Synopsis:
Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison never thought that being a real life PRINCESS OF GENOVIA could ever be boring, but with all of the new vans and paparazzi staked out in front of the palace, the whole family has been on lockdown for weeks. So when Grandmere suggests a shopping trip to buy a small present for Princess Mia, Olivia jumps at the chance—especially since the shopping trip comes with the promise of lunch at the Royal Genovian Yacht Club (makers of the best ice cream sundae in the world)! Surely nothing could go wrong with such a simple day out, could it?
A quick shopping trip with her royal Grandmere turns into a much bigger deal than Olivia Grace, the newest Princess of Genovia expected in this e-short edition to Meg Cabot's illustrated chapter book series From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Ever since I was a little kid, I loved The Princess Diaries series. I got hooked on the series in fourth grade, and even re-read it from time to time as an adult. It still holds the same joy for me that it did back then. Therefore, when I saw there was a new Princess Diaries series featuring a new character, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I started the series with Royal Day Out. I found it enjoyable, but had some problems with it.
I think part of the problem why Royal Day Out wasn't a five star read for me was that I read it out of order, which was my own fault. After finishing the story, I realized it was book 1.5 in the series. Most people recommend reading it after Royal Wedding, book eleven in The Princess Diaries series, which I haven't read either. Once again, that's my own fault and doesn't reflect in any way upon the book. It did make confusing at first because I had no idea what was going on, or any of Olivia's backstory. The other problem I had with this story is that Grandmere drove me nuts. Usually I find her quirky, eccentric, and charming. However, in this story, I just found her to be annoying. Most of her actions were petty, rude, and out of character. It drove me crazy.
I did really like the main character, Olivia. I enjoyed that she brought something new and fresh to The Princess Diaries series. She has a great personality. No matter what was going on around her, she was able to adjust quickly. Whether it be Grandmere's split-second decisions to leave the shop, or things that had happened at the yacht club, she was able to still have fun, and make the most of it. I also really enjoyed how she got Grandmere to think on different terms, which is hard to do. She introduced Grandmere to the term gender neutral, and really got her to think about it and accept it, which I don't think Mia would have been able to do.
Despite a couple of issues that I had with the book, I really did like Royal Day Out. I loved Olivia's character. I think it will be interesting to see what she brings to the world of The Princess Diaries. I enjoyed this book so much in fact, that I put a hold on all three of the other books in this series at my local library. I can't wait to read them, and see what other interesting adventures Olivia gets into with Grandmere, Mia, and the rest of the characters that we know and love.
I give Royal Day Out: 3/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.megcabot.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megcabot
Twitter: https://twitter.com/megcabot
Tumblr: http://megcabotsays.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MegginCabot
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/megcabot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialmegcabot/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/117794062943087450599
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11654.Meg_Cabot
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
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