Flashback Friday: The Princess Diaries

08:05 Cilla 2 Comments

Picture from megcabot.com

All she ever wanted was for her best friend's brother to notice she was alive-and to pass freshman Algebra. But now that her dad's told her she's heir to the throne of the country of Genovia (and that her horrible Grandmére is going to be giving her princess lessons every day after school) Mia Thermopolis has enough problems to fill a lifetime of diaries....

I was in love with Mia long before Anne Hathaway brought her to life. Mia was awkward, unsure of her future, struggled with Algebra, and wrote in her diary constantly; even though I was younger than she was when I read The Princess Diaries, she was the first character in whom I could see myself. My first cases of secondhand embarrassment were from her, and those moments were some of the earliest moments I could remember feeling so strongly for a character.

That relatability mixed with the fantasy - she was a princess, after all - was key to my attachment to the books. Thinking back to it now, I was eleven when I started reading the series - a bit too young to truly understand some of the words and references Lily used (I remember being really confused when she used 'libido' in a sentence, or her talk about genocide at one point). Nevertheless, that never stopped me from rooting for Mia all the way through.

I've started a re-read of the series to refresh my memory before I take on Royal Wedding. I hope I'll still love it as much this time around!