Bella 2008-11-02

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

For me, I felt that this book - and book eight as well - was not at all cannon to the series.

I admit, I'm a big Michael and Mia fan. I've been reading these books for around 6 years now, and I've always loved their sappy, yet cliche, love story.

And then we have J.P.

I did not like his background. I did not like it that he was the boy who 'hated it when they put corn in the chili', because the character was always a source of comic relief.

I do not like that he is trying to take advantage of Mia - because, people, he IS. Mia can't see it, and that bugs the hell out of me...she's just broken up with a boy that she felt that she was in love with, she's severely depressed...and from the moment he's met her, he's been trying to get with her...perhaps it was not as clear in Book 7, but it is definitely clear in Book 8, and early on in Book 9.

Just because he is similar to Mia, it does not mean they're supposed to be together. Opposites attract. In fact, the eerily similar differences between them is what turns me off towards their budding relationship.

I did not like that Lana is suddenly Bella's bff...and that everything between them has gone out the window.

I am not sure if I like what Lily has been doing. While part of me felt that it was true to Lily's character, another part of me felt it was extremely OOC. I'm still split about it.

Mia goes to sleep one night a 32 A/AA chest size, and wakes up a 36 C. I still don't understand that. And she eats meat like a carnivore, turning the vegetarian Greenpeace-er inside out.

Let's not even get started on what happened to Genovia's government.

I could go on...but I won't. If I do, I'll never stop. =P

One thing I did like : Michael definitley knows that Mia's not happy. Boris is obviously corresponding with him, and so he knows that she is not blissfully happy with them being broken up.

I hope that Mia will find that JP is not the man that Michael is, and that he's poor boyfriend material. I have a feeling that he'll try to pressure her into doing things shes not ready for (based on his snakey personality thus far).

And if Mia and Michael do not get back together in the next book...then I've given up all faith in Ms Cabot.

Tammy Scarpiello 2008-08-03

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Being a 13 year old girl, I thought this book was great. Princess on the Brink (Volume 8), was a major disappointment to me, but in Princess Mia, all of the magic was recaptured.

This book starts off right where Princess on the Brink left off. After Mia and Michael's tragic break-up (To be honest with you, this sort of made me happy. I was never a big fan of Michael to begin with), Mia decides she wants to lay in bed all day and wallow in her grief over their break-up. Her week in bed gets a little old for me, because how many times can you say that you miss Michael? But it flows along fairly quickly. Against her will, her Dad takes her to a cowboy therapist in hopes of getting her out of her "black pit". Lars had to carry her into the building because she refused to go in herself, which was a laugh-out-loud moment for me.

Once she returns back to school, she finds that Lilly is giving her the silent treatment, and later finds out that Lilly was the one behind ihatemiathermopolis.com. Since both of the Moscovitz's turned their back on Mia, she turns to her other friends in her group. Tina, J.P., and Lana (Yes, LANA WEINBERGER), play bigger roles in this book, which made me very happy to see.
J.P. breaks up with Lilly early on in the book and suddenly is now interested in Mia. But the question is, does Mia feel the same way about J.P?

Also, Grandmere is up to her schemes again, and makes Mia speak for Domina Rei, a society of powerful businesswomen. Mia uncovers an old family secret...which might just be the thing that could help her write her speech for Domina Rei, but could also change her fate forever.

Overall, it was a great book. (Mrs. Martinez would hate my lack of descriptive adjectives.) For parents who were worried about Princess on the Brink, just know that there is nothing to really be concerned about in Princess Mia. Meg Cabot's fans will definitely be pleased with her newest edition to the Princess Diaries series.

Teenreads.com 2008-08-01

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

The ninth Princess Diaries book contains as many surprises as ever in this fun series, and fans of Mia Thermopolis will not want to miss this newest installment. Meg Cabot has stated that the series will end when Mia turns 18, and it's clear from Mia's decisions in PRINCESS MIA that she is growing up and getting ready to take on the throne of Genovia. But first she has to recover from her breakup with Michael. And Lily still is not speaking to her.

J.P. is all-too ready to be friendly with Mia and takes her to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway to try to cheer her up. The problem is that when you roll with a Princess, chances are you will be photographed in the newspapers with her and listed as her new man --- even in the papers of Japan, where Michael sees them.

Although Mia emailed Michael after he left for his new job in Japan, she is not hopeful about that relationship returning to normal. In fact, he decides that they should be just friends. This is not what Mia wants, but she knows that it's better than nothing. The thing is, she can't quite make herself respond to his now-friendly email; it just hurts too much.

In fact, it all hurts too much for Mia to even get out of bed. She pretends to smile when her friend Tina and her boyfriend Boris try to make her feel better, but she doesn't leave her bedroom or even shower and change for several days. Finally, her father forces her to go to therapy.

Mia's new therapist is from the American West and uses a lot of horse analogies, but he does seem to understand her problems and helps her work through her depression. At least it gives her a brief break from Princess lessons.

Lana gets Mia an invitation to speak at a very exclusive women's organization in front of hundreds of ladies. She even asks Mia to go shopping and joins her for lunch with other popular girls. Everything is turned around in her life, but Mia tries to find her way.

A new hate-filled blog begins showing Mia at her worst, and she very much dreads finding out that her former best friend may be involved.

While preparing for her speech, Mia learns about a teen queen of Genovia who made some radical rules during her very brief reign. These rules may impact the future of Genovia, if Mia can get anyone to listen to her discuss these ideas. Mia strives to find the courage to think for herself in the midst of her sadness and her opposition from Lily, her father and her grandmother.

Being a teen princess in New York was never so complicated or so interesting. While Cabot's trademark humor pulls readers in to Mia's thoughts, the plot threads that begin to tie up this series will keep fans wanting more.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

The Compulsive Reader 2008-07-24

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Princess Mia has hit rock bottom. Michael just wants to be friends, Lilly refuses to acknowledge she exists, and now Grandmere is insisting she give a speech before Domina Rei, New York's most successful business women. She can't even get out of bed, and now her parents are forcing to go to therapy. And her psychologist is so unconventional, Mia doesn't know if she can take him seriously. But the discovery of her ancestress's long lost diary may change everything...her future, her family's future, and her country.

The ninth installment of the ever popular Princess Diaries series is a bit more serious than its predecessors. Cabot explores the topic of depression in a perfectly believable sense that I believe many could relate to. Readers who may have felt a little frustrated at Mia in the past will rejoice with her as she matures, stands up for what she believes in, and finds her voice. But be warned: Princess Mia will leave you hanging in anticipation for the final book.

R. DuPar 2008-07-07

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

This is the 9th installment of the princess Diaries series.
Mia has just broken up with Michael and he is away in Japan, creating a robot. Mia is so heart broken that she stays in bed for days. When she returns to school, her best friend won't talk to her and her arch-enemy wants to be friends. Her friends, JP and Tina try to cheer her up.

To make this worse, she must speak at a party for Domina Rei, a society for prominent women. Finding a subject for her speech means she must learn more history in the archives with Grandmere. The history becomes more interesting than Mia thought and provides a surprising solution to her problem.

A fun read. There are times when you can see where the plot is going and wonder why Mia can't.