Super Series Saturday: The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry

I loved The Giver growing up, but never had any particular interest in the two companion novels, Gathering Blue and Messenger -- until I read the synopsis for the fourth and final book in the series, Son. Pregnant with my own son, I was intrigued by both the return to characters from The Giver and the theme of motherhood. I decided to reread The Giver and complete the quartet.

The Giver is a classic, and I read it several times growing up (although I did get sick of it when I had to read it a third time for school). Set in a society where everything is rigidly controlled and strong emotions like love are nullified, the young man Jonah receives a strange assignment with the rest of the children of his age receiving their occupational assignments. Through this assignment, he learns about the burden and blessing of choice, something that has been taken away from the people in his society. Something about that eerily placid community fascinated me from the first time I read the novel, and Lowry's stark prose vividly portrays the uncomfortable truths Jonah's dystopian town raise. While I certainly enjoyed the story growing up, I think as an adult it has more significance to me as I have come to better understand the underlying themes. It is an extremely powerful novel.

Gathering Blue initially seems to have nothing to do with the world of The Giver, except for the fact that it takes place in a dysfunctional society. This society is much more primitive, with rigid class separations, the ritual killing of those with deformities and illnesses, and a song sung every year telling the history of their village. Kira is plucked from her home due to her talent for sewing, and initially she is thrilled -- a new home, recognition, safety. However, she soon learns that those who chose her are restricting the expression of the people in the village, and she begins to see the importance of having that freedom of expression. To be honest, this book didn't appeal to me nearly as much as The Giver or of any of the other books in the quartet. I definitely appreciate its message, but the story was slow moving and didn't pull me in.

Messenger, on the other hand, was much more interesting to me, although it became slightly bizarre and more fantasy-like than the other novels. It follows Matty, a character we meet in Gathering Blue, and his life in a new village that has sought to cast off the injustice and rigidity of the many different dystopian societies that fill the world. However, problems are creeping into even the tolerant Village (utopia becomes dystopia...), and Matty's special talents make him pivotal in saving the Village and the friends he has come to see as family. Again, some of the elements in Messenger were decidedly bizarre, but it was much more adventurous than Gathering Blue or even The Giver and the climax was powerful and devastating.

Son, the final book in the quartet, had a very different feel than any of the others. The story is about Claire, the mother of Gabe, a character we meet in The Giver. Claire has the role of Birth Mother, providing children for the perfect little families in Jonah's community. However, something goes wrong with her birth, and she is given another assignment. What the authorities don't know is that Claire saw her son and has become attached to him, and willing to find him at all costs. However, the journey is unlike what she expects. A criticism I've read of this book is that Claire's maternal search for Gabe is something that kids, the target audience of Son, won't be able to relate to. However, I think many of Son's readers are those of us who enjoyed The Giver as children. With that said, it does have a slightly different feel than the rest of the quartet. It is much longer, for one thing, and also has that same fantastical element that permeates Messenger. Overall, it does an excellent job of binding the characters from the previous two books together and illustrating the overall message of the series: the importance of choice and loyalty to oneself.

Super Series Saturday: The Steampunk Chronicles by Kady Cross

Guys, I have a geeky confession -- I totally, completely adore the steampunk genre. So far, I've only had one negative experience with any steampunk book. In general, the atmosphere and the creativity of the stories I've found are completely up my alley, and the first two books in Kady Cross's Steampunk Chronicles series have been no exception.

The Girl in the Steel Corset


In the first book, we meet Finley Jayne, a servant girl who, when attacked by her lusty employer, takes him out in a matter of minutes. Finley doesn't understand why she is able to switch into a state of mind and body where her small frame is able to take on opponents much larger than she is -- or why she seems to be in a dark, evil frame of mind when it happens. But some of her questions begin to be answered when she runs in to the handsome Griffin King, Lord of Greythorne, who has some surprising insights about her past and about the evolution of the world in general. Soon Finley and Griffin, along with a supporting cast of memorable characters, are embroiled in a plot to steal the most valuable substance in the world and attack Queen Victoria.

