Sophie Reads YA: Meg Cabot

ARC Review: Bridesmaid-in-Training (Notebooks of a Middle School Princess #2) by Meg Cabot

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Bridesmaid-in-Training
Series: Notebooks of a Middle School Princess #2
Author: Meg Cabot
Published April 21st 2016 by Macmillan Children's Books

Goodreads Synopsis
Bridesmaid in Training is the second in the Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess, a funny, heart-warming illustrated Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot.

Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison still finds it hard to believe that she's a princess! Not only does she get to live in an actual palace with her newly discovered family and two fabulous poodles, but she also gets her very own pony!

Of course, not everything is going exactly as she imagined . . . her half-sister, Mia, is very busy learning how to run the country while trying to plan a wedding, and her father is getting remarried himself - to Mia's mother! - and spends most of his time 'renovating' the summer palace, although Grandmère says he is just hiding from the wedding madness. Olivia hardly gets to see either of them.

Fortunately Grandmère has her own plans for Mia's wedding, and needs Olivia's help to pull them off. Just when Olivia starts to think that things are going to work out after all, the palace is invaded by a host of new cousins and other royals who all seem to be angry at Olivia (although Grandmère says they are just jealous).

As the day of the wedding gets closer and closer, Olivia becomes more and more worried. For such a carefully planned event, it seems as if a LOT of things are going wrong . . . Can Olivia keep this royal wedding from becoming a royal disaster?

Olivia chronicles her transformation from ordinary girl to princess in her notebook, with illustrations from author Meg Cabot, who studied Fine Arts as an undergraduate.
Goodreads

Review
See my review of book 1, here.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Bridesmaid-in-Training is the second book in Cabot's new MG series, following the life of Mia's long lost sister, Olivia. This book takes place roughly during the second half of Royal Wedding, if you've read that one. Olivia is now in Genovia with her family, and is learning about the ins and outs of being a princess, at the same time as learning how to be the best bridesmaid for her wonderful sister. She's has a nice time with her Grandmère (as shown in the little e-short, Royal Day Out), but now her cushty time is about to change. Even though there's only a few weeks left of the school year, Olivia has to start at the prestigious Royal Genovian Academy, home to many of the world's young prince and princesses, and she soon learns that not all royals are as nice as her new family.

As Olivia grows in Genovia, she really grows as a person. I'll admit, I had to ask twitter how old she was, cause the American grade school system has always confused me, but for a 12 year old, she seems really mature. She's still a little insecure in her new family, not really feeling as if she fits in yet, because it's all new, and she is trying to be perfect. But the thing is, she doesn't need to be. The whole extended family, including her soon to be step-brother, Rocky, love her, as she is, and when she finally realises this, it's perfect.

Once she starts at the Academy, she realises that not everyone is nice, and not everyone like her new found status as princess. Her 'cousin', Luisa, who should be helping her, is trying to sabotage her, and any new friendships she might make, including with the kind Prince Khalil. Even though Olivia is only 12, her feelings are starting to blossom, and seeing her little case of puppy love grow into something a bit more, was sort of like seeing Mia falling in love with Michael all over again.0

Yes, this series is a little young for me, but I've always loved Cabot's writing, and Olivia is sort of like the little sister I've never had, but would have loved. Seeing her, and Mia, is a return to my childhood, and I can't wait to see more from their growing relationship, and growing family.

Dates Read:

April 27, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

4 Stars

ARC Review: Remembrance (The Mediator #7) by Meg Cabot

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Remembrance
Series: The Mediator #7
Author: Meg Cabot
Published February 2nd 2016 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Goodreads Synopsis

Fifteen years after the release of the first Mediator novel, #1 New York Times best-selling author Meg Cabot returns with a deliciously sexy new entry to a fan-favourite series. Suze Simon—all grown up and engaged to her once-ghostly soul mate—faces a vengeful spirit and an old enemy bent on ending Suze's wedded bliss before it begins.

You can take the boy out of the darkness.

But you can’t take the darkness out of the boy.

All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and since becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva).

But when she’s hired as a guidance counsellor at her alma mater, she stumbles across a decade-old murder, and soon ancient history isn't all that’s coming back to haunt her. Old ghosts as well as new ones are coming out of the woodwork, some to test her, some to vex her, and it isn't only because she’s a mediator, gifted with second sight.

From a sophomore haunted by the murderous spectre of a child, to ghosts of a very different kind—including Paul Slater, Suze's ex, who shows up to make a bargain Suze is certain must have come from the Devil himself—Suze isn't sure she’ll make it through the semester, let alone to her wedding night.

