My Sweet Sixteen Princess (The Princess Diaries, #7.5) by Meg Cabot Book Review on Goodreads

Sweet Sixteen Princess by Meg Cabot

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This review will be short because this is a half volume of the series.

Okay, well this book was semi-dissapointing. In most of the other half volumes, Meg was able to develop the plot AND wrap up the conflict effectively. I felt like the opposite was true in this book. I think that the book was promising until the resolution, which I didn't really particularly like.

Mia is turning sixteen and all her friends want her to have a party. Mia just wants to have a dinner with her boyfriend, Michael. Will she ever get her wish? Soon, her Grandmere (grandmother) plans an elaborate party that involves taking a hundred people to Genovia for a crazy celebration that will be featured on MTV. Mia is so frustrated, and furthermore she thinks that it was her best friend Lily's idea to tell Grandmere about this.

Now this is where problems start ooccuring. Suddenly, her Grandmere calls off the party after Mia's dad commands her to. Now in any normal book, this would make sense. But not in The Princess Diaries. In every book, commands and pleas from others have never stopped Grandmere. So why now? This just really confused me. I mean, it was complete character inconsistency. Another problem I found was that after this, Mia got a surprise sweet sixteen party that she liked from her boyfriend that included everyone she knew(except for Grandmere, who was sulking).

First of all, Grandmere would never sulk and not come, because that's admitting defeat. No, she would have pretended it was all her idea to avoid shame. Also, the whole party idea was really unexpected and rushed and then it made the whole Grandmere backing down from her party idea look like a ploy to make this ending happen. It just wasn't like the other endings. Then, Mia kind of acted super uncharacteristic when she was sort of blackmailing Lily. That is something only reserved for Grandmere! And every time she does it, Mia stays strong in not stooping to such lows. But Mia was just so different . I don't know it was kind of a weird book.

Overall, I'll love any Princess Diaries book I come across, so that's why I rated it 2 stars (it was ok). It was okay in the sense that it was still the same hilarious Mia I knew and loved (at least until the climax), just the plot nhad major misgivings. Do read if you've just finished the seventh and are planning to go on to the eighth because it rveals some things Lily starting to go out with J.P. that are nice to know before beginning the eigth book.





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Shakespeare- A Man with Modern Relatability

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." -William Shakespeare

This last weekend, I really discovered how deeply and wholly these words can remain true in our lives. This quote is not just some sappy line from Romeo and Juliet about medieval pish-posh, hoity-toity, fakey manners. No, no. This thing actually has some importance to life.

My grandparents had their 50th anniversary this past weekend, and tons of my family and then some of my grandparent's friends attended/came in town. After all the fun get-togethers and having a general blast, the time came for everyone to go their separate ways, whether it be today or yesterday. When my cousins left, I said this quote without meaning to. It just popped into my head (I have a talent for this because when I feel a certain mood I start singing a song subconciously in my head that matches what I'm thinking about).

I realized that all these people we take for granted won't always be there, and you should really take more advantage or be more proactive about keeping in touch with them. I really had a great time talking to my great-aunt at a restaurant (in her late 80's and still looking/feeling like she's 70!), and seeing my little cousins that I hadn't seen since they wre infants. Then when I watched a video about my grandparent's life, it really hit me. Parting with these people is always hard. Although you may not know them more than a few minutes, you already feel a connection to them.

I guess it is really hard to put what I felt this past weekend into words. Whatever it was though, I'm certain that it was deep and definitely a profound realization for me. Parting with the people we love is a sweet sorrow. Your tears have a happy, not grieveful tinge to them. Your sadness (sorrow) over your parting with loved ones that you feel are kept from you too much is bittersweet. It's not completely devastating, it's different. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I really get the sweet part now.

I'll never forget my past weekend for it was a time I enjoyed immensely through its thick and sorrowfully thin parts. Remember to cherish those distant relatives and other family. They may not always be there to love and part with.