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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
funny
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
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:
Yes
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book when I was like 11, so much so that I still own it and intend to keep it forever, but did anyone ever notice just how
Like, dang man, you're like almost thirty and she's literally half your age, and is going through puberty, so can you refrain from flashing her and drunk kissing her in the darkness? That's literally sexual harrassment, not romantic.
I know this is supposed to be like, pseudo-historical, but could they have made her a little bit older? Even 18 would have been better, so it isn't so pervy. Or since this is a book for children, they could have, idk not written that storyline?
Other than that, I loved this book and still read it sometimes just to feel nostalgic.
Spoiler
creepy Mark Antony is?Like, dang man, you're like almost thirty and she's literally half your age, and is going through puberty, so can you refrain from flashing her and drunk kissing her in the darkness? That's literally sexual harrassment, not romantic.
I know this is supposed to be like, pseudo-historical, but could they have made her a little bit older? Even 18 would have been better, so it isn't so pervy. Or since this is a book for children, they could have, idk not written that storyline?
Other than that, I loved this book and still read it sometimes just to feel nostalgic.
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Historically inaccurate
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I remember reading a few of these books when I was in middle school so the details are.. fuzzy at best. I remember wishing I could read more of them. Historical fiction was always one of my favourites. Will reread these at some point maybe with my own children
While a nostalgic read, also one that shows its age. I still adore what this book gave me as a kid, which was a story centered around a girl with incredible autonomy when a lot of media did not so so.
Would it be so terrible to be a princess in exile?
The writing style and plot is very much aimed at its age group, and would probably be a bit boring to those beyond it. However, the intensities of Cleopatra’s life still make this interesting. I also just like the epistolary format, the inner conflicts that come from the diary style. Cleopatra is a wonderful figure of history and it’s fun to try and imagine these early years of her life.
There are some… rather large and glaring inaccuracies in this book which, as a child, can be easily overlooked. In particular issues with placing so much emphasis on monotheistic religions without much mention of Cleopatra’s own polytheistic Egyptian beliefs, as another reviewer here explains in much better detail than I could! The only Egyptian god mentioned here is Isis, when the list is extensive.
I also found the Marc Antony elements of this… startling. In this book Cleopatra is only 12-14 years old and enters into a romance with Antony who is in his mid to late 20’s… Incredibly troubling considering it’s 1) inaccurate because Antony did not have feelings for Cleopatra in their few meetings at this stage and 2) possibly incredibly damaging for the young demographic of this book to see such a large age gap romanticized. If this diary had been from the time when she was 28, I’d have less issues!
Can it be stated that for the time it’s accurate that 12 year olds were married? Yes. But considering the inaccuracies already laced here, I think leaving Antony out of this narrative would have been fine.
Overall, I think this book is okay. My nostalgia painted it in a better light for me, and some of the core themes are good. I just think some things were sacrificed in the name of making the plot more intriguing!
Would it be so terrible to be a princess in exile?
The writing style and plot is very much aimed at its age group, and would probably be a bit boring to those beyond it. However, the intensities of Cleopatra’s life still make this interesting. I also just like the epistolary format, the inner conflicts that come from the diary style. Cleopatra is a wonderful figure of history and it’s fun to try and imagine these early years of her life.
There are some… rather large and glaring inaccuracies in this book which, as a child, can be easily overlooked. In particular issues with placing so much emphasis on monotheistic religions without much mention of Cleopatra’s own polytheistic Egyptian beliefs, as another reviewer here explains in much better detail than I could! The only Egyptian god mentioned here is Isis, when the list is extensive.
I also found the Marc Antony elements of this… startling. In this book Cleopatra is only 12-14 years old and enters into a romance with Antony who is in his mid to late 20’s… Incredibly troubling considering it’s 1) inaccurate because Antony did not have feelings for Cleopatra in their few meetings at this stage and 2) possibly incredibly damaging for the young demographic of this book to see such a large age gap romanticized. If this diary had been from the time when she was 28, I’d have less issues!
Can it be stated that for the time it’s accurate that 12 year olds were married? Yes. But considering the inaccuracies already laced here, I think leaving Antony out of this narrative would have been fine.
Overall, I think this book is okay. My nostalgia painted it in a better light for me, and some of the core themes are good. I just think some things were sacrificed in the name of making the plot more intriguing!
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced