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bernardoruto's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
cristina19's review against another edition
5.0
If you loved Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper as a child but always secretly wanted them to be gay, then this is the book for you
purplevibes123's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Kidnapping, and Violence
larinha_08's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
This book was smiling at me for a while already, but I had been so clever to put it on a wishlist for a bookswap, which meant that I had to wait until I would either get it or would know for sure I wouldn't get it. But, I GOT IT and that made me so incredibly happy!
Just like reading the book made me very happy. The book is for sure a very light read. If you go in there for the mystery and the danger, you will probably be disappointed. If you however go in there for the friendship (or more?) between two amazing girls and the joy and horrors of being a princess, this is the perfect book for you.
The book is clearly aimed at the younger YA readers. If it had been in Dutch, I would have made my cousin read it, because she'd love it to pieces. The language used in the book is quite easy and there's quite some tell don't show at times. I have to admit, it didn't bother me that much, because it's a princess story. I wasn't expecting a very deep, layered, complicated and high standard book to begin with.
It's just cute and innocent and adorable. Especially Lottie and her excitement over everything at court is so endearing and I really felt for her. And I love the contrast between Ellie and Lottie, with them seeming to be so different, but they still have so much in common. I also really enjoyed the fact that the romance in this book was not even much of a plot and barely there. I didn't really miss it, because the friendships and slowly blossoming feelings were a joy to read anyway.
I'm very curious to read the second book and I hope there will be a translation soon, so my cousin can read it!
Just like reading the book made me very happy. The book is for sure a very light read. If you go in there for the mystery and the danger, you will probably be disappointed. If you however go in there for the friendship (or more?) between two amazing girls and the joy and horrors of being a princess, this is the perfect book for you.
The book is clearly aimed at the younger YA readers. If it had been in Dutch, I would have made my cousin read it, because she'd love it to pieces. The language used in the book is quite easy and there's quite some tell don't show at times. I have to admit, it didn't bother me that much, because it's a princess story. I wasn't expecting a very deep, layered, complicated and high standard book to begin with.
It's just cute and innocent and adorable. Especially Lottie and her excitement over everything at court is so endearing and I really felt for her. And I love the contrast between Ellie and Lottie, with them seeming to be so different, but they still have so much in common. I also really enjoyed the fact that the romance in this book was not even much of a plot and barely there. I didn't really miss it, because the friendships and slowly blossoming feelings were a joy to read anyway.
I'm very curious to read the second book and I hope there will be a translation soon, so my cousin can read it!
alextaylorm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
theeuphoriczat's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to #thewritereads for making this book available to me.
Oh dear, this was just the cutest thing ever. We start out with Ellie, the crown princess of Maradova who really wants to defy tradition by attending a boarding school in England. She hopes that she will be able to hide away from royal duties for as long as possible until she is announced as the next leader of Maradova. After convincing her parents, they agree that the only way they would be able to keep her safe is to make sure that when she attends Rosewood Hall, she must hide her identity and should anyone find out they would send over someone who would keep her safe.
Then we meet Lottie who has worked so hard to attend Rosewood Hall on a scholarship. She has always loved and would say at one time in her life aspired to be a princess. The epitome of perfection and poise. Suddenly, she is suspected to be the princess who is attending Rosewood Hall undercover and while she does everything to tell them that she is in fact not, the rumour had taken on a life of its own. Just when she decides to just let them continue to believe what they want, she finds out that her room mate was in fact the real Princess of Maradova.
With the rumours of the Princess of Maradova in Rosewood Hall, it took no time for the Royal family to hear and to send in Jamie Volk, who happens to be not just Ellie's childhood friend but her Partizan. Basically, Jamie is a 'highly-trained' bodyguard who has been trained from birth for his role beside Ellie. After much back and forth (not gonna spoil it), they decide that Lottie continue to pretend to be the princess and do all the princess duties which means that she needs to learn all the etiquettes appropriate for a princess. Watching Lottie learn all these learn things while still managing to keep up her grades was just multi-tasking on a different level. It is the level of dedication I need to carry out my adult duties.
Anyways, I really loved the great cast of characters we had, even the snotty bratty ones, I loved the posh culture and how even within certain groups we have people who are left out. Imagine having all the money and still being the butt of the joke, I just can't. Definitely loved how accessible reading this book was, it really brought themes like royalty and the power and privilege that it affords to someone who is not royalty in such a different way than we have seen in books like the Princess Diaries and The Selection series.
Oh dear, this was just the cutest thing ever. We start out with Ellie, the crown princess of Maradova who really wants to defy tradition by attending a boarding school in England. She hopes that she will be able to hide away from royal duties for as long as possible until she is announced as the next leader of Maradova. After convincing her parents, they agree that the only way they would be able to keep her safe is to make sure that when she attends Rosewood Hall, she must hide her identity and should anyone find out they would send over someone who would keep her safe.
Then we meet Lottie who has worked so hard to attend Rosewood Hall on a scholarship. She has always loved and would say at one time in her life aspired to be a princess. The epitome of perfection and poise. Suddenly, she is suspected to be the princess who is attending Rosewood Hall undercover and while she does everything to tell them that she is in fact not, the rumour had taken on a life of its own. Just when she decides to just let them continue to believe what they want, she finds out that her room mate was in fact the real Princess of Maradova.
With the rumours of the Princess of Maradova in Rosewood Hall, it took no time for the Royal family to hear and to send in Jamie Volk, who happens to be not just Ellie's childhood friend but her Partizan. Basically, Jamie is a 'highly-trained' bodyguard who has been trained from birth for his role beside Ellie. After much back and forth (not gonna spoil it), they decide that Lottie continue to pretend to be the princess and do all the princess duties which means that she needs to learn all the etiquettes appropriate for a princess. Watching Lottie learn all these learn things while still managing to keep up her grades was just multi-tasking on a different level. It is the level of dedication I need to carry out my adult duties.