First of all, I loved the atmosphere of this book. As I've mentioned before, something about dark, gloomy London streets and fancy gowns mixed with bizarre technologies and machines really interests me. Kady Cross does well with incorporating elements of the real Victorian world with the imaginary technologies she has created. The main components of that world are Organites, small creatures that enhance healing, give machines sentient powers, and cause those who are exposed to them to evolve new abilities, and the Aether, the mystical world beyond that which is seen and the final resting place of dead spirits. Both elements, while mysterious, are consistent in the story and allow for many interesting occurrences and objects.

I also completely enjoy the characters. Griffin's misfit band are all possessed of interesting abilities, and they are all fascinating and endearing in their own way, from Emily, the tiny, fiery Irish genius whose inventions power all of the group's exploits, to the large and brooding Sam, who is bitter about the parts of his body that are mechanical, to the quick-witted (and moving), handsome Jasper, an American with a mysterious past. The characters are placed in a plot that is complementary to their awesomeness -- the action is well-paced and interesting.

My one quibble with the book is at times the writing, particularly the dialogue. The characters often seem as if they are trying to hard to explain things, and the dialogue can be stilted. However, other than this the tale is exciting and well-done, and I could hardly put it down until I finished.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar


The Girl in the Clockwork Collar picks up where The Girl in the Steel Corset leaves off, with Griffin, Finley, Emily and Sam worrying about Jasper and headed to America to help him. Once they reach America, they learn about some of the issues from Jasper's past that have been haunting him, including a beautiful Chinese girl named Mei (Mei Xing, in full -- say that together and you'll get it) who is imprisoned in a clockwork collar that tightens to suffocate her if she leaves the house where she is imprisoned. Jasper is required by some old "friends" to find the pieces of a machine and reassemble it, or Mei's life is on the line. Meanwhile, Griffin's crew begin spending time with the genius Tesla, trying to learn more about his machines and their connection with the Aether. All the pieces come together with a shocking finish at the end.

Honestly, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar follows very consistently from the first book in the series. It too has a captivating plot, and may even one-up the first book in the series by incorporating more heart-wrenching moments of tragedy and emotion. Kady Cross continues to incorporate fascinating new characters, like Wildcat, the feisty, long-canined outlaw who harbors a flame for Jasper, and Dalton, the handsome and devilish leader of the gang Jasper used to belong to. We also are exposed to new inventions, including those belonging to Emily as well as new inventions from Tesla. We are further enmeshed in the questions of just what the organites can do and how they affect those exposed to them. The Girl in the Clockwork Collar was, in short, a very satisfying second book, which is a difficult feat to accomplish. It's main flaw is the same as that of The Girl in the Steel Corset -- at times it suffers from cheesy and somewhat forced dialogue.

However, in general I found this read to be thoroughly satisfying, and I am definitely looking forward to the next installment in the series.

3.75 stars

Super Series Saturday: The Ruby Oliver books by E. Lockhart

These books. From the second I picked up my first Ruby Oliver book, I was hooked. Hooked as in, I would be sitting in the bathroom reading to the next page break and then the book was over. Why? I'll tell you.

#1: The Boyfriend List: 15 guys, 11 shrink appointments, 4 ceramic frogs and me, Ruby Oliver.


Ruby's life has gotten extremely complicated. Here's what happened: First, her boyfriend, Jackson, broke up with her. Then, Ruby's best friend, Kim, got together with him. Ruby is supposed to be okay with this, because they wrote a bunch of rules together about how you are never supposed to get with a guy your friend likes -- unless it is true love. Which is what Kim says it is. But Ruby still likes Jackson, and he appears to have at least some residual feelings as well. Ruby starts having panic attacks from the stress of the situation, so she gets a shrink who suggests she make a list of every guy she's ever had any kind of romantic anything with so she can sort through her complicated emotions. Naturally, someone gets hold of this list, distributes it around the school, and Ruby's life is effectively over.

