Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Princess Diaries

This had a particular charm and enduring quality. Was a good amount of it because my queen Anne Hathaway was narrating the audiobook? Quite possibly. I picked this up partially because of that fact, partly because I love the movies, and partly because Gavin Reads It All is reading all of these books this month for a video (the fact that Anne Hathaway narrated the audiobook definitely pushed my decision to read this over the edge, though). This was lighthearted, with a good amount of humor, however, the fact that this was released in the early 2000s is quite clear. I enjoyed a majority of this, but there were a good amount of throwaway lines that were either insensitive or borderline offensive (or outright offensive), which made me uncomfortable. Mia is 14, so of course she is not the most self-aware or empathetic person in the entire world. All in all, she is relatively open-minded, but there are definitely some blindspots. Just like with the movie, I am not a fan of Lilly. She is rude and mean, and, in the book, sometimes encourages Mia to be so as well. She also often gives off the vibe of a typical white person enraged at the injustices of the world, while also lacking the understanding of them (she's, again, is 14, so there is some leeway, but it still annoyed me). Mia's grandmother is quite rude and has some problematic views that I wasn't a fan of, though this is kind of made fun of and pointed out to be outrageous and wrong, so at least there was that (this type of thing happens a good deal, and I'm not the biggest fan of it, but it doesn't completely ruin the book for me). The fact that Mia somewhat has to parent her mom in terms of responsibilities (i.e.: making sure to pay bills on time) made me a bit sad. Her dad (who was alive in this one) was unobtrusive in regards to my enjoyment. Mia's bodyguard (due to his name) reminded me of Rhys Larsen. Mia is delightfully (and a bit exasperatingly) naive and clueless in regards to Michael's crush on her. Mia's random opinions are usually humorous and interesting, though sometimes includes the problematic throwaway lines. Why is there so much sexual harassment in this? There's literally so much for a story about a 14 year old. It matches the vibe of the time period, but it's really strange how much is included. Overall, this was a relatively enjoyable read (though I suspect a good amount of my enjoyment is because of Anne Hathaway's delivery), but the problematic aspects definitely tampered down my enjoyment. I'm not entirely sure whether I'll continue the series. I might just leave it off here.

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izypup's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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caitlin_doggos's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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snazzysie's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I went into "The Princess Diaries" with reasonably high expectations, considering my love for the films and the fact that they were based off of the book series. I was surprised at all the changes the movies seemed to have made to the original plot upon reading the first few chapters, disappointed with most of the characters, (especially Mia's grandmother - understandably so, when you have Julie Andrews in comparison), and also at times found myself bored with the storyline. Maybe it's because the movies are so nostalgic for me, and that I feel nothing can live up to them, maybe it's because these are technically "children's" books, so it's to be expected I'm getting bored with them, or I'm growing out of my fondness for stories in this diary layout - but either way, I personally will not be reading the other books in this series. It wasn't horrible, just not particularly enjoyable for me. Also, for a book for ages 8-12, I thought it had some more mature themes, so I would recommend it 12/13+

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erinlaura's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Junior high me apparently rated this book 3 stars, and while I like to leave my reviews as they were from when I first read the book most of the time, this time I have to make an exception.
I don’t think grade 7 Erin really understood or appreciated many of lines, comments, and references made in this book like 25 year old Erin does.
This was a super fun, quick weekend read, and while some of the thoughts and actions of characters are a little dated it’s iconic none the less. I love the Disney movies, but this is a completely different story.
Can’t wait to read the next one!

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