Anyways, I really loved the great cast of characters we had, even the snotty bratty ones, I loved the posh culture and how even within certain groups we have people who are left out. Imagine having all the money and still being the butt of the joke, I just can't. Definitely loved how accessible reading this book was, it really brought themes like royalty and the power and privilege that it affords to someone who is not royalty in such a different way than we have seen in books like the Princess Diaries and The Selection series.
psychotherabee's review against another edition
3.0
(A copy of this review can also be found here: https://beautifulilies.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/undercover-princess-by-connie-glynn/)
A copy of this novel was given in exchange for an honest review.
This book has been such a delight to read for several reasons, all of which will be explored in this review that will hopefully leave you, the reader, convinced that you have to read Undercover Princess.
Let’s start with Lottie Pumpkin – yes, her name is ridiculous, yes, she does know it, and yes, she’s very sensitive about it. Well, Lottie is just about sensitive when it comes to everything and anything, which, in an era of “strong female protagonists” telling other girls they have to “man up”, is quite refreshing. Lottie’s greatest strength, aside from being brave, being kind, and being unstoppable, is that she is perceptive and so in touch with her emotions – very unusual for a teenager. Having a likeable protagonist who is a breath of fresh air is so important, and Connie Glynn nails this one.
Then we’ve got Ellie, who so perfectly complements Lottie, and, if we’re being frank, is everything Lottie isn’t. Ellie is wild, she is daring, and she turns Lottie’s whole world upside down. I loved reading about a rebel with a cause, which is exactly what Ellie is. So for readers who like their fair share of badass female characters, I present to you the Crown Princess of Maradover, Ellie Wolfson.
Rosewood is also fascinating. It gave me Hogwarts vibes – a boarding school with three houses that each student must take an aptitude test in order to find out which house they belong to. There is, of course, inter-house competition, and for this book at least, you have your Draco Malfoy and his cronies. Then there’s the mystery of William Tufty, the founder of Rosewood – like the brilliant author she is, Glynn manages to sow enough seeds for a sequel, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it when it comes out!
The only reason this highly re-readable book is a three star instead of a five is partly because of the mild queer-baiting, which I’m hoping will still be picked up in later book(s). You’ll know what I mean when you read the book. There’s also a problem with mischaracterisation, particularly with the introduction of Ellie – it just seems that characters are frequently OOC to suit whatever drama Glynn chooses for the sake of having drama, but this book really doesn’t need it.
The final thing that put me off this wonderful book that was otherwise a delight to read is, even now, I struggle to tell if the book is satirical or genuine. For example, the Princess of Maradova, Ellie Wolfson, disguised herself as… Ellie Wolf. This is addressed in the book, but as I said before, it’s difficult to tell if it’s in satire or if the other characters are genuinely dense. I’ve been left with the same feeling a few times throughout reading the novel, which makes the writing seem somewhat clumsy.
Otherwise, this book was intriguing and difficult to put down! I would definitely recommend it to people who are into princesses, fairy tales, and are looking for a very light read. Have you read this book? Do you have any thoughts you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments!
A copy of this novel was given in exchange for an honest review.
This book has been such a delight to read for several reasons, all of which will be explored in this review that will hopefully leave you, the reader, convinced that you have to read Undercover Princess.
Let’s start with Lottie Pumpkin – yes, her name is ridiculous, yes, she does know it, and yes, she’s very sensitive about it. Well, Lottie is just about sensitive when it comes to everything and anything, which, in an era of “strong female protagonists” telling other girls they have to “man up”, is quite refreshing. Lottie’s greatest strength, aside from being brave, being kind, and being unstoppable, is that she is perceptive and so in touch with her emotions – very unusual for a teenager. Having a likeable protagonist who is a breath of fresh air is so important, and Connie Glynn nails this one.
Then we’ve got Ellie, who so perfectly complements Lottie, and, if we’re being frank, is everything Lottie isn’t. Ellie is wild, she is daring, and she turns Lottie’s whole world upside down. I loved reading about a rebel with a cause, which is exactly what Ellie is. So for readers who like their fair share of badass female characters, I present to you the Crown Princess of Maradover, Ellie Wolfson.
Rosewood is also fascinating. It gave me Hogwarts vibes – a boarding school with three houses that each student must take an aptitude test in order to find out which house they belong to. There is, of course, inter-house competition, and for this book at least, you have your Draco Malfoy and his cronies. Then there’s the mystery of William Tufty, the founder of Rosewood – like the brilliant author she is, Glynn manages to sow enough seeds for a sequel, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it when it comes out!
The only reason this highly re-readable book is a three star instead of a five is partly because of the mild queer-baiting, which I’m hoping will still be picked up in later book(s). You’ll know what I mean when you read the book. There’s also a problem with mischaracterisation, particularly with the introduction of Ellie – it just seems that characters are frequently OOC to suit whatever drama Glynn chooses for the sake of having drama, but this book really doesn’t need it.
The final thing that put me off this wonderful book that was otherwise a delight to read is, even now, I struggle to tell if the book is satirical or genuine. For example, the Princess of Maradova, Ellie Wolfson, disguised herself as… Ellie Wolf. This is addressed in the book, but as I said before, it’s difficult to tell if it’s in satire or if the other characters are genuinely dense. I’ve been left with the same feeling a few times throughout reading the novel, which makes the writing seem somewhat clumsy.
Otherwise, this book was intriguing and difficult to put down! I would definitely recommend it to people who are into princesses, fairy tales, and are looking for a very light read. Have you read this book? Do you have any thoughts you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments!