Meg Cabot, I must say is an amazing author. Does she just sit around all day writing as Princess Mia? Seriously! There are 9 books plus numerous bonus books out and at least 1 more to come. (that I know of.) After reading all 9 plus most of the extra in-between books, here's my review:
We start out with the diary of an average flat-chested fourteen-year-old freshman. She's definitely not happy with how life has been turning out, but she's not in any mood to change her routine. Contrary to what you may believe after seeing Disney's portrayal of the book, Mia's father is NOT dead. And her grandmother? MOST DEFINITELY NOT Julie Andrews. Her Grandmére is a total witch! So anyway, the first book, Princess Diaries is basically the beginning. She's told she's a princess (by her father, actually.) Now, why is she a princess if her father is still alive? Well...see, he got cancer...and...had...his...well, hopefully you get the idea. He can't make babies anymore and Mia's his only (illegitimate) child.
If you've seen the movies, you'll know that Anne Hathaway did not play a freshman, she was supposed to be almost sixteen. What about Lilly and Michael? Lilly is indeed Mia's best friend, but way bossier. They are constantly fighting. CONSTANTLY. Michael is probably the closest character in the movie. He is actually a senior when Mia is a freshman and they start going out. That doesn't exactly happen immediately though. It actually doesn't happen a little later.
There is a guy mentioned in nearly every book. That is the-guy-who-hates-it-when-they-put-corn-in-the-chili. Who is this guy? Well, you find out later...if you read!
Every single day after school Mia must go to Princess lessons with her grandmére. This lady loves sidecars (a type of drink) and cigars and takes crap from no one. Grandmére is one of those people who you feel the need to either impress or run away from. This dowager princess isn't exactly loving or caring, but she does her best to see that Mia becomes the best princess she can be.
As the series continues throughout Mia's freshman, sophmore, and junior years in high school, her friends change, her views in life change and her styles of writing change. There are haters, like the person who created http://www.ihatemiathermopolis.com/. (it's a real site! go ahead and click on it!) Then there are people like her dear friend Tina Hakim Baba who are with her through thick and thin.
While some parts get a little shallow and some teenage girls get a little sassy, the entire book is kind of like having a best friend right in your hands. When there are problems, I always find myself thinking what I would do in her situation, or relating to the current situation. I mean, okay, she's a princess and all, but she's still a normal girl.
sites to click on:
http://www.megcabot.com/
http://www.ihatemiathermopolis.com/ (it's hard to understand unless you've read the books. The posts are actually mentioned and accurate.)
http://www.miathermopolis.com/ (just found out about this, actually. This part doesn't come in until book 10 so I guess we'll all have to wait to completely understand!)
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
TWILIGHT!!! nearly here!
If you are here reading this, then you probably know that I LOVE Twilight. I cannot wait for the movie! Here's your countdown to Twilight the movie!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Deadline
This book is VERY worth reading. Deadline by Chris Crutcher, is a bit sad, but really shows what someone might do if they were dying. Ben is the little guy. He runs cross country and has a younger brother (by 11 and a half months) that is about twice his size. They are in the same grade, though, and the largely built one is the big football star.
When Ben finds out that the chances of treatment helping him are slim to none, he tells his Doc not to tell anyone. (he's 18, he can do what he wants) Their compromise is a that Ben will go to a psychiatrist (or is it psychologist?) and discuss why he, in a way, wants to die. Even though, it's not that he WANTS to die, he just never saw himself as the type to grow old.
Ben decides to live the life worth living. He joins football instead of Cross Country, puts in a little extra charm to get the girl, Dallas, helps the town drunk, and smarts off to his history teacher. (man i'd love to smart off to my teacher!) It's all going well, no one even suspects his health is in danger.
Going to the pychiatrist, he mentions that he has these dream conversations with Hey-Soos. I'm not kidding, that's how it's spelled. Not Jesus. HEY-SOOS. Anyway, Hey-Soos says that Ben has to tell the truth. He can't live this way until he dies.
There's a twist. He's the star of the team, he gets the girl, the town drunk is sober and wise, and he couldn't be more smug during history. Dallas, however, shares secrets he'd rather not know. The former drunk, tells the tale of his life before he came to the small town. These secrets put a stop to Ben's own.
He tells all, Rudie, the drunk, Dallas, the girl, his brother, the coach, and his parents. If he thought it was bad with them not knowing, this was way worse.
In the end, of course, he dies. In order to find if they all forgave him, you must...READ!
When Ben finds out that the chances of treatment helping him are slim to none, he tells his Doc not to tell anyone. (he's 18, he can do what he wants) Their compromise is a that Ben will go to a psychiatrist (or is it psychologist?) and discuss why he, in a way, wants to die. Even though, it's not that he WANTS to die, he just never saw himself as the type to grow old.
Ben decides to live the life worth living. He joins football instead of Cross Country, puts in a little extra charm to get the girl, Dallas, helps the town drunk, and smarts off to his history teacher. (man i'd love to smart off to my teacher!) It's all going well, no one even suspects his health is in danger.
Going to the pychiatrist, he mentions that he has these dream conversations with Hey-Soos. I'm not kidding, that's how it's spelled. Not Jesus. HEY-SOOS. Anyway, Hey-Soos says that Ben has to tell the truth. He can't live this way until he dies.
There's a twist. He's the star of the team, he gets the girl, the town drunk is sober and wise, and he couldn't be more smug during history. Dallas, however, shares secrets he'd rather not know. The former drunk, tells the tale of his life before he came to the small town. These secrets put a stop to Ben's own.
He tells all, Rudie, the drunk, Dallas, the girl, his brother, the coach, and his parents. If he thought it was bad with them not knowing, this was way worse.
In the end, of course, he dies. In order to find if they all forgave him, you must...READ!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Tuck Everlasting
Yeah, I finally read it. It's so SHORT! I didn't realize that. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is extremely good. If you haven't already read it, then go and do that. It really didn't take long.
Winnie Foster is out on a walk, and she sees this guy just sitting by a tree. Jesse Tuck is his name. Now, Winnie is only about 10 or 12, and this guy is about 17. Winnie tries to drink water from this spring, like she saw Jesse do, but when he refuses to let her, she must learn the story as to why. However, this means he must confide in his mother, Mae. Then, thanks to this little secret, Winnie is taken to the Tuck's house. In the night each Tuck takes turns asking her if she's okay, and generally caring for her. When Jesse comes to talk to her, he asks her if maybe when she gets older, (say, 17?) she could go and drink from the spring and they could be together forever. Winnie will think about it. But what price is there to pay for living on earth forever?
Meanwhile, this weird dude in a yellow suit, pretty much heard the entire conversation, and tells the Foster's where to find there daughter, as long as he can have the area where the spring is on their property. The Fosters accept and Winnie is found by the man in the yellow suit at the Tucks. They can't let anyone know about the spring though, so Mae, in an attempt to protect her family injures (and ends up killing) the man in the yellow suit right as the sherriff is coming.
So Mae is now in jail. Aw, sad. How will she escape? Will Winnie ever join the tucks in roaming the earth forever? Read to find out, comment to discuss!
Winnie Foster is out on a walk, and she sees this guy just sitting by a tree. Jesse Tuck is his name. Now, Winnie is only about 10 or 12, and this guy is about 17. Winnie tries to drink water from this spring, like she saw Jesse do, but when he refuses to let her, she must learn the story as to why. However, this means he must confide in his mother, Mae. Then, thanks to this little secret, Winnie is taken to the Tuck's house. In the night each Tuck takes turns asking her if she's okay, and generally caring for her. When Jesse comes to talk to her, he asks her if maybe when she gets older, (say, 17?) she could go and drink from the spring and they could be together forever. Winnie will think about it. But what price is there to pay for living on earth forever?
Meanwhile, this weird dude in a yellow suit, pretty much heard the entire conversation, and tells the Foster's where to find there daughter, as long as he can have the area where the spring is on their property. The Fosters accept and Winnie is found by the man in the yellow suit at the Tucks. They can't let anyone know about the spring though, so Mae, in an attempt to protect her family injures (and ends up killing) the man in the yellow suit right as the sherriff is coming.
So Mae is now in jail. Aw, sad. How will she escape? Will Winnie ever join the tucks in roaming the earth forever? Read to find out, comment to discuss!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
Haha, I just love that title. This book, by Barry Lyga is a funny tale of a nerdy comic book geek and his run-in with the school's gothic depressed girl. This is from Fanboy's point of view, and it only mentions his real name, like, once. I think it's Donnie, but for the purpose of being efficient, I shall refer to him as Fanboy.