First off, let me tell you why I fell in love with these books right away.

1. Ruby puts footnotes on everything. Sometimes these footnotes lead to lists of movies. Sometimes they lead to anecdotes about something that happened a long time ago. Sometimes they are explanations of slang she uses. Always, they are hilarious.

2. Ruby herself is so awesome and relatable. I seriously wish she went to high school with me so we could be best friends. I love that she has notebooks with her friends, that she wears vintage clothing, that she eats food and is a normal size, and most of all -- that her weirdness (her actress mother, plant-obsessed father, houseboat, private school life) makes her not normal per se, but relatable. Because we all have some form of uber-weirdness in our lives (Mine was the fact that my family owned llamas that would get into screaming fights, that we usually ate something my dad had hunted down for dinner (think elk, bear, buffalo, fish), and that I would get stuck behind tractors on the way to school making me late).

I also really loved reading about how Ruby handles the situations she is thrown in. Losing your best friend (and other friends, I might add), and your boyfriend, and having the entire school think that you are a mega-skank is a lot to deal with. And while Ruby isn't graceful under pressure (she has severe panic attacks), she doesn't mope around and feel sorry for herself. She grows through the experience, and she gets through it.

My last little insight into this book is that I think Kim, Ruby's former best friend, is one of the most loathsome characters I've read about in contemporary fiction. Obviously she is nothing compared to mega-villains, but as far as the everyday garden variety of nasty people goes, she is pretty despicable. *shudder*

#2: The Boy Book: A study of habits and behaviors, plus techniques for taming them

In The Boy Book, Ruby is still dealing with the fallout from all the drama with Jackson and Kim. However, as she continues to meet with her therapist, Dr. Z, she starts to find new ways to adjust to her life both inside and outside the Tate (her private school) universe. She tries to find new friends, find ways to occupy her newly way-too-open time, and of course, tries to understand the complicated habits of boys.

The Boy Book is kind of a continuation from The Boyfriend List. Kim is in Tokyo doing a foreign exchange (but still with Jackson, despite the distance). Ruby is feeling awkward whenever she encounters Jackson, but can't stop fixating on him. However, other boys are also starting to pique her interest, or at least show up in her life uninvited. There's Hutch, the social outcast who has started working with Ruby's dad, who despite his social leprosy, can be fun to talk to. There's Noel, Ruby's always-sort-of-friend, who lately has been looking appealing (but, unfortunately, not only to Ruby). There's Gideon, Ruby's friend Nora's older brother -- and Nora may actually still be friends with Ruby despite the drama of the previous months. Everything comes to a head during a school event where everyone does a communion-with-nature type of thing, and all the people Ruby needs to avoid happen to be in the same place as she is.

I like The Boy Book, but I don't have much extra to say about it -- like I said, it is mostly a continuation fo the drama Roo experienced in The Boyfriend List, except now we are dealing with fall out. It was still unputdownable, of course.

#3: The Treasure Map of Boys: Noel, Hutch, Jackson, Finn, Gideon -- and me, Ruby Oliver

In The Treasure Map of Boys, Ruby's life is more stable. She's learned more of less to deal with her status as a leper. She has some friends, even if they aren't quite as close as she was with Kim. She even has a love interest (but is desperately trying to avoid him because one of her friends is interested in him). Things get complicated when a senior girl asks Ruby to head up a fundraiser bake sale. Ruby is determined to turn the bake sale traditions on its head by having boys provide the goods, but everything winds up haywire (of course. It's Ruby Oliver).

This was my favorite of the Ruby Oliver books. This was the holy grail. The series probably could have ended here and I would have been happy. Not that the fourth book wasn't good -- it was -- but The Treasure Map of Boys was fantastic. I shall tell you why.