Suze is used to striking first and asking questions later. But what happens when ghosts from her past—including one she found nearly impossible to resist—strike first?

What happens when old ghosts come back to haunt you?

If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy via Edelweiss. This in no way impacted on my view.

This was my second ever approval via Edelweiss, and the fact that it was a book by one of my favourite authors made it all the more better! Cabot's The Mediator series has had a special place in my heart since I read them all way back in 2010 or something, and when I heard that she would be returning to the world, with a new adult book (just like with The Princess Diaries), I was desperate to get my hands on a copy.

Remembrance is the first adult edition of the Mediator series, and returns to the somewhat problematic world of Suze Simon. Since she sort of resurrected her ghostly boyfriend, Jesse, they've been together, and are dealing with adult stuff like college, student loans, and jobs. They recently got engaged, and are planning their wedding. Unfortunately, just as life is becoming perfect for them, a spanner is thrown into the works, namely Paul Slater. I'm sure most of you disliked him as much as I did in the original series, and now he's trying to split up Suze and Jesse by demolishing the house they met in, and was the main setting of their whole ghostly/mediator relationship. To top it off, there's a new NCDP (Non-Compliant Deceased Person) haunting a student at Suze's new place of work - her old school.

I loved being back in Suze's head again! She was exactly as I remembered her, and it made me feel so nostalgic. She's still the sassy, feisty Suze we all know and love. Her being able to see dead people, and the problems that brings still bothers her, though she wants to do as much as she can to help the ghostly spirits, especially when this one is a little kid.

I enjoyed the plot and mystery surrounding the ghost, Lucia, and why she is haunting the student. That whole arc was very enjoyable, especially when it came out in little drips and drabs - it wasn't a whole info dump on the whole situation.

However, there were problems in this book. Jesse, as swoony as he is, and I will always love him, was a little too much. Even though he knew how bad ass Suze is, he still wanted to protect her and keep her wrapped up in cotton wool. No, she has to deal with Lucia and all that herself. Other than that, their relationship was perfect, and I loved the ending of the book so much!

Secondly, why on earth did Paul Slater have to come back? He basically blackmails Suze and tries to force her into cheating on Jesse just so he won't go all demon on everyone. Paul knows Suze would never be with him of her own volition, but that doesn't bother him. Well, it bothered me, and was the main reason why the rating is only a 4. I know the book needed some angst, but the whole cheating situation really got to me.

Even though there were these issues, I still enjoyed the book so much! I will always love this series, and I'm really glad Cabot decided to return to it. The characters (except Paul) were as lovely as they always had been, and I was hooked with the various story arcs playing out. I'm guessing there probably won't be an eighth instalment, with how it ended, but I would definitely read it if there was. I'd recommend the book to those who loved the original series, and I hope the little bits I didn't like won't put you off.

Dates Read:
January 31-1 February 2016

Rating
4 Stars

5 Stars

Review: Princess in the Middle (The Princess Diaries #3) by Meg Cabot

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Princess in the Middle
Series: The Princess Diaries #3
Author: Meg Cabot
Published July 2nd 2015 by Macmillan Children's Books

Goodreads Synopsis
Mia Thermopolis has got everything a girl could possibly want. She's a princess - and she's got a boyfriend! But that's where it all goes wrong. Because Kenny is just NOT the guy she really wants. Michael's the one she's loved forever - but he's going out with someone infinitely cleverer than Mia. Someone who can clone FRUIT FLIES, for heaven's sake! Will the story end happily ever after for the Princess of Genovia?
Goodreads

Review
I started Princess in the Middle immediately after finishing A Royal Disaster, and it was the best decision I've made in a while. It starts about a month or so after the events of A Royal Disaster, and Mia is struggling with the realisation that she'll be going to Genovia within the next month and formally announcing herself as heir to throne. As such, she's having even more princess lessons, and is being fitted with formal gowns to wear on her jam-packed tour of Genovia.

She's also in a relationship for the first time ever, and the problem is, it's with the wrong guy. After Kenny announced in A Royal Disaster that her was her secret admirer, Mia has been dated him, but the feelings just aren't there. She can't stop thinking about the boy she actually likes, Lilly's brother, Michael, and is unbeliably jealous when he starts going out with a genius who cloned fruit flies in her bedroom. Mia is dealing with having a pregnant mother, a new stepfather, studying for finals, figuring out how to break up with Kenny, trying to stop thinking about Michael, and becoming the best princess she can be.

