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Student body president, that is—nominated by her power-mad best friend, Lilly. This is not how Mia imagined kicking off her sophomore year, but as usual, she has bigger problems to worry about, like Geometry. And now that Mia's one true love, Michael, is uptown at college, what's the point of even getting up for school in the morning? But the last straw is what Lana whispers to her on the lunch line about what college boys expect of their girlfriends. . . . Really, it's almost more than a princess in training can bear!
Cabot, a native of Indiana weaned on Judy Blume and Barbara Cartland, was already a successful romance novelist (as Patricia Cabot) before she began writing for young adults; her alter-alter ego, Jenny Carroll, began a new series shortly after The Princess Diaries debuted. The Carroll books are divided between the Mediator series, starring a girl who can communicate with restless ghosts; and the 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU books, in which a girl struck by lightning acquires the ability to locate missing people.
Cabot writes her books in a conspiratorial, first-person style that resonates with her readers. She has obviously kept a grip on the vernacular and the key issues of adolescence; but what makes her books so irresistible is the mixing of the mundane with the fantastic. After all, who wouldn't like to wake up and be a princess all of a sudden, or a seer? Cabot takes such offhand notions and roots them firmly in the details of average, middle-class American life. She has also tiptoed into mystery and paranormal suspense with other YA novels and series installments.
Cabot continues to write adult novels under various permutations of her given name (Meggin Patricia Cabot): from 19th-century historical romances to contemporary chick lit. And, as with her books for teens, these romances have earned praise for their lighthearted humor and well drawn characters.
"I am left handed."
"I hate tomatoes of any kind."
"I really wanted to be veterinarian, but I got a 410 on my math SATs."
"Writing used to be my hobby, but now that it's my job, I have no hobby -- except watching TV and laying around the pool reading US Weekly. I have tried many hobbies, such as knitting, Pilates, ballet, yoga, and guitar, but none of them have taken. So I guess I'm stuck with no hobby.
"Um, Mom," I said, as I followed her into Rocky's room, where she'd apparently been engaged in putting away his clean laundry before Mamaw's blow fell. "Can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure." Although my mom didn't exactly sound like she was much in the mood to talk. "What?"
"Uh . . ." Well, she HAD told me once that I could talk to her about ANYTHING. "How old were you the first time you had sex?"
I fully expected her to say "I was in college," but I guess she was so busy trying to cram all of Rocky's my mommy is mad as hell and she votes onesies into his tiny dresser, that she didn't think about what she was saying beforehand. She just went, "Oh, God, Mia, I don't know. I must have been, what, about fifteen?"
And then it was like she realized what she'd just said and she sucked in her breath really fast and looked at me all wide-eyed and went, "NOT THAT I'M PROUD OF IT!!!"
Because she must have remembered at the same time I did that I am fifteen.
The next thing I knew, she was blathering a mile a minute.
"It was Indiana, Mia," she cried. "It's not like there was so much else to do. And it was, like, twenty years ago. It was the eighties! Things were different back then!"
"Hello," I said, because I've fully seen every episode of I Love the 80s, including I Love the 80s Strikes Back. "Just because people wore leg warmers all the time—"
"I don't mean that!" Mom cried. "I mean, people actually thought George Michael was straight. And that Madonna would be a one-hit wonder. Things were DIFFERENT then." Icouldn't think of anything to say. Except, moronically, "I can't believe you and Dad Did It for the first time when you were FIFTEEN."
And then, noticing my mother's expression, I was like, "Oh, my God. That's right!" Because she didn't even meet Dad until she was in college. "MOM!!! Who WAS it?"
"His name was Wendell," my mom said, her eyes going all dreamy, either because Wendell had been a total hottie, or because Rocky had finally quit crying, and was instead drooling all over the lion patch on my uniform blazer, so that for once, the loft was filled with blissful silence. "Wendell Jenkins."
WENDELL???? The man my mom gave the precious flower of her virginity to was named WENDELL????
I seriously would NOT have sex with someone named Wendell. But then, I am having grave reservations about having sex with anyone, so my opinion probably isn't worth much.
"Wow," my mom said, still looking dreamy. "I haven't thought of Wendell in ages. I wonder whatever happened to him."