First, let me explain what is meant by the phrase "treasure map of boys." Ruby's therapist, Dr. Z, requests that Ruby make a treasure map of relationships in her life. Being obsessed with boys, Ruby interprets that to mean the romantic relationships in her life, and she struggles with delineating what all the different boys she encounters mean to her. However, in the process, she realizes that while there are certain things she wants, certain things she misses, she is missing the wonderful parts of her life that are right in front of her by longing for things that she no longer has. I think Ruby experiences genuine growth in this book.

There are also some heart-pounding moments of legitimate romance. In the earlier novels, there is complication, yes. There is analysis, yes. But nothing good actually happens. In The Treasure Map of Boys, Ruby actually has some encounters. And they are lovely.

Honestly, I think you could stop here and still be happy. But of course, you will want more Ruby Oliver like I did, which leads to...

#4: Real Live Boyfriends: Yes, boyfriends, plural. If my life weren't complicated, I wouldn't be Ruby Oliver.

Roo has Opinions on what it takes to be a Real, Live Boyfriend (as opposed to just a boyfriend). And she is lucky, because she has one. Yes, things have finally started to go well, despite the drama that is inherent in her life. Until things stop going well. Aka, her Real, Live Boyfriend mutates into a pod-robot (Jackson-style) with no apparent reason. He doesn't even break up with Ruby -- just wanders around, pod-robot style, not calling her back. Which, naturally, causes Ruby to freak out.

After finishing this final book, I was a little disappointed in Ruby. She had had this great, powerful growth experience in The Treasure Map of Boys, but once things start going south with her Real, Live Boyfriend, she reverts back into over-analyze-but-not-communicating mode. She does attempt to ask Real, Live Boyfriend what is wrong, but she doesn't try very hard. Instead she is pursued a bit by some of the other boys on the treasure map of boys. And while eventually things get figured out, I was feeling rather disgruntled with her immaturity.

But thinking about it right now, I've realized that many, many times after having an epic learning experience, I have reverted back to stupidity. It is almost as if you have to have one final stupid moment after you learn your lesson to drive the point home. Sure, Ruby learned a lot, but she still wasn't perfect. She still had to deal with a difficult situation, and just because she'd had a large epiphany before that situation, it didn't meant that she was capable of handling it perfectly. So I am slightly less disgruntled than before, having realized that.

I think my favorite thing about Real Live Boyfriends was the documentary that Ruby was making on the nature of love. She walked around asking her friends what love meant to them, and one answer, given by her at times clueless but totally sweet friend Meghan, was that love was having a delicious piece of cake, and really wanting it, but giving the last bite to the person you love because you want them to have it. It sounds silly, but I have totally been using this in my life. For example (this is going to be the longest and most random aside ever, but because I am writing about Ruby Oliver, who does the same thing, I feel totally justified) my husband and I buy regular milk and soy milk. Neither of us are lactose intolerant or anything -- we just like soy milk. And my husband feels like it is better for his colon because he has been watching documentaries lately. We can't afford to only buy soy milk because it is more expensive than regular milk (plus, we have nothing against regular milk -- we just like soy milk) Not that you want to hear about his colon. Anyway, we both like the soy milk a lot because it is sweeter than regular milk. Tonight, I really wanted a glass of milk and went for the soy but when I picked up the carton I realized that it was almost empty. My husband is at work, so I could easily have had it and said, "Oh sorry, I didn't know you wanted it." But instead, I put it back in the fridge and drank the regular milk, because I really love him and know he'll be happy to have the soy when he gets home. That is what I've learned from the Ruby Oliver books. (Applause).

Anyway, if you are still reading at this point, you must really love either the Ruby Oliver books or me. In closing, these books were fun and mostly frivolous, but with a few quality lessons tucked in. I wish Ruby Oliver was real so we could be friends (I would totally forgive your social leprosy, girl), and so I could borrow her white fishnets on the cover of the last book. In addition, E. Lockhart is a fabulous writer. So go read them!

