Book: Princess In The Spotlight by Meg Cabot

Published July 2000 by HarperCollins Publishers, 256 pages

How I Got The Book: Purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA: Contemporary

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Meg Cabot

Goodreads.com Summary: 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.

I really like The Princess Diaries series.  Princess In The Spotlight is a fun read, and things really do move fast.  We learn that Mia’s mom is pregnant, so she’s going to have a sibling, and she also has a secret admirer.  She has to deal with the aftermath of an interview that she gave, and manages to annoy people at school, mention her mom’s relationship on national t.v., and has a fight with Lily because her first interview wasn’t on Lily’s t.v. show.  Sometimes, I wonder why Mia and Lily are friends, but at least Lily isn’t just talking to her because of her being a princess.

I love that it’s in diary form, and how we get to see what Mia’s thinking and feeling about her new life as a princess.  I also love the random lists throughout the book.  Mia’s so easy to relate to, and I can relate to a lot of her insecurities.  And she’s such a fun character- she is starting to grow into her role as a princess, and she’s definitely facing a lot of interesting challenges because she’s balancing a normal life with one of duty to Genovia.  She’s just a girl trying to get through high school, and she really feels like someone I could be friends with.

I just love that things don’t come easy for Mia.  She’s certainly not perfect, but I love that about her because being a princess isn’t as glamorous as it seems.  It’s actually refreshing to see a character who has to struggle with her new life and that it doesn’t automatically work out for her.

Final Thoughts: I didn’t love Princess In The Spotlight, but it’s a fun read, and a great addition to the series.