Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914

This tells the story of Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra of Russia. It is told in diary format and starts in January 1914. At the beginning of the book, Anastasia is a carefree rich 12-year old, with not too much to worry about. As time goes on, her diary covers Rasputin, World War I, and her family's imprisonment. There is then an epilogue to cover the end of her story and a historical note that, in a short version, covers much of Russia's history

I really enjoyed this YA telling of the Romanovs' story from Anastasia's point of view. It's definitely an interesting way, especially for someone young, to learn about that history.

I really liked this book more than the last one I read in the series, though I could definitely tell this book was written for a younger audience, which once again, made me wish I had known about these books when I was in the proper age group, but such is life. The story line is good, I connected with Anastasia and her family and there was a part of me that grew upset during the epilogue even though I knew it was coming. I learned a lot as well. It was worth the read. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I really liked this book more than the last one I read in the series, though I could definitely tell this book was written for a younger audience, which once again, made me wish I had known about these books when I was in the proper age group, but such is life. The story line is good, I connected with Anastasia and her family and there was a part of me that grew upset during the epilogue even though I knew it was coming. I learned a lot as well. It was worth the read. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I really liked this book more than the last one I read in the series, though I could definitely tell this book was written for a younger audience, which once again, made me wish I had known about these books when I was in the proper age group, but such is life. The story line is good, I connected with Anastasia and her family and there was a part of me that grew upset during the epilogue even though I knew it was coming. I learned a lot as well. It was worth the read. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I know this is a series for young girls, but as someone with a strong interest in Russian history and in the last of the Romanovs, this book seemed very...tepid. The character of Anastasia just never really came alive, and the circumstances around the royal family is not made very interesting. Compared to Karen Lasky's fictional diary of Marie Antoinette, I would say this one is a dude.

Ever since I saw the cartoon movie, "Anastasia", I have been obsessed with learning about the Romanov family, and this book was fantastic for that!
As I've come to expect from all the Royal Diaries books, "Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess" was full of interesting details and characters from the tragic story of the family of Russia's last tsar.
Some of my favorite elements were the family's holiday traditions, Anastasia's tribulations with her sisters (and their OTMA plays), as well as the creepy presence of the sinister Father Grigory, or as he is better known, Rasputin.
As always in this series, there is a section in the back with photos, family trees, and other historical background to add to the diary.
Highly recommended!

What I liked best about this book was that, through a fictional diary kept by Anastasia Romanov, youngest daughter of the last tsar of Russia, was that is showed her not as a royal figure but just as a girl with feelings and concerns. The book begins in 1914. Twelve-year-old Anastasia and her family lead lives of luxury in an elegant palace and enjoy frequant holidays. Anastasia's biggest concern is learning her lessons in time. But as the years go by, and Russia becomes involved in World War I, the Russian people become increasingly dissatisfied, and in 1917, Anastasia's father is forced to abdicate, and the family is exiled to Siberia. The diary ends just two months before seventeen-year-old Anastasia and her family are executed by show more revolutionaries. The book, except at the very beginning, was really sad, but it brought the life the end of the Romanov dynasty and young Anastasia's final years. I highly reccomend it if you enjoyed any of the other books in this series. show less