In this tenth and final installment in the Princess Diaries series, it’s been awhile since we last heard from Mia, and her life is drastically different from what it was in most of the series. Why has it been awhile? Mia’s been too busy to write in her journal because she’s written a historical romance novel! She’s now trying to get it published under a pen name. She hasn’t told anyone about it; they think she’s been writing a senior project on Genovian olive growing. A four hundred page project on Genovian olive growing. Anyway, she’s collecting quite a stack of rejections as Daphne Delacroix when Michael asks to read the project (still thinking it’s about Genovian olive growing), and Mia is less than thrilled with the idea of her ex-boyfriend reading her romance novel. With sex scenes.
Michael has been in Japan for two years. He and Mia tried to stay friends, but it’s really just been infrequent emails, and they’re far from close. In fact, he doesn’t even tell her when he comes back to Manhattan, but of course it’s all over the news, because the project he went to Japan to pursue is a major success. Awkward situations ensue.
It’s even more complicated because, even though she’s been going out with JP for two years, Michael’s return makes her rethink their relationship and JP, and see everything in a new light. On top of all of that, Mia’s also about to turn eighteen, and Grandmere is planning her party–never a good idea. She’s also going to graduate high school, and she still has to figure out where she’s going to college next year. Oh, and if that’s not enough for Mia to deal with at once, her father’s run for Genovia’s first Prime Minister isn’t going as well as she had hoped. And she’s only got about three weeks to sort out all of this!
In Forever Princess, Mia’s life is as crazy and confused as ever. Mia is herself, but I love how she’s grown as the series has progressed, too. She’s definitely a different girl than she was in book one, or even book nine, and it’s wonderfully realistic. As always, I loved every minute spent in Mia’s head. There are books I’m reluctant to put down, and then there are books that I literally cannot put down and must read during dinner–this one was definitely the latter type! I laughed loudly, I cringed in embarassment, I wanted to beat some sense into Mia for being so stupid sometimes (but still completely understood why she thought and acted as she did). That’s one of the many things I love about Meg Cabot–her characters always make sense. They’re always just like real people. Even more so in Mia’s case, perhaps, because Mia’s voice is so much like the author’s natural one (read Meg’s blog and you’ll see what I mean–it’s no surprise that the inspiration for these stories came from her own journals!). These are people, though, not just characters, and I’ve loved getting to know them over the past ten books (plus the short side stories). I’m sad to see them go. I wish that this book was not the last in the Princess Diaries series, but at least I have Ransom My Heart, Mia’s romance novel, sitting next to me, too!
Meg Cabot is at her best here; this book is funny and well-written and still manages to feel fresh and new despite its predictability. I seem to remember Meg saying once on her blog that she still thought she wrote romance novels (correct me if I’m wrong), and it’s true; I love the romances in her stories. However, there’s a lot more to these books than romance (not to sell romance novels short or anything, as most of them are more than the romance, too)–these are books about life. And, sure, Mia’s the princess of a small European country, but she’s also very much someone you could imagine meeting at school or in the library or at a protest march. She’s someone you could imagine hanging out with and talking to. She’s trying to figure out herself and her future, just like most high school seniors. She’s a very relatable and still very interesting character. I’m sorry to see her go, because even though there’s a nice ending to this story, Mia’s so real that it feels like her story is far from over. I feel like she and the rest of the people in her life are out there somewhere in the world, and it’s a rare author who can make their characters feel that real.
Five out of six windows and a heart:
January 7, 2009 at 2:43 pm
OH MY GOD, I WANT TO READ THIS SO BADLY.
SERIOUSLY.
Aaaaaaggghhhh.
I may die of waiting.
(Joking, I think?)
August 14, 2010 at 6:31 am
Joking????I mean that seriously!!!!!
January 9, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Sister you don’t know the half of it. Luckily I am purchasing it tonight.
January 9, 2009 at 11:49 pm
This is the best book ever!!!! I picked it up today and could not put it down. Honestly, I was teary eyed when I finished it. As usual, Meg Cabot’s book is witty, amusing, and just plain fun. A must read!
January 10, 2009 at 8:13 pm
this the best book ever i love it
January 13, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Yes, I also loved this book — to pieces! That’s probably why my blog showed up under the autolinks for your post, haha. :) Great review.
February 3, 2009 at 11:42 pm
I love this boook its the best ever
February 27, 2009 at 3:22 pm
i hate JP AND i LOVE MICHEAL
May 25, 2009 at 7:43 am
I really REALLY really love this book. I’ve read it again and again. This is my fave book. Totally.
July 31, 2009 at 12:11 pm
i really want to read this book so badly?? can somone tell me how the book ends ??????????????????????
September 22, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Michael and mia are totally in love, mia is okay with lilly, J.P. is discovered (he is a cheater and idiot, that’s all I can say) and her father becomes the prime minister of genovia, well them all live happily ever after… Meg Cabot is a real genious…
September 3, 2009 at 3:58 pm
i want to read this book so much.i love the serise of princess diaries and her other books.
September 3, 2009 at 3:59 pm
i want to read this book so much.i love the serise of princess diaries and her other books.i love michale and hate jp
September 22, 2009 at 3:14 pm
This book is wonderful, i just finished reading it and it’s worthy. If you like Michael and hate J.P. like I do. Well… Ican’t tell you too much, you HAVE to read it!!!
November 3, 2009 at 8:52 pm
MICHAEL ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I WANT TO READ RANSOM MY HEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IS IT ONLINE????????????????
