Book: Princess For Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
Release date: March 16, 2010
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Hyperion
From: Publisher
Summary:
When a well-dressed woman steps out of a bubble and wants to know if you’d like to become a substitute princess, do you
A) run
B) faint
C) say yes?
For Desi Bascomb, who’s been longing for some glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C). Desi has a rare ability: with the help of “Royal Rouge,” she can temporarily transform into the exact look-alike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?
Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras…. In this winning debut, one girl’s dream of glamour transforms into the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.
*****
First off, Princess For Hire seemed more like a middle grade book to me. I didn’t read any reviews for it beforehand so I wasn’t expecting that. I still liked the book but it was definitely a bit cheesy and more geared towards younger teens.
Desi was a great character but she certainly wasn’t anything spectacular. I actually didn’t like her at the beginning of the book because she was super naive. Luckily she grew up a bit and became more tolerable for me. I can’t wait to see how she continues to grow in the next book in the series.
That’s another thing, I had no clue this was going to be a series. I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t be but I do want to find out more about the rest of the characters. I didn’t like that the whole story was all about Desi. I barely learned anything about the other characters. That’s one of the main reasons that I want to read the next book.
Overall, Princess For Hire is short and sweet. The writing and idea are both very clever and the characters grow on you as you get deeper into the story. It is more for younger teens but I don’t think it’s a big deal. Older teens can get into the story too. I did! =]
First line: If my life were made into a movie–The Desi Bascomb Story Revealed–I’d use artistic license to make a few minor changes.
Writing: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Ending: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Overall: 21/25=B
Cover: 5/5=A++
I’m still debating if I should read this book or not. Great review though!
When I was reading the book I had the same feeling, about it being middle grade I mean. Since I had only read the blurb, not much else, I wasn’t expecting that either. Though, in hindsight, I should have realized since Disney+Princess=always equals middle grade XD
Nice , honest review!!
I love your honest reviews. Sounds like a fun read, but I don’t
think this my kind of book. I like the cover though, looks kinda
cute. =)