Princess in Training

Okay, I love this series so much. So much.
BUT.
This whole PRECIOUS GIFT BS? It's just that. BS!!! Mia, you're a feminist! Virginity is a social construct used as another means of oppression! If she refers to "the precious gift of the flower" of her virginity twenty-five more times I will crack. (Not before then.)

This book also has a touch that almost comes off as transphobic when Mia and her friends don't know which gender Perin is and thus think that she is weird--it ultimately doesn't, but I did feel quite uncomfortable about one scene in particular. Of course, Mia then goes on to befriend Perin and adopt her into her friend group, so that's nicely resolved, but I think if Cabot were writing today, it would have been discussed further, show more and it was very much a point I wasn't happy with.

All in all, this book is probably the one that made me identify so much with everything Mia. Because most YA books feature characters being like "I want to jump his bones" "I'm planning how to jump his bones" "will I be perceived as slutty if I jump his bones?" and very few (any??) are like "Sex doesn't sound like fun" and I think maybe adults writing forget that sex is a scary thing at the age of 15!
I just started in on 8 and I'll get to my thoughts on Michael's response then, but for this one, Mia's reluctance is so realistic. And as an ace teen who had no idea that asexuality was a thing, this book was the most beautiful thing. So even though I want to four star this, it's getting five stars for making teen-Ema feel like she wasn't alone. show less

Mia has returned from her summer in Genovia to begin her sophomore year of high school. Of course, with a baby brother at home, a boyfriend who has just started college, a best friend who has nominated her for student body president, Monaco accusing her of ecoterrorism, and ongoing princess lessons with Grandmere, her life is still really complicated.

These books continue to amuse me greatly even as I shake my head at Mia's mental spirals (if only because I was very similar in my teens). I did enjoy the wink Cabot includes to the Disney films in this one. I'm not sure how well these would hold up for teens today, but they continue to feel true to my experiences as a teen.

I feel like finally in this book something clicks for Mia about being a Princess and leader for that matter. In this installment Mia is faced with a lot of important things - she very well may have screwed up in Genovia over the summer, her boyfriend might want to get more serious than she is ready for, and her best friend has nominated her to run for student council president. So just another dramatic year for Mia.

This book was another crazy ramble of Mia's thoughts and feelings but she also started to learn that she really needs tom communication with people if she is ever going to learn anything and actually take on her role as a princess. Granted it takes the whole book for her to realize this but she is getting there.

I loved her show more growth in this book, she is really coming into herself and standing up for what she wants and doesn't want. She is growing up and it is showing. Now that doesn't mean that she isn't still freaking out like a teenager - there is still a lot of that fun ridiculous Mia humor for those of you who have read other books in the series. show less

Do these people never talk to each other? What kind of a couple are Michael and Mia when they can hardly communicate about the things that bother them. I know its the formula for this series, but waiting until the last chapter tp actually talk to each other, well, it's just annoying.
It's hard to see how they love each other so much when they hardly spend any time together.
Other than that, I enjoyed this, all the side plots were funny, and Mia's baby-licking was entertaining.

Another installment, another book full of me hating Lilly. I'm not sure what it is that makes Mia continue to be friends with her. She's abrasive and pushy and bossy and down right mean and insulting to the people she claims are her friends. It really rubs me the wrong way. Other than the Lilly side of things, I love how the author chose to poke fun at the differences in the film versions of the series. That move endeared me to Ms. Cabot all the more. Michael, oh Michael, how much I love this guy! He's smart without being abrasive like his sister, and he truly seems to care about Mia. I love his line at the end of the book, which totally sealed my love for his character. Oh, the story, so the plot is a bit different this time and show more focuses a lot on high school and how it compares to her princess life. I liked the comparison aspect and think it was brilliant to write it that way. Great addition to the series and a must read for true fans. show less

Quick Thoughts:
1. Mia's youth was really starting to bother me in the other books. Even at the beginning of this book it could be too much. I know she's young but she acts younger than 15 at times. She finally start to grow up in this book though! In actually excited to see more of her!
2. I still don't like Michael. He acts younger than his age too. Plus what else would he expect when he's dating a high school girl. Come on.
3. I was kind of annoyed that a big chunk of this book was Mia freaking out about having sex. For whatever reason she believes the class bully when she said all guys want it when they get to college. There was way too much emphasis on this part.
4. I loved how Mia finally took a good step up to becoming a good show more princess. I wish we could have seen more growth from her.
5. The books are getting better for sure! I'm now excited to see what's going to happen next. show less

One of the things I mentioned in the All-American Girl reviews is that Mia is a very immature character compared to other Meg Cabot heroines, and it shows in this book. It also doesn’t help that the major subplot is lifted from Ready or Not, although Mia’s approach to the sex question is vastly different from Sam’s. The one thing I did like about this is that you see Mia’s confidence growing, with the main plot of her being thrust into the student council president race. She actually does speak up on issues, without Lilly or other friends pushing her to do so. It’s a direction I really hoped would show up in later volumes (which I’ll get to when I get to them). The subplot with Michael and the question of whether or not that show more they should “do it,” on the other hand, really illustrates her immaturity. Mia continuously freaks out at any mention of committing the “act,” but without sitting down and talking it through with her boyfriend. I am also not a fan of the subplot with Ms. Martinez—while I can sort of see and understand Mia’s reaction of “OMG HOW DARE SHE NOT THINK MY WRITING IS BRILLIANT!!”, I’m not a fan of the obvious offense of “Pop culture references aren’t high literature.” (Which becomes more egregious once you learn that it was meant to be a take that at some of Meg Cabot’s critics.) There’s a lot of wasted potential in the book, particularly in making Mia grow as a character, and it really shows in the writing. show less