a "power of sisterhood" book. Quinn, Sprout and Frances Lee end up finding each other on their road trip, as well as the "truths" about love handed down from the various women they encounter (Quinn's mom, aunt and grandmother, and the former loves of the girls' father Barry). Overall, an enjoyable book, but one I'd recommend getting from the library instead of purchasing. It's good for a beach read or an airplane ride, where you'd have a lot of time to mull over everything happening. If you prefer your summer reads to be more fast-paced, skip this one, as "The Secret Life of Prince Charming" feels more like character study vignettes than a major plot driven book.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nicely Written Words of Wisdom, June 18, 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This little book has some critical words of wisdom to offer women about how to deal with love, relationships and most especially-- men. The "you can't live with them, can't live without them" messages is loud and clear. But I wonder if the target audience would really take away the valuable information author Deb Caletti seeks to impart. It's nice to believe that today's young women could read about the lessons of other women and realize that respect, self-esteem, and mutual consideration are required in any meaningful relationship. But I seem to think many will just have to learn by their own personal experiences. The author's message is cleverly delivered via diary-type side stories peppered throughout the main action of the book. These stories recount life altering experiences of love and loss. Some key points taken from the side stories, "love is ease, love is comfort, love is support and respect. Love is not punishing or controlling. Love lets you grow and breathe. " and "we should not give away a moment to anyone who doesn't deserve it." Oh if only I would have learned that lesson at 16. Quinn our heroine explores life, love, family and friendship as she embarks on a strange journey of karmic restitution that leads to the understanding that she is likely making up for the shortcomings of her self-centered father. Well, at least that is the lesson that I got. Highlights: I loved Mom's fridge postings of little tid-bits of wisdom. Jake was certainly a nice character and a reminder that you can't judge a guy by his tattoos and piercings Sprout, always the one telling it like it is. If you have people like this in your life you should listen to them.
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