With everyone of these book, the story just gets better and better. Mia is dealing with more than any normal 14 year old could be expected to handle, and, in my opinion, she's doing a bang up job. She's trying to please as many people as she can, especially Grandmere, and her familial bonds were even stronger here. Considering Mia wasn't that close to her Genovian family at the start of this series, she is sharing a lot with them now. Once her feelings for Michael become too much, she asks her father, her Grandmere, even her cousin Sabstiano (who she thinks is plotting her assassination) for advice, and they come through. She becomes a lot closer to her friends too, especially Tina, who helps her send anonymous love letters to Michael, just to let him know there's someone else who likes him.

The romance is just hotting up now. Mia finally has a boyfriend, and though it's not the guy she wants, she still sort of likes him. The only problem is he likes her far too much. Mia is trying her hardest to like him, but thinking about Michael is getting in the way, and there seems to be no way to stop that. The love letters she sent were really cheesy, and I couldn't stop grinning over how much of a sap she was being. Not to give too much away, but the end of this book was everything you could have wanted. I seriously don't think I'll be able to wait for the new editions to be published before reading more, so I'm going to order books 4-10 out of the library ASAP - hopefully they'll come in soon.

Again, this is a series that just gets better and better. I read it originally about 10 years ago, and have loved re-reading them all. If you haven't read them yet, what have you been doing? Get started right away, you won't be disappointed!

Dates Read:
August 4, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: A Royal Disaster (The Princess Diaries #2) by Meg Cabot

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A Royal Disaster
Series: The Princess Diaries #2
Author: Meg Cabot
Published July 2nd 2015 by Macmillan Children's Books

Goodreads Synopsis
Fourteen-year-old Mia Thermopolis is still struggling to come to terms with the fact that she's a princess - and heir to the throne of Genovia! But when she announces on national TV that her mum is pregnant by her algebra teacher and plans to marry him, a right-royal fuss results! Because now Mia's totally out-of-control Grandmere is all set to plan the year's biggest society wedding, with every A-list celeb invited. But will the bride and groom even turn up? And how can Mia find out the true identity of her mysterious secret admirer?
Goodreads

Review
Wow, every time I re-read a Princess Diaries book, I just fall more and more in love with Mia. In A Royal Disaster, Mia has now come to terms with the fact that she is the sole heir to the Genovian throne, and is having daily princess lessons with her Grandmere to prepare for the upcoming visit to Genovia in December. She's also come to terms with her mother dating her algebra teacher, Mr Gianini. However, her mother being pregnant, and engaged, is a whole other thing entirely. On top of all this. Grandmere is forcing Mia to do a TV interview, during which Mia spills the beans on the whole Mr G and her mam situation. Next thing we know, there's a royal wedding being planned for Helen and Mr G, and Mia feels guilty for it all.

As with The Princess Diaries, family is really important in A Royal Disaster. Mia and Helen are as close as ever, and I love seeing Mr G become a part of their family. Grandmere is still Grandmere, but we know she's sort of doing everything because she cares about Mia, sort of. Philippe is still scared of his mother, and chasing every woman in sight, but he steps up in this book. When Helen and Mr G want to stop the wedding from becoming an absolute farce, Philippe tries his best to stop his mother going crazy - try being the optimum word. Mia's interactions with all of her family members, including her maternal grandparents who've flown in for the wedding, were lovely to see. You can always tell that family is important to Mia, and that she wants to be able to please them all, even if that bothers her at times - like with the TV interview.

Family is not the only thing happening here, though. Mia is also crushing on her best friend Lilly's brother, Michael, and can not stop thinking about him. When she starts to get letters and IMs from a mysterious JoCrox, she thinks it might be him, and that makes the crush even harder to ignore. Honestly, I couldn't remember who JoCrox was from reading the books all those years ago, and even I was wishing it was Michael. When it was revealed, I remembered just before then, and I can now start to remember some of the events from subsequent books. I can't wait to dive into Princess in the Middle right now!

The Princess Diaries series is just one of those series that you can't help but love. From reading the books more than 10 years ago til now, I fall even more in love with Mia. She is just one of those protagonists that you want to be real so much, and want to be best friends with. She is loyal and loving, and each book with her in is just wonderfully funny, and witty, and just plain cute. I'm completely overjoyed that these books have been re-released for the 15th anniversary of the series, and wish that a new generation of readers fall in love with Princess Mia!

