The Princess Diaries (#1-3).

The Princess Diaries (#1-3)

by: Meg Cabot

 

 

What can I say about these books, they're so endearing. I wish I had read them when I was younger, but I still find the characters really likeable overall. I feel like they are people that you could meet in real life; they are people that you can root for. I decided to read a few and then review them together if I liked them, and trust me, I loved them. I'm going to go through by the things I like most of this series so far. Also, I always loved the movies when I was a girl (I must have watched each around ten thousand times) and so I'm really glad I love the books too. Even though they are now two separate entities in my head (being as different as they are).

 

Mia: Sure, she's dramatic and sometimes whiny, but she's fifteen! Weren't we all kind of annoying at that point in our lives? I'll answer that...yes, yes we were. It's fun to watch her worry about tiny things, it makes life seem a little more manageable. These books are just lighthearted and fun (and also hilarious). I started to think of Mia as a friend to relate to and to root for. And that's the point, she is someone that you WANT to root for. You want her to pull through and enjoy things. She's also a genuinely nice person, and she tries to be there for her friends. Even when she's irrational or immature (which, if we're honest, is a lot of the time) you still like her.

Lily: Not a great friend to Mia seeing as she often is jealous and doesn't support her, but at least in the third book she helps Mia and Michael out (which is one of the best things she could do for them). She's also really funny when she's analyzing Mia.

Tina Hakim Baba: She is easily one of my favorite characters because she's just such a sweetheart. Naïve? a bit. But encouraging? Always. She is SUCH a great friend to Mia, too.

Michael Moscovitz: Just going to ask, can I PLEASE have my own Michael Moscovitz? Please? because I want one. He is such a sweetie and always lovely to Mia. In Princess in Love, he was adorable and just...uhhh ADORABLE. I want a copy. now. Someone get on that, please and thank you. I can't even describe how great he is as a character. Every line he delivers to Mia could have been really cheesy, but it ended up just sounding endearing and genuine. Meg Cabot is great at writing love interests.

Lars: Maybe it's because I keep picturing him as Joe from the movies, but he makes me laugh and I love him. (Also, his little bromance with Michael is absolutely wonderful in everything ever. yes.)

Her Dad: I am blanking on his name right now, but I like getting to know her dad as opposed to in the movie. He has a bigger impact than you would expect.

Grandmere: She's slightly less endearing in the books (possibly because I'm not picturing her as Julie Andrews anymore) but you can still tell that she cares about Mia and is trying to show it in the ways she knows how.

Mr. Gianini: Another awesome character. He's just really sweet to Mia and Helen and everyone. I just like him a lot. 

 

I do recommend the audio books for these, as well. Anne Hathaway read them and I must say she does a fantastic job. She taps into her Mia-ness and really gets the correct tone for the books. And even the algebra note parts don't get boring when she read them, I still find myself wanting to pay attention.