So Fanboy is a freshman comic book geek, who's mother is pregnant and his step-father is refered by him as the steph-fascist. Lovely, huh? He has one friend, who is only his friend when the jock jerks aren't around. For this guy is an in-the-closet comic book fan. Everyone knows you can't be a jock and still like comics. Well, he's still his friend, just he doesn't openly admit it.
Kyra, the goth girl, is very strong-willed. Depressed though she is, she has NO PROBLEM speaking her mind or showing what's true. She is the only one who sees Fanboy when some dumb kid comes up to him during gym class and starts punching him on the shoulder. That's just stupid! Someone needs to tell these teachers to pay a little attention!
This whole deal is what really starts up their interest in each other. She's into comic books, but not the superhero ones. Fanboy likes the superheroes, but also others. He has been working on this major comic book for a while, and Kyra is the ONLY person who really has seen it, and knows what it's about it. His best friend (the jock) doesn't even know. The plan is simple, he thinks. His all-time comic book idol (the author...of something) is coming to a comic convention somewhere near his town. All he has to do is get him to look at his work and read a little of this huge comic project, and they'll become good friends and he'll be a famous comic book author.
Would someone get this boy back to reality? Haha...I wish I could get that famous that easily.
Anyway, they get into a fight, before the convention, about the fact that guys always fall for girls with bigger bosoms. His main character is really based (subconsiously) on the girl he's had a crush on. Let me tell, you Kyra's opinion was made quite clear. Let's just say, if they make a movie, and show ALL the parts, it shall have to remain unrated, or censored. It's funny, but she really is more assertive once people give her the chance.
Later, Kyra still hates Fanboy. She is in such a depressed mental state that she is irrational. The thought of suicide comes to Fanboy's mind, and his off like a shot to save her. (No pun intended. Haha.) Kyra is fine, but she tells Fanboy to stay out of her life. He realizes that this is no longer an option, she is in his life, whether they like it or not.
I really enjoyed this book. It made me crack up laughing! Very relatable issues if your a freshman, a nerd, or just weird. Basically, people should read this just because it's there. It even has a few lessons on life.
So Fanboy is a freshman comic book geek, who's mother is pregnant and his step-father is refered by him as the steph-fascist. Lovely, huh? He has one friend, who is only his friend when the jock jerks aren't around. For this guy is an in-the-closet comic book fan. Everyone knows you can't be a jock and still like comics. Well, he's still his friend, just he doesn't openly admit it.
Kyra, the goth girl, is very strong-willed. Depressed though she is, she has NO PROBLEM speaking her mind or showing what's true. She is the only one who sees Fanboy when some dumb kid comes up to him during gym class and starts punching him on the shoulder. That's just stupid! Someone needs to tell these teachers to pay a little attention!
This whole deal is what really starts up their interest in each other. She's into comic books, but not the superhero ones. Fanboy likes the superheroes, but also others. He has been working on this major comic book for a while, and Kyra is the ONLY person who really has seen it, and knows what it's about it. His best friend (the jock) doesn't even know. The plan is simple, he thinks. His all-time comic book idol (the author...of something) is coming to a comic convention somewhere near his town. All he has to do is get him to look at his work and read a little of this huge comic project, and they'll become good friends and he'll be a famous comic book author.
Would someone get this boy back to reality? Haha...I wish I could get that famous that easily.
Anyway, they get into a fight, before the convention, about the fact that guys always fall for girls with bigger bosoms. His main character is really based (subconsiously) on the girl he's had a crush on. Let me tell, you Kyra's opinion was made quite clear. Let's just say, if they make a movie, and show ALL the parts, it shall have to remain unrated, or censored. It's funny, but she really is more assertive once people give her the chance.
Later, Kyra still hates Fanboy. She is in such a depressed mental state that she is irrational. The thought of suicide comes to Fanboy's mind, and his off like a shot to save her. (No pun intended. Haha.) Kyra is fine, but she tells Fanboy to stay out of her life. He realizes that this is no longer an option, she is in his life, whether they like it or not.
I really enjoyed this book. It made me crack up laughing! Very relatable issues if your a freshman, a nerd, or just weird. Basically, people should read this just because it's there. It even has a few lessons on life.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
A Great and Terrible Beauty
So, over the past week or so, I read A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. It's a great, and not terrible book.