Dates Read:
August 4, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

ARC Review: Royal Wedding (The Princess Diaries #11) by Meg Cabot

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Royal Wedding
Series: The Princess Diaries #11
Author: Meg Cabot
Published July 2nd 2015 by Macmillan

Goodreads Synopsis
A brand-new new adult instalment of the most popular YA series in all the land! Princess Mia is engaged to be married, but since when in Mia's life did anything go to plan?! Fall back in love with Mia in this new book for older readers.
From Meg Cabot, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first new adult instalment, featuring the now grown-up Princess Mia!
Royal Wedding follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding - but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.
For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community centre, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements, Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.
But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother's leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone - especially herself - that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Also see my review of The Princess Diaries (book 1), & Notebooks of a Middle School Princess.

When I first heard that Meg Cabot would be returning to the Princess Diaries' world in a new, adult book, I was so excited. As I'd grown up with Mia, I could wait to see how she was handling adulthood, and Royal Wedding was absolutely wonderful!

In Royal Wedding, we return to the life of a 26 year old Princess Mia, who is in a wonderful relationship with Michael, who later becomes her fiancé (as the title suggests), is dealing with helping her father rule Genovia, and overcoming some quite major issues - namely discovering that she has a long lost 12 year old half sister, Olivia. The past few years have been really good for Mia. She's secure in her relationship with Michael, even with the paparazzi questioning why they aren't engaged, and is running a community centre for teens in honour of her late stepfather. However, problems start coming thick and fast. Her father, Philippe, has been arrested for speeding, and is facing harsh political opposition, the paparazzi are hounding her about everything from her relationship to her political views, she has a stalker who seems quite crazy, and then there's the unbelievable announcement that she has a half sister, living only 50 miles away in New Jersey. Oh, and also something else, but that's quite spoilery - I can safely say it's something worth waiting to read for.

Considering I only read book 1 last week, it was very weird to jump between the events of them both. However, I'm really pleased with how things have transpired in the meantime, and even though I know what will happen in the future, I'm still looking forward to reading books 2-10. Both this book and From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess cover the same time period, so there is some overlap. It was nice to see both Mia's and Olivia's thoughts on discovering they were sisters, and I'm not actually sure who's voice I preferred. As said earlier, this book is classified as adult, as Mia is now 26, in a committed relationship, etc. However, there were no explicit scenes as such, just allusions to sexual themes, so I think older teenagers would have no problem reading it.

Mia and Michael have always been one of my all time OTPs, and to see them so happy in this book was a dream come true. Because of the events of this book, I'm actually desperate for book 12, even though I finished Royal Wedding less than an hour ago. The romance was exactly as I'd imagined it would be between Mia and Michael as adults, and I'm so happy with where they are in their lives. We also saw many old faces from the original series, including Lilly, Tina, Lana, Lars, etc., all of whom were perfect companions for Mia.

Her family was just as wacky as always. Clarisse will always have a soft spot in my heart, and quotes of hers such as 'But I don't have my eyebrows on! I can't meet my only other grand-children with no eyebrows.' (p323) endeared her even more. Developments between Mia's parents ensured they'd both be in her life in further books. Knowing that Mia will have a full family unit of parents, grandmother, half-siblings, and a new husband to help her with her future in Genovia makes me sure she'll be perfectly fine!

Overall, I could not have asked for a more wonderful return to Mia's life. Being the 15th anniversary year of The Princess Diaries release, Royal Wedding has come at the perfect time, and Cabot should be very proud of her work over the years. I know I was overwhelmed by this story throughout every book, and Royal Wedding was no exception. I honestly could not recommend this enough.

Dates Read:
June 21 to 23 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

ARC Review: The Princess Diaries (The Princess Diaries #1) by Meg Cabot

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The Princess Diaries
Series: The Princess Diaries #1
Author: Meg Cabot
Published July 2nd 2015 by Macmillan Children's Books

Goodreads Synopsis
Mia Thermopolis is pretty sure there's nothing worse than being a five-foor-nine, flat-chested freshman, who also happens to be flunking Algebra.

Is she ever in for a surprise.

First Mom announces that she's dating Mia's Algebra teacher. Then Dad has to go and reveal that he is the crown prince of Genovia. And guess who still doesn't have a date for the Cultural Diversity Dance?
Goodreads

Review

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

When I was offered with the opportunity to review the new 15th anniversary editions of The Princess Diaries, I immediately took it. Being 20, I grew up with this series, and count wait to re-read one of my favourite ever series!

