Princess Academy

Reader reviewed by mearley

Girls from a rural community are chosen to attend an academy for training to become the next princess of the land. Competition is fierce, but one young lady discovers a talent that just may save the land.

Another great fairy tale from Shannon Hale. This one is original, not based on Grimms. Don't dismiss it as a fluffy princess book; the characters are interesting and well-written.

First, it's a perfect book. By perfect, I don't mean "best," because that's totally up to you. No, by perfect, I mean that it's a self-contained, no-word-wasted, deliberately character driven story that works on some level for everyone. If you don't like Miri, the main character (though why on earth wouldn't you?), there are a host of secondary characters who are essential and unique in their own rights. Miri is fourteen at the start of the book, and she feels like a very useless person because her father refuses to let her work in the quarry like everyone else. By the end of the book, she has proven herself more than useful time after time, as circumstances set her apart and demand that someone take action. Never, however, when the going gets rough, do we wonder why the grown-ups don't just do something (as is often the case in children's stories - Harry Potter [as much as I love it] being an excellent example of the embarrassing unbelievability of adult apathy). Because they do. Every character has purpose, and everyone acts completely within their character. It's precise. It's perfect.

There's magic in this book, but it feels absolutely like nature. It's also essential, and in being essential becomes its own kind of character. Nature itself becomes a character, and that's a part of why the magic feels like nature.

In some ways one could consider this a moral book, because it's definitely about choices and their consequences. But it's realistic in that it acknowledges some choices might be right, but not best. Or might be dangerous, but right. Or might be wrong, but sympathetic. In other words, this book is about life, and that's why it's a "moral" book. It's as moral as life itself.

I've commented before on other books' uses of poetry, in part because I see so many unpublished manuscripts that use poetry badly. Shannon Hale uses poetry and song frequently in her books, and she does it just right. It's a part of the culture in the story, and it reminds you that the culture is different from your own while also inviting you to become familiar with it.

Both readers and writers should take a look at Shannon's blogging book club, both to learn more about the book itself, and to learn about the writing process. It's incredible to think of the journey a story takes from its first formations to its final printing, when you consider how pristine the results are. It's hard to imagine Miri's story going any other way.

Reader reviewed by Mary

This would be my second Shannon Hale book, the first being The Book of a Thousand Days. And I have to say that I adored it.



Miri lives in a small village where the villagers lives revolve around mining stones. Miri's father refuses to let Miri work in the mine, forcing Miri to feel useless and weak. Then, Miri is offered a chance to prove herself. The prince is seeking a bride and tradition dictates that it must be chosen from her town. A Princess Academy is set up so all the eligible children can be suitable for marriage. Miri knows this is her chance to prove that's she's useful...


Not a shallow book as the title suggests, this novel is a journey of a young girl being true to herself. Shannon Hale's beautiful prose shines throughout the book. I loved this book.

Reader reviewed by Jen

This is such a great book! Shannon Hale's writing style is beautiful and lyrical (I'm in love with it) Even though the age group on this book says 8+, I am 14 and I enjoyed so much, even though I am older and I'm not really into fantasy (except for a few exceptions).  If you liked this, read her other books, the Books of Bayern (The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets and Forest Born, but I haven't read the latter because my library doesn't have it. Argghh!)  Such a good writer and a cool story!

Reader reviewed by Mary

This wonderful story is about a girl who lives on a mountain with her older sister and father. She is very different than all the other girls because her father is very protective about her and won't let her do certain things. One day, they find out the prince is getting married and the girls of Mount Eskel are to go to the academy. This is very exciting and all girls that are old (and young) enough go. This brings so much adventure into the story. But this is not all. There is a hint of love in this story, and I loved this book, so I believe you will, too!

Reader reviewed by nelka35

The basic plot is this: the priests say that the prince has to choose a bride for the girls of a mountain village. Therefore the girls are sent to an academy to learn the things they need to know. The story itself is told beautifully - I was completely involved in it, and had to come back to reality when I finished the book. It has interesting twists, some quite unexpected, and is a well-developed, detailed, and balanced, tale. I highly recommend it - a real joy to read!

I loved reading this when I was younger, and although some of the details are now hazy, I remember being yelled at for not listening when my parents said lights out ! Miri is a great character for young girls to look up to, and this book was an adventure from start to finish.

Reader reviewed by AB

Princess Academy was about a group of girls in line for beciming the nezt princess.
The price in their village needed a wife so they academy rounded up a group of girls to be trained for the next princess in waiting.
This book left me in suspense and i just could not put it down!
 Its full of suspense, kidnapping, romance, and drama!
One of the cutest books!  I highly recommend this book!

Reader reviewed by Stacey @ book:thirty

Im in loooooooove. Thats all I can figure. Why else would I have stayed up until 2am to finish this book, tossed and turned, unable to sleep, feverish thoughts of if only I had enough money to buy the school 10 copies and give one to everyone I know! in my over-tired head? Why else would I have dreamed (when I was finally able to sleep) of the different characters in this book, longing to be the main character, Miri? I am dopey-eyed, slack-jawed, gimme more gimme more gimme more in loooooooove with this book!

Princess Academy can most easily be described as a take on the princess tale, wherein it is possible for a common young woman to marry the prince. But its so much more than that. Young Miri is the diminutive heroine of the story, living a small, quiet life with her family and villagers atop Mount Eskel. The village mines the mountain quarries for blocks of linder, a valuable commodity for building in their country of Danland. A representative from the royal court - located in the lowlands - comes to tell the village that it has been determined the princes bride shall come from their tiny village. Since none of the young women can read or write or engage in things like Conversation, Poise, and Diplomacy, the court creates a Princess Academy, where the girls can study for one year and potentially catch the eye (and hand) of the Prince at the year-end ball.

The year at the Academy changes everyone, especially Miri (named after the miri flower that grows in the linder-filled mountains). She comes to the academy with fear and hope lodged in her heart. She has always felt useless in her village - too small to work the quarry, too small to be of any consequence. Could the Academy offer her a chance to be important? What if she were chosen as the princess? Ultimately Miri discovers in herself hidden talents and abilities, and with a generous spirit goes about helping others to do the same. Throughout the year at the school, all the girls grow strong, intelligent, independent. They examine their relationships with each other, with their families, with the mountain itself.

Author Hale leans on Scandinavian roots to create her community in the book. The look, the feel of the village is Scandinavian, even down to the use of names like Doter and Peder and Britta. There are some incredibly poignant scenes, one which made me tear up. There is humor and action and suspense. There is a sweet love story, with touches of passion and fluttering hearts. The mountain is a character as real as any human in this story. This isnt really just a princess tale. Its a tale of friendship and love, loyalty, courage, individual gifts, the value of education. Id hate for anyone to look at the title and dismiss it as a fairy tale. I was thinking if I had chosen the title, it might be Miri Blooms. This book has certainly planted something very warm and whole in my own heart. Yes, I think Im in love!

Reader reviewed by Alanna

I tend to think of this as a pretty girly book, but if my brother, the one who plays nothing but war games, could like the movie Aquamarine, some of you guys out there might like this book. It's about Miri Larendaughter of Mount Eskel. When it is foretold that the prince's bride will come from Mount Eskel, Miri and her peers are shipped of to a princess academy where competition is thick, and Miri must find out how to win over the strict headmistress, Olana.