The main chracter, Gemma, has always begged her mother to go to London, where her grandmother lives. When a cryptic guy in a black cape says something to her mother on the street, resulting in a verbal fight between mother and daughter, and Gemma walks away. So sad. As she walks away, she has a vision nof her mother, and she wakes to the face of a familiar stanger in a black cape and finds out that it really had happened. There after, every vision she had, becomes true. When this "tragedy strikes," Gemma is sent to a boarding school in London, as if her dream has finally come true. When arriving at Spence Academy, Gemma becomes fast frenemies (friend/ enemies- she was first enemies with them, but then became friends with half of the group.) with the most powerful girls in the school.
Gemma was told by that stranger to close her mind to the visions. These visions, though, are sometimes hard to supress. A small girl comes to her in one, and she finds "The Secret Diary of Mary Dowd." Gemma reads that what's happening to her, had happened to Mary and her friend Sarah. These two people seem to be the only hope of finding what si really happening here.
The problems that Gemma and her friends face, define the entire book; becoming marriagable young ladies, finding wealthy husbands, surviving assembly day, and staying together through the secrets and lies of it all.
You should read this. It's going to bother you if you don't find out what happens! Tell me who Circe is, not to mention, Kartick! (;])
The main chracter, Gemma, has always begged her mother to go to London, where her grandmother lives. When a cryptic guy in a black cape says something to her mother on the street, resulting in a verbal fight between mother and daughter, and Gemma walks away. So sad. As she walks away, she has a vision nof her mother, and she wakes to the face of a familiar stanger in a black cape and finds out that it really had happened. There after, every vision she had, becomes true. When this "tragedy strikes," Gemma is sent to a boarding school in London, as if her dream has finally come true. When arriving at Spence Academy, Gemma becomes fast frenemies (friend/ enemies- she was first enemies with them, but then became friends with half of the group.) with the most powerful girls in the school.
Gemma was told by that stranger to close her mind to the visions. These visions, though, are sometimes hard to supress. A small girl comes to her in one, and she finds "The Secret Diary of Mary Dowd." Gemma reads that what's happening to her, had happened to Mary and her friend Sarah. These two people seem to be the only hope of finding what si really happening here.
The problems that Gemma and her friends face, define the entire book; becoming marriagable young ladies, finding wealthy husbands, surviving assembly day, and staying together through the secrets and lies of it all.
You should read this. It's going to bother you if you don't find out what happens! Tell me who Circe is, not to mention, Kartick! (;])
Monday, September 1, 2008
A Hatred For Tulips
A Hatred for Tulips by Richard Lourie is in the point of view of a man who grew up during the time of World War II. This man, Joop, opens the door to his little brother Willem, who Joop hasn't seen for over 50 or 60 years. Willem had come over to Holland from America to learn about what his family went through during WWII and to get to know his brother.
Joop has a secret though. He tells his brother that he was the one who found the hiding place of Anne Frank.
The first chapter is an introduction of sorts, when the brothers meet and what is said about their family. Every chapter after is Joop speaking to Willem and telling him about the time from "before you twins were born" all the way to when he found the secret annex. Part II then is an interuption by Willem. Joop blames his betrayal of Anne Frank on Willem. Willem was a toddler then, how could he have told the Nazis where his brother had been? No, it wasn't Willem physically, it was the thought of Willem in Joops mind that drove him to do it. Now, as Joop is an old man he realizes that he had done things to help her without knowing, and she had lived an easier life during the war than many families of the Dutch. The "good Dutch" as they say. Then Part III which is then end it pretty much sums up the whole book, ending with the quote "Would I lie to my own brother."
If you've read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, then you'll enjoy this refreshingly different point of view. Overall, I liked the book, even though I had barely any time to read it. So...I bid you goodbye at that. Go read a book!
Joop has a secret though. He tells his brother that he was the one who found the hiding place of Anne Frank.
The first chapter is an introduction of sorts, when the brothers meet and what is said about their family. Every chapter after is Joop speaking to Willem and telling him about the time from "before you twins were born" all the way to when he found the secret annex. Part II then is an interuption by Willem. Joop blames his betrayal of Anne Frank on Willem. Willem was a toddler then, how could he have told the Nazis where his brother had been? No, it wasn't Willem physically, it was the thought of Willem in Joops mind that drove him to do it. Now, as Joop is an old man he realizes that he had done things to help her without knowing, and she had lived an easier life during the war than many families of the Dutch. The "good Dutch" as they say. Then Part III which is then end it pretty much sums up the whole book, ending with the quote "Would I lie to my own brother."
If you've read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, then you'll enjoy this refreshingly different point of view. Overall, I liked the book, even though I had barely any time to read it. So...I bid you goodbye at that. Go read a book!
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