I had actually forgot most of the events of book 1, The Princess Diaries, and was actually going off what the movies say. Oh, how wrong I was. First of all, Mia's father, Philippe, isn't actually dead. He's the person who tells Mia the truth about her birth and heritage, all because he is now infertile due to chemotherapy and other forms of cancer treatment. Therefore, Mia is the sole heir to the Genovian throne. Secondly, Mia's grandmother, sorry, Grandmère, is nothing like Julie Andrews. She's abrupt, and to the point, and is not the loving grandma we meet in the movies. Yes she cares for Mia, but she also has a job in transforming Mia from an average 14 year old teenager, to a princess ready to deal with all forms of diplomatic events, and one day rule a small principality. Thirdly, Mia and her mam, Helen, live in Greenwich Village, New York, and not China Town, San Francisco. Out of all the differences I'd noticed, these are the three that immediately stood out.

Nevertheless, it was still really fun and enjoyable to dive right back into Mia's life, and to, once again, see how she overcame the struggles of becoming a princess overnight.

Mia is pretty much like any normal 14 year old. She worries about maths, especially algebra with she is terrible at, dealing with issues between friends, and wondering when, actually, puberty would hit. Oh, and just getting through the school day without causing any major issues with the popular gang. She has a crush on the most popular guy at school, Josh Richter, who, unbelievably, asks her to the school Cultural Diversity Dance. However, this is not the dream date she'd always imagined it would be - he's basically only using her for her new found popularity as a princess.

I really felt for Mia having so much upheaval thrust on her in a short space of time - book 1 takes place in less than a month. And in this time she has had to deal with starting high school, finding out her algebra teacher is dating her mom, discovering her dad had cancer, being told she was the sole heir of Genovia, putting up with "Princess Lesson" with her Grandmère, and struggling with the big reveal on the front page of The Post. To be honest, Mia succeeded quite well in coping with all of this, and I definitely can't wait to read the subsequent books in the series - especially as the romance between Mia and Michael begins to hot up!

I definitely cannot recommend this series too much! It goes down as one of my all time, favourite childhood series, and I actually feel as if I've grown up with Mia, as much as I had with characters such as Harry Potter, Georgia Nicholson, etc. Congratulations to Meg Cabot on having produced such a wonderful series that has now reached 15 years old!

Dates Read:
June 10-11, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

4 Stars

ARC Review: Notebooks of a Middle School Princess (Notebooks of a Middle School Princess #1) by Meg Cabot

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Notebooks of a Middle School Princess
Series: Notebooks of a Middle School Princess #1
Author: Meg Cabot
Published May 21st 2015 by Macmillan Children's Books

Goodreads Synopsis
The first in a brand-new, funny, heart-warming illustrated Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot.

Olivia Grace is completely average. Or so she thinks . . . until Her Royal Highness, Princess Mia Thermopolis turns up at her school one day and whisks Olivia away to New York City! In a limo, no less! Where you can eat all the cookies you want and the ceiling lights up pink and purple - like a disco! But discovering that your father is actually the Prince of Genovia is quite a shock. Especially since it means you're a descendant of the Kingdom of Genovia, and a princess. Olivia's got a lot to learn about her long-lost family - and everyone's got a lot to learn about her!

Olivia chronicles her transformation from ordinary girl to princess in her notebook, with illustrations from Meg Cabot, who studied Fine Arts as an undergraduate.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Notebooks of a Middle School Princess tells the story of Olivia, a normal twelve year old who is just dealing school, her family, and her friends. However, she finds out, quite dramatically, that she is actually a princess, the daughter of the Prince of Genovia. Olivia is a princess!

I really loved being thrust back into the Princess Diaries world. I remember reading that series when I was younger, and as soon as I saw Meg Cabot was delving back into the world, from the PoV of a new character, I knew I had to read it! I was so happy when I saw I was approved on NetGalley for an eARC.

Though I don't normally read children's books - I tend to read more YA (that's why the blog is called Sophie Reads YA) - I really enjoyed how sweet Olivia was as a protagonist, and how innocent her character was. Meeting old characters from the Princess Diaries world, particularly Mia, was amazing, and the interactions of Olivia with her newly found family was everything I could ask for. I can't wait to see how their family dynamic continues to grow as the series progresses, as the family begin to become a proper family, and I hope that Olivia will be part of Cabot's upcoming book, Royal Wedding.

The book was quite short, just under 200 pages, but I felt the story progressed at a steady pace, perfect for readers of the intended audience. The story line was quite inventive, you could obviously tell that it was a first book in the series, as there was a lot of setting the scene and introducing the characters, but I definitely felt that the potential for really great story lines have been set up for future instalments.

After reading this book I realised I definitely need to re-read the Princess Diaries series, which I hope to do this summer to prepare for Royal Wedding, but I'm really looking forward to reading further books in this series.

Dates Read:
April 10 to 12, 2015

Rating
4 Stars