Book Review: Princess Academy

Title: Princess Academy
Author: Shannon Hale
Genre: fiction,romance
Pages: 314
Publisher: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books
Rating: 9/10

‘ “Sir,” said the older soldier courteously, “we are here to escort the girls safely to the academy. These are the kings orders. We mean no harm, but I do have instructions to take any resisters directly to the capital.” ’

This excerpt is said by one of the soldiers who takes Miri to the academy. Miri is a girl who lives on Mount Eskel in the kingdom, Danland, with the rest of her village. A day before the soldiers come, the chief delegate of Danland announces that a girl who lives in the village on Mount Eskel, will be the future king’s bride. When they get to the academy, the girls of Mount Eskel will spend a year of princess training in hopes of becoming the princess. The girls are taken to be taught how to be a princess. But as danger appears, Miri, named after the tiny mountain flower, will stand up and defend herself and her classmates.

My favorite character is Miri. She is fourteen years old, and is quite small for her age. Her father will not let Miri work in the quarry, (where they mine linder, a plentiful, beautiful rock that is found on Mount Eskel) since her mother died from an injury she had gotten mining before Miri was born. As Miri works in the academy, she strives to become the best, the academy princess. And as she works, she puzzles over many things, quarry speech being one of them, and her family the other. She wants to marry the prince so her family will not have to worry about money or food, but her feelings of love toward her childhood friend, Peder, conflict and leave Miri unsure of what she should do.

One reason I like the book, ‘Princess Academy’ is because, one message it shouts out is: it doesn’t matter about your size, or your looks. What matters is your strength, and Miri proves just that, as she saves her classmates from danger.

Another reason I like this book, is that Ms. Hale, writes so that you feel you are Miri. No matter what type of personality you have, you can always relate to Miri, and can picture yourself with Miri. You can feel the tension, the happiness and the fright, one after the other.

Read the book, ‘Princess Academy’, and join Miri as she courageously does one brave act after the other, learns how to act like a princess, and adjusts to her new life, that has been changed by love and knowledge. I recommend this book to anybody who has read any books from Shannon Hale, or who likes a little bit of romance, and a lot of adventure.