"You don't KNOW?" I cried, loudly enough that Rocky kind of gave a little start in my arms. But he calmed down after a quick verse of Pink's "Trouble."
"Well, I mean, I know he graduated," my mom said, quickly. "And I'm pretty sure he married April Pollack, but—"
"Oh, my GOD!" This was shocking. No wonder Mom is the way she is! "He was two-timing you????"
"No, no," my mom said. "He started going out with April after he and I broke up." I nodded knowingly. "You mean he loved you and left you?" Just like Dave Farouq El-Abar and Tina Hakim Baba!
"No, Mia," my mom said, with a laugh. "Good grief, you have an uncanny ability to turn everything into a country western song. I mean he and I went out, and it was great, but I eventually realized . . . well, I wanted out of Versailles, and he didn't, so I left, and he stayed. And married April Pollack."
Just like Dean married that other girl on Gilmore Girls!
"But . . ." I stared at my mom. "You loved him?"
"Of course I loved him," my mom said. "Gosh, Wendell Jenkins. I haven't thought of him in ages."
GEEZ! I can't believe my mother is not still in contact with the boy who relieved her of her virginity! What kind of school did she GO to back then, anyway?
"Why are you asking me all these questions, Mia?" my mom finally wanted to know. "Are you and Michael—"
"No," I said, hastily shoving Rocky back into her arms.
"Mia, it's perfectly all right if you want to talk to me about—"
"I don't," I said, fast. Real fast.
"Because if you—"
"I don't," I said again. "I have homework. Bye."
And I went into my room and locked the door.
There must be something wrong with me. I'm serious. Because you could totally tell when Mom was remembering having sex with Wendell Jenkins, that she'd had a good time. Doing It. Everyone seems to have a good time Doing It. Like in movies and on TV and everything. Everyone seems to think Doing It is just, like, the pinnacle of experiences.
Everyone except for me. Why am I the only person who, when she thinks about Doing It, feels nothing but . . . sweaty? And not in a good way. This can't be a normal re-action. This has to be yet another genetic anomaly in my makeup, like absence of mammary glands and size-ten feet. I am totally lacking in the Do It gene.
I mean, I WANT to Do It. I mean, I guess that's what I want, you know, when Michael and I are kissing, and I smell his neck, and I get that feeling like I want to jump on him. Surely this is an indication that I want to Do It.
Except that to Do It you actually have to take your CLOTHES OFF. In FRONT OF THE OTHER PERSON. I mean, unless you're one of those Orthodox Jews who do it through a hole in the sheet like Barbra Streisand in Yentl.
And I do not think I am ready to TAKE MY CLOTHES OFF in front of Michael. It is bad enough taking them off in front of Lana Weinberger in the locker room first thing in the morning. I don't think I could ever take them off in front of a BOY. Especially not a boy I am actually in love with and hope to marry someday, if he ever asks me and if I ever get over this whole spastic not-wanting-to-take-my-clothes-off-in-front-of-him thing.
Although, I definitely wouldn't mind seeing Michael with HIS clothes off.
Is this a double standard?
The Princess Diaries, Volume VI: Princess in Training. Copyright © by Meg Cabot. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.Anonymous
Posted May 7, 2009
Are you a teen looking for a good book to read? If so, you should read Princess in Training. This book serious is a "what happens next" from princess diaries. I personally am not that crazy about fantasy comedy. The way that the writer created the story I wasn't bothered by it, actually I enjoyed the fantasy comedy aspect of it. The only part of the story that I wasn't so crazy about was that it kept switching form Mia's diary, to aim conversations. The story drags on at points, but it Is very good and worth the wait.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 6, 2006
I will definitely give Cabot 5 stars because she gives all of the detail and humorous twists that make Princess Mia a gawky sophmore, and a Genovian princess at the same time. It's like she has two faces to show everyone! Bravo to you 'Princess Meg'!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 4, 2010
To me, this book was a bit disappointing. I have read all of them so far, and loved them tremendously. But with this one, Mia seemed just too self absorbed, and not as attentive as in the other books.
I guess I could just attribute it to her growing up, and changing, but she was much more mature in the previous books.
