Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914

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.

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 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!

I find it a shame that the last months of any of the royal diaries princesses are always the most interesting and sad. That being said I still like the series because I don’t know everything about every princess except this one. Anastasia story is very familiar to me as I have read everything I can get my hands on about the Romanov. Out of the the four girls of Nicholas and Alexandria Anastasia was the most lovable for having a great sense of humor and being artistic.

This book captures a little of Anastasia’s life but I would encourage those who are interested in her history to read other books because I believe that many other book grab the essence of Anastasia better.