The Princess Protection Program

Rosamund wakes up to find a strange prince trying to kiss her, but manages to push him away and hide in a bathroom. The next thing she knows, she is outside the Orphan's Home Educational Academy. From fellow students Sirena and Rana, she learns that she and all of the others in the HEA are princesses (and one prince, Charlie) who escaped from their fairy tales and are now trying to figure out "reality" with the help of Verna, who set up the school. Students take classes in using cell phones, dressing themselves without ball gowns, and other modern topics from professors who are named with shout outs to other middle grade authors (Chainani, Calonita, Gidwitz). There is a threat from Uponatimes, monsters that can make the princesses disappear, and they encounter one when they take an illicit trip to a pizza parlor near the Enchanted Woods Amusement Park. Sirena is attacked, and the girls are in trouble for going off campus. While the purpose of the school seems to be to ready the princesses for entry into the world, the days have an alarming repetitive quality, and Rosamund wonders if the cleaning they have to do is somehow tied into this Groundhog's Day feel. When secrets start to emerge (as well as "chaotic teenaged greaseballs", aka unicorns!), will Rosamund and her new friends be able to figure out how to create their own Doors of Opportunity and be the authors of their own stories?

What worked:
I’m not a young girl but I can see them cheering for characters rebelling against fairy tale, gender-biased expectations. Rosamund is awakened after a 100-year sleep but why should that mean she must marry the well-intentioned prince and live with him forever? All of the girls at the HEA agree that getting kissed while you’re asleep is gross and wrong. However, the school has no servants and the students are responsible for completing all of the chores like dusting and cleaning the bathroom. Readers will watch Rosamund transform as she develops an appreciation for the hard work done by her former palace workers. She also becomes an independent thinker with a strong motivation to right the wrongs she encounters.
Rosamund is gifted with curiosity and she’s always been taught that the most important question to ask is “Why?” However, the headmistress and teachers disagree and tell her she needs to accept things as they are. Why? She can’t understand how the other students can answer all of the teachers’ questions, sometimes before they’re even asked. Rosamund begins to sense something is off at the school and the plot becomes a mystery to answer her questions. The story takes a dramatic turn when one of her friends disappears right before her eyes!
A fun aspect of a story based on fairy tale characters is trying to figure out the connections between the two. Rosamund is Rose Red as she fell into a deep coma after pricking her finger on an enchanted spindle. Rana comes from a tale involving a frog prince while Sirena used to be a mermaid. The characters maintain traits from their fairy tales and luckily Rana isn’t shy about breaking the rules. Cinderella and Prince Charming are represented although Charlie is the only boy at the school. Readers will discover later that he has knowledge about what’s going on that the other students do not. The characters at HEA learn to live in the real world with lessons ranging from government to using technology like cell phones and TikTok. These concepts are part of a “magical” world in the minds of fairy tale characters.
What didn’t work as well:
The narrative moves very quickly with revelations and twists arising at every turn. This style will capture the interest of readers but it limits the ability to fully develop characters other than Rosamund. This may not bother readers much but it would be nice to know more about Rona’s character too.
The Final Verdict:
This book introduces unique ideas that aren’t often seen in these types of stories. The setting and conflict are innovative and the author saves some surprises for the end. I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I do and I recommend you give it a shot.