Super Series Saturday: Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale

I first started reading the Books of Bayern about five years ago, when one of my roommates lent The Goose Girl to me over Christmas break, telling me it was her favorite book. And while I lukewarmly enjoyed it, it definitely wasn't the right book for me at that time. However, since then, I have seen so much love for the Books of Bayern that I decided to give them a second try, and I am glad I did.

The Goose Girl
Anidori Isilee is being shipped off to Bayern to marry the prince -- a huge disappointment because she spent her life believing that she would be the queen of her own country, Kildenree, despite her shyness and her family's concern over her "eccentricities" -- an ability to communicate with animals. However, on the way to Bayern, her smooth-talking, cunning lady-in-waiting, Selia, pulls a surprise attack and leaves with Anidori's troop, planning on impersonating her and becoming queen herself. Anidori is left to find her own way to survive, and she does -- by seeking employment at the castle as a goose girl. Going by her middle name of Isilee (or Isi), she searches for a way to find love and get Selia out of her rightful place.

The Goose Girl is somewhat of a slow-moving book, but Shannon Hale's writing is beautiful and the images are powerful. I think I was possibly expecting more action when I read it the first time, but this time I was more able to appreciate the simplicity and beauty of Isi's story, as well as delving deeper into the layers of complexity that I rushed past on my first reading. Isi is a character of incredible grace and strength, as is further revealed in the story, and her love story is sweet, if slightly predictable. While The Goose Girl didn't become one of my favorite books during my second reading, I gained a much greater appreciation for it.

Enna Burning
Isi's best friend, Enna, is a forest girl. She works in the city to send money back home. However, one day Enna's brother brings home a strange fragment of paper and begins practicing strange skills. As his skill increases, he threatens Enna, but for some reason she can't keep herself away from the parchment and begins learning how to create fire herself. As Bayern moves into a war with Tira, Enna must decide if using her fire power is worth the danger it presents.

Enna Burning had much more action than The Goose Girl, which is fitting, because Enna as a character is much more fiery and volatile. With the dangers of the war pressing on Enna, she is forced to make difficult decisions, not only about her outward actions but about the way that her newly acquired powers will affect her own life. She is also presented with difficult choices to make about love -- there is Finn, one of Isi's first friends, who always seems to throw her off balance, but she also meets another mysterious stranger that seems to fit perfectly into her life. Enna Burning also presents an interesting dilemma, because in The Goose Girl we only see the positive aspects of the elemental speaking powers that Isi possesses; in Enna Burning we learn that there are negative aspects as well. Enna Burning is a powerful sequel to The Goose Girl and was actually much more enjoyable for me.

River Secrets
While the war with Tira has ended, the tensions certainly haven't, and the atmosphere is tense as select members of Bayern's own (as well as Enna) are sent into the heart of Tira for diplomatic discussions. Razo, one of Isi and Enna's friends from working at the castle, is uncertain why he was chosen -- despite his unwavering loyalty, he is known as the worst swordsman in Bayern's own and is very short, which leads him to be frequently mocked. However, as he spends time in Tira, Razo is one of the only people to notice that burned bodies are appearing in unlikely places. He also finds himself entangled with Dasha, a beautiful girl with hair a color he has never seen before that he is not sure if he can trust.

River Secrets was my least favorite of The Books of Bayern. While I understood Shannon Hale's reasoning in telling the story from Razo's point of view rather than Dasha's (because all the narrators have been connected in all of the books, and Dasha would have entered in as a stranger), it didn't feel as natural being in Razo's head for me. He felt somewhat stilted and immature. The immaturity factor may be because he is a boy and younger than Enna and Isi, but it didn't quite work for me. I also felt disappointed that I didn't know Dasha as well as the other girls with elemental powers. I know part of the intrigue of the story is finding out exactly what Dasha is up to and the mystery she presents, but I would have preferred to have more time inside of her head. River Secrets isn't a bad book, but it did less for me than the other Books of Bayern.

