Fun cute middle school aged book. Fun historical fiction but likely won't read again. ( )

Such an excellent book. Well written, beautifully researched and well grounded in the times, relatable protagonist. A bit shocked at the realism occasionally observed, in terms of (especially royal) brutality. Good for adults or young adults who are ready for it. ( )

00011734

I loved this book when I was like 11, so much so that I still own it and intend to keep it forever, but did anyone ever notice just how creepy Mark Antony is?

Like, dang man, you're like almost thirty and she's literally half your age, and is going through puberty, so can you refrain from flashing her and drunk kissing her in the darkness? That's literally sexual harrassment, not romantic.

I know this is supposed to be like, pseudo-historical, but could they have made her a little bit older? Even 18 would have been better, so it isn't so pervy. Or since this is a book for children, they could have, idk not written that storyline?
Other than that, I loved this book and still read it sometimes just to feel nostalgic. ( )

Of the four "Royal Diaries" I've read, this one was by far the best. Maybe it was because Cleopatra's life as a child was so much more interesting than that of Anastasia Romanova or Marie Antoinette or Isabel of Aragon, or, since there was less known about Cleopatra's childhood, the author was able to use more imagination in making Cleopatra a personality who was capable of and did rule Egypt.

Kristina Gregory used as much actual history and events as she could, but what Cleopatra actually thought about her father, her older sister, her personal fears and ambitions are, of course, speculative. Nevertheless, it is a wild, frightening and believable story.

Some may wonder whether the events are appropriate for 8-10 year-olds for whom this series is aimed, but I feel that showing how a girl of 12 was able to maneuver and survive (at least through her adolescence) attempts on her life, her father's alcoholism, the contempt of the Romans by using her intellect is uplifting. The extra information at the endof the book and the pictures of the main characters also feeds the imagination. ( )