I WONDER IF MIA AND MICHAEL EVER DO IT!!
SEX!!!!!!!!!!
November 23, 2009 at 3:24 pm
They did, just read the book.. :)
November 30, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Where does it actually say that? I finished it last night.
February 22, 2011 at 8:18 am
It said that near the end when mia said, she did not want to reveal what happened b/w michael n her that prom night when she went with him to his loft w/out a bodyguard coz she says its too private! That indicates they Did It. n was later confirmed wen lana emailed her saying she looks like she had sex… her exact words were ‘omg the geek had sex’ u shud read it again in order for u to get it
February 14, 2010 at 5:27 am
hey jocelyn
girl ur superb. after reading ur review i wanna read this book even more. ur fantastic, u wrote this review so well are u a journo or something? it looks like it. you 2 like mia have got a flair for writing. try it out. i love mia n i wish meg cabot changes her mind n writes more books in these series.
May 21, 2010 at 5:38 pm
o mg i am so attached to this book i cant even keep the book down
July 24, 2010 at 3:15 pm
[…] And there’ve been so many other non-librarian bloggers whose reviews of the last Princess Diaries book have actually made my eyes tear up a little! Like this great one from Teen Book Review. […]
August 7, 2010 at 8:15 pm
this book was good, but it would have been fun to read more about Michael and Mia in love again. oh and the sex parts. lol. im SO happy Lilly and Mia made up. it wouldve sucked 2 have them hate each other after Michael and Mia made up. I HATE J.P. and i kind of feel sorry for him. i mean hes THAT deperate?
October 10, 2010 at 10:35 am
best book read in my whole life time wish there was more princess diaries
November 20, 2010 at 9:14 pm
This is a goog book!!
December 17, 2010 at 10:26 am
I LOVE MIA AND HER WAYS. BUT NOT WHEN SHE WANTS A NON-ROYAL PLACE LIKE PRIME MINISTER FOR HER DAD! I MEAN, THE GENOVIAN PALACE IS FOR MAJESTY’S NOT FOR MINISTERS WHO HAS A DAMN TOP HAT WITH A CIGAR IN THEIR MOUTH~ UNLIKE THE PRINCES THEY HAVE THE CROWN AND THE PRINCE OUT FIT. PRINCESS AMELIE VIRGINIE WANTED TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THAT CENTURY~~~!!!!! BECAUSE HER UNCLE WAS BEING MEAN AND THE GENOVIAN REPUTUTION WILL BE RUINED IF THE MINISTERS WOULD NOT COME BUT NOW FOR MIA ITS ALL OKAY, BUT READING A JOURNAL/DIARY FROM THE 16TH CENTURY! WONT MAKE ANY SENSE, BESIDES GENOVIA IS MAJESTIC—
real post i wanna say”
“OMG! Princess Mia rocks! but no john paul abernethy the fourth (JP). But Micheal seems totally hot and sweet. Not Lilly who is a jealousy freak, besides she’s been dating Kenny to just – because she’s jay of Mia. But, I am sure, micheal and Mia’s break up could be of LILLY mos covitz~ she hated mia and i bet she convinced mich-eal to believe mia stinks. Also she made ihatemiathermopolis.com to make EVERY ONE IN THE WIDE WORLD TO BELIEVE SOME FALSE STUFF ABOUT MIA!
MIA my girl! show your inner self! lily is not and never better than you! She is a normal girl~ and you are a princess! and will always be! you have a crown, a limo and the whole palace to rule! and your princess sense too! Lilly cant get all that! But what lilly can never have is the sense of a true princess! Mia must show her true self!
Still…you are sweet~
_ I GOT ALL OF MEG\S PRINCESS DIARIES BOOKS!
I AM NOT TRYING TO BE SELFISH–JUST SAID SO..AND TOO, FOREVER PRINCESS IS ROCKING…
December 17, 2010 at 10:33 am
I am glad you like it. Mia and Micheal will get along some day. well forever.
To all fans of Princess Diaries
December 17, 2010 at 10:35 am
Meg! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YOU REPLIED AFTER ME!~ COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
December 17, 2010 at 10:35 am
Oh, we are online. I have to reload the page to get it.
December 17, 2010 at 10:54 am
hmmmmm, b y
December 17, 2010 at 10:58 am
sorry, it was my child…
February 6, 2011 at 7:43 pm
this book is truly amazing :)
March 15, 2011 at 9:15 pm
I absolutely LOVE this book, the entire series, and actually, like all of Meg Cabot’s novels(well, the ones that I’ve read anyway).
November 26, 2011 at 4:10 am
i read the book so many times as well, mia really grew up so much. i read the series through my teen years so it was like growing up together with mia. =). she helped with through my typical teen problems and the really bad times. haha, i love her so much.
January 14, 2012 at 6:56 pm
I was just looking through the library when I found it. I didn’t know it was a series, and picked up the last one, “Forever Princess”. I read the entire thing in one day, and IT WAS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE AND I’M PRETTY SURE I EVER WILL READ AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH I’M READING IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN ALTHOUGH I SHOULD PROBABLY JUST START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SERIES.
February 7, 2012 at 1:58 pm
BEST BOOK EVERRR
April 8, 2012 at 6:27 am
Podle mě je to jedna z nejlepších knížek série hned po: Zamilovaná Princezna a Princeznám sluší růžová. Už se těším i na tu knížku co napsala Meg Cabot za Miu. Už aby byla taky v ČR.