Forest Born
The last Book of Bayern is about Rin, Razo's little sister. Rin has lived her entire life in the Forest, and she works incessantly at being good, the type of daughter that her mother would be proud of. She stifles her instincts to do wrong and keeps quiet. However, during one of Razo's infrequent visits from the city, Rin feels suffocated and decides to leave and find work at the castle for a change of scenery. Working as a lady's maid for Isi, Rin finds herself entangled in what appears to be a negative situation among some of Isi's maids and enthralled by the women she calls "the fire sisters" -- Isi, Enna, and Dasha. However, when a bizarre circumstance throws Rin on an unexpected journey with the fire sisters, she realizes that stifling herself may not be the best way to be a good person.

This was my favorite of all the Books of Bayern. I felt that I could relate to Rin so well in many ways. This girl doubted every single word that she said. She felt the need to be perfect, and punished herself endlessly for all of her mistakes. She felt completely bound by her circumstances, and even leaving her home in the Forest wasn't enough to set her free. I think more than any of the other characters, Rin had to go through a very deep and intrapersonal growth experience. While she admires and spends time with the fire sisters, she never completely interacts with them; most of her journey is internal. All of the other books have love stories, but Rin's story is more about learning to love herself. However, while that may sound as if the book was less exciting than others, that wasn't the case. Rin's growth is moving, powerful, and relatable, and framing that growth is a series of exciting and unexpected events. While Rin was more quiet and introspective than other characters, she was still swept up in a huge adventure.

Overall, these books are sweet and enjoyable. At times they move slowly, but the writing is beautiful and the characters are lovable. I really wish I had read these books when I was younger because the fairy tale setting would have absolutely entranced me ten or twelve years ago (it was still entrancing, but not in that magical way of when you are younger). If you are looking for a sweet, gentle, and lovely group of stories, The Books of Bayern will not disappoint.

Super Series Saturday: The Goddess Test and Goddess, Interrupted by Aimee Carter

                                                                          Titles: The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted
Author: Aimee Carter
Series: Goddess Test #1 and #2
Genre: YA, fantasy, mythology
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 2011 & 2012
Source: Library and NetGalley
Read for: Review, Once Upon a Time VI

The Goddess Test
Kate's mother is dying of cancer, and she wants to spend her last days in the town she grew up in, Eden. Kate's life has revolved around her mother's disease for the last four years, so she doesn't feel as if she is leaving much behind when she leaves her hometown of New York. However, when she gets to Eden, strange things begin happening, starting when the most popular girl in school takes her to the mysterious mansion at the edge of town. Kate finds herself offered the safety of those closest to her if she agrees to risk her life to become the wife of the ruler of the Underworld, Henry. However, in order to become queen (and to get her reward), she must pass a series of tests that no one else has survived.

For me, this first book was interesting, but not stellar. It took some time for the mythology to appear other than veiled references to Persephone and the obvious fact that Henry was the King of the Underworld. I was disappointed that Kate's tests were not blatant -- she didn't even realize she was taking them at the time, instead simply blundering through the Underworld and trying to avoid whoever was responsible for all the girls before her failing the Tests -- and ending up in the Underworld permanently. I expected quite a bit of drama and suspense surrounding these tests and instead ended up with Kate being confused and trying to figure out why she was there.

With that said, the writing was good and the characters were likable. I would have liked more plot and more sense of organization of the story, but I liked it enough to move on to book 2.

3 stars

Warnings: One "scene," some language

Goddess, Interrupted
Kate is returning back to the Underworld after her six months of summer, and she can't wait to see Henry, despite the fact that she heard nothing from him the entire time she was gone. Unlike her sister, Persephone, who dreaded the six months spent in the Underworld, Kate is excited to see Henry and glad the summer is over. However, when she gets to the Underworld, everything is in chaos. Calliope, jealous and bitter that Kate managed to pass her tests, is working to release Cronus, a Titan that nearly destroyed the gods of Olympus before they managed to imprison him -- and that time, Calliope was on their side, helping them. To add to the trouble, Kate can tell that Henry is still fixated on his first wife, Persephone.