Still a wonderful series, would recommend it to anyone.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 1, 2007
i can never stop reading it can i? its the bomb. i highly recommend this book!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 21, 2007
The first time I picked up this book, I could seriously not put it down!!! This book is what every teenage girl should have... I hope you like it as much as I did!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 3, 2007
The book was OKAY, but I enjoyed the previous ones better. Lilly is just so annoying! I usually don't mind her, but she makes me want to slap her! Mia is not very confident. I think the theme overall of the book was Ok. Towards the last 6 chapters or so i stopped reading it because it was boring and Lilly made me want to explode!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 7, 2006
Teriffic, I loved the book as i do all of the other books in the series. It's cool that Mia is getting older and is experiencing a lot of the same things most teens are. I know Micheal is in college and all, but i don't think it was cool for him to put that much pressure on Mia to do it. Still, a great book and i will continue to read the series. Also it was incredibly funny when Mia talked about the movies that were made about the movie. I would switch lives with Mia anyday!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 4, 2006
This is an interesting book. I had no idea Michael was such a fake. I hate the way in this book he pressures Mia to think about the biggest step in her life now! He's all 'I won't wait forever'. The worst part is, at first Mia is concerned but than she lets this major warning signal go. It's time Mia found a real prince who would wait to the ends of the earth for her to be ready for love and well......you know.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 13, 2006
I loved this book. I could really relate to what Mia was feeling and I think it was one of the better ones of the series. Princess in Pink, to me, was really diappointing but this book defintely made up for it! 5 stars all the way!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2006
I must agree completely to those who have already gave their review on this book. What was Meg thinking? In past 'Diaries' books she had Mia posed as a girl that we could ALL relate to, but now she comes off as a 10 year old! I also don't like how suddendly Michael her oh so supporting boyfriend seems to be pressuring her into a major step in her life and how she just goes along with it. If she was still being written as the girl who started the series there is no way that she would be okay with that.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 3, 2006
Though the Princess Diaries is no longer my favorite series by Meg Cabot (I love her adult historicals under Patricia Cabot) I thought that Princess in Training was, well, ok. It was a lot better (in my opinion) than the book before it in the series. And, I am not suprised about Michael wanting to take their relationship to the next level. Come on, the dude is eighteen! Mia was freaking out, because she is only a sophomore in high school! It was good, not the best. I would with out a doubt tell you to read it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 29, 2005
This book was entertaining and amusing. But I do NOT like the way it is going. Michael is not the same sweet prince-like guy that he was in the previous novels. While I will continue to read the series, because it is addicting, I don't see it getting any better. Mia whines way to much
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 20, 2005
it was okay compared to the other books in the series, but it kinda got annoying after a while. Mia obsesses for WAY tooo much & too long. It just gets really, really predictable. But don't get me wrong, it was all right.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 24, 2005
it was pretty good, but in comparison to the other books in this series, it wasn't that good. the thing thatreally annoyed me was Mia obsessing over Micheal all the time, and her winning president, which was predictable. but i still can't wait for the next one, because hoepfully it will be as good as all the other books in this series!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 22, 2005
omg!! i personaly think that this is the best book in the series- so far, that is!!! in this book mia is totaly going through things that teenagers really do go through. plus it seems that like in this book she totaly throws her little good-girl self out the window!that was pretty much my favorite part of it!!! if u havn't already, then u should totaly read it!!!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 16, 2005
God... I love this WHOLE series!! Mia is SOOO funny, yeah a little whiny.. but who cares?? I read in a day!!! READ IT!! (but start with the first one!)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 21, 2012
LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
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Posted January 10, 2012
Hey mistybreeze i cant see your postes. Go back to camp!!!!! Skunkpaw
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Posted April 20, 2011
this was a great book! one of my favorites!
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 9, 2011
great book great book great book great book great book great book great book great book great book great book great book great book read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it read it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it Princess Diaries #6 by Meg Cabot
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Overview
Student body president, that is—nominated by her power-mad best friend, Lilly. This is not how Mia imagined kicking off her sophomore year, but as usual, she has bigger problems to worry about, like Geometry. And now that Mia's one true love, Michael, is uptown at college, what's the point of even getting up for school in the morning? But the last straw is what Lana whispers to her on the lunch line about what college boys expect of their girlfriends. . . . Really, it's almost more than a princess in training can bear!