A Princess on her own . . .
Mia has been invited to speak at a gala for Domina Rei, an elite society of powerful businesswomen. But what could she possibly have to say? Michael has broken up with her, her bff Lilly wont speak to her, and her parents are forcing her to see a therapist. Even J.P.s efforts to cheer Mia up (hes being really sweet!) arent helping.
Just when things couldnt get worse, Mia discovers a long—forgotten diary of a teenage princess of Genovia. It could be just the inspiration Mia needs to write her speech?but what it reveals might change everything.
The Princess gets a Wake-up Call
This is the second to last book in the Princess Diaries Series by Meg Cabot and it doesn't disappoint. This book picks up almost immediately (maybe a car ride later) where the last book leaves off. And we find that Mia is depressed, not just the usual "My world is ending" melodrama that Mia usually sports (and writes) but truly depressed. After countless phone calls and e-mails from Mia, Michael finally and completely breaks up with Mia over the phone. This sends Mia into a downward spiral and leads to her have a bit of a mental break down even past the previously mentioned depression. Things go from bad to worse as Grandmere tries to force Mia to speak before the Domina Rei Society, Mia finds out someone hates her enough to make a website about it, and J.P. makes all of Mia's already unhappy and confused emotions a little bit more confused.
I really enjoyed this book, and thought the character growth in Mia was long overdue. Mia's depression over the first real break-up she ever has (Kenny really doesn't count)mirrors what happens to a lot of teenagers after their first love falls apart. Her subsequent denial that anything is wrong with her to the psychologist Dr. Knuts, who is an excellent new character, is very real to anyone who has been through depression, and I really appreciated that bit of truthfulness Cabot puts into the book. Mia also grows into understanding a little more about herself and how some of her previous view points towards things like fashion, "undying love", and who her friends really are were not as well founded as she believed. I particularly like how she finally realizes that Lilly has been pretty hard on her in the past and especially now, and that a lot of Lilly's attitude stems from her own jealously towards Mia. How Lana was portrayed in this book is definitely one of the highlights of the entire series. This is not just because it is hilarious but also because it forces Mia to finally drop a lot of her self-righteous-vegetarian-psuedofeminist-arrogance to see that she could have been wrong about another person and their lifestyle. While on the other side of the scale Meg Cabot doesn't completely lose Mia's personality or the fact that she is still just a High-school teenager, as evidenced through Mia putting off talking to Michael.
I think that Cabot's penultimate book in the Princess Diaries Series is fantastic. Princess Mia isn't just another great delve into the mind of Mia Thermopolis, but really shows a teenage girl's character growth, while not losing any of the quirkiness that makes this series so beloved.
Buy The Princess Diaries, Volume IX: Princess Mia by Meg Cabot At The Lowest Price!
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