This second installment in the Goddess Test series was more enjoyable for me. First of all, there is much more mythology in Goddess, Interrupted. We get to meet Persephone and Adonis, and we learn more about the relationships between the fourteen main Olympians. The book also is significantly more action-packed. I remember looking down at my Kindle and being surprised that I was only 50% through the book, because the scene seemed so climactic, only to get to new and more exciting scenes later on in the story.

I also like the way Henry, Persephone, and Kate's relationship was presented. So often in YA literature, love is presented as a one-time, utterly exclusive thing. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be that way -- certainly now that I am married I am focused on my husband only, not diverted by anyone else past or present. However, before people settle into their commitments, I think there are often those conflicting, overlapping emotions that take a while to fade away. Henry still had feelings for his first wife, and it was difficult for Kate to deal with them, but those feelings didn't negate the way he felt about Kate. Hopefully as they get to know each other better and become more and more committed (after all, they did have an arranged marriage) he will eventually be completely immune to those former feelings for Persephone. I'm getting off on a tangent, but I guess what I am trying to say is that I thought the way the love situation was dealt with was very realistic, which I appreciated.

One complaint I have with this book was the CLIFFHANGER! I know it is a second book, and that trilogies make money on that kind of thing, but most books have some form of closure. This one was ruthless.

3.5 stars

Warnings: Language, violence, some references to bedroom activity

Overall, while this series is not absolutely electrifying me, I am enjoying it. The books are fun and the added taste of mythology is something I always enjoy. I will be reading the third book in the series.

Super Series Saturday: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Guys. I read the first five Princess Diaries book in high school. And I ate them up like candy. I have heard people complain that they are stupid, brain-candy, showcasing girls overly obsessed with boys, etc. Many of these accusations are probably true. But that doesn't change the fact that they entertain me exceedingly. So when I found out that there were more of them, I decided to read the rest. Rather than inundate you with many Princess Diaries reviews (especially since each book is really just more of the same hilarious, addicting snark), I thought I'd just give them to you all at once. And then I decided it was such a good idea to do that, I turned it into a new feature. These reviews won't be in depth like my usual reviews... just brief summaries and my reaction to the book.

Princess Mia decides to go on a Habitat for Humanity trip. After all, Michael is going, and there may be clandestine opportunities to kiss. It isn't easy to hammer, and the opportunities are sparser than Mia desires, but she still learns something.

I enjoyed Mia's interactions with the people she was helping. Short, sweet, and entertaining.

Lilly the psychotic has nominated Mia for student body president, with the mad idea that she can just abdicate (er... resign) so that Lilly can then take over. Everyone else seems to think it is good practice for ruling Genovia some day. It isn't the only thing on her mind -- Michael is going to college, leaving Mia insecure and sad about not seeing him at school.

I thought this was empowering for Mia. Even though she is still insecure and neurotic, she realizes she is capable of success. She can be popular, she can deal with Michael not being there every second. She is still boy-crazy, but I thought it was refreshing to see her with a little autonomy. Also, LOVE all the pop culture references, especially about the Princess Diaries movies and how they are different from her real life.

Lilly and Michael are coming to Genovia for Christmas (their parents don't care, because they are Jewish), and Mia is determined to have the perfect present for Michael. And also, clandestine kissing.

This book was way too "Gifts of the Magi" for me. I don't really like that story, and I've heard it every single Christmas at least 4 times for the last 23 years.

Michael is throwing a party. A real college party, with girls. However, Mia isn't so sure that the party is her scene. She's also not sure if Michael still likes her, since he is suddenly feeling this need to party. In addition, the student government is broke and Grandmere has a disturbing new scheme to win back the money.

I loved this one as well. We finally meet the boy who hates when they put corn in the chili, and he is awesome. It was fun to see a new friend dynamic in Mia's group. Also very interesting the way he seems attracted to Mia, and the way she seems to be at least a little attracted back. It doesn't hurt that Michael is a little less dreamy/swoony in this book, starting to act like an adolescent boy. Made me kind of wonder if it would be so terrible if Mia moved on from her college boy.

Grandmere wants Mia to be on some MTV sweet sixteen show... but Mia just wants to hang out with Michael. Whatever shall be done?

Mildly entertaining, but not memorable.

This book randomly takes us back a few years to Mia and Michael's first Valentine's Day. Michael doesn't seem to be into Valentine's Day, but Mia desperately wants it all - the flowers, jewelry, and sap.

I thought this was cute. Mia supports her friends, and we see all their varying reactions to romance (or the lack of). This is short and sweet like the other "half" volumes, and is probably the most entertaining.

Mia thinks Precalculus is the worst thing that ever happened to her. And then she finds out Michael is going to Japan for a year because he is brilliant and has invented a life-saving device. So she should be happy for him, but instead she is dying inside.

This is the Book of Drama. Mia can't understand how Michael could leave, even though she knows she should be happy for him. J.P. (the boy who hates when they put corn in the chili) is eager to help her feel better, even though he is dating Lilly. Mia is trying to figure out just how she is feeling and whether it is worth it to give away her Precious Gift (her words, not mine) to Michael to show him she is committed. This was probably one of my least favorite of the books -- even though a lot happened and I was eager to get to the end, the drama was unpleasant and I was frustrated with the characters.

Mia and Michael are over, and the tabloids are on fire with photos of her with John Paul Reynolds-Abernathy the IV (aka J.P.). Mia thinks she likes him... he is so nice, and seems like the perfect guy, even taking her to Beauty and the Beast. But. She just doesn't feel what she felt for Michael. To make matters worse, Lilly isn't speaking to her, there is a website online called ihatemiathermopolis.com, and Michael is the one who dumped her.

So, this is Book of Drama, volume 2. However, I enjoyed it much more than Princess on the Brink. Mia has hit rock bottom, and she has some really rough moments. However, I think she makes a lot of personal growth in this book. Her life isn't perfect, but she finds a way to get out of bed and face the day (eventually). I think this book also illustrates the fact that things change in high school. Most relationships aren't forever, close friendships sometimes end, and enemies can get over it and become friends (I know I experienced all of the above). I will say that the book seems very different from the previous novels in the series -- at times I felt like I was in a Princess Diaries alternate universe.

Two years from the previous book, Mia is about to graduate. She goes shopping with Lana. She sees a shrink every Friday. She's written a romance novel (although all of her friends think it is a research paper about Genovia). She emails Michael sometimes. She is dating J.P. She and Lilly never talk. But Michael is home from Japan, and he wants to see her. So what now?

This book was a great ending to this series for me. Mia is living her life. She has made some changes -- she is still neurotic, but sometimes she disobeys her parents. She is dating J.P., who I liked way better than Michael (at the beginning of this book, at least). She hangs out with Lana, who calls her Geek but seems to genuinely like her in her shallowly-programmed way (although I do agree with Lana that PinkBerry does solve everything). And Michael is back -- and he is mature, handsome, charming -- not the obnoxious college boy of Party Princess and Princess on the Brink. And suddenly J.P. starts doing weird things -- which doesn't seem to fit in with his personality of the earlier books, but I guess I'll let it slide -- and suddenly doesn't seem so perfect, after all. (Just out of curiosity... what is a promise ring? Why that instead of getting engaged? End of brief aside). I found myself emoting hardcore with this book -- something I wasn't expecting with this "fluff" read. I became physically giddy whenever Michael entered the scene. I think this book could stand on its own, although knowing the history behind it makes it much more fun.

So in sum total? A fun series. Some volumes are definitely more enjoyable than others, but Cabot finishes strongly with Forever Princess.