Thank you Macmillan audio for the advanced audio copy!
Gossip Girl meets The Princess Diaries, full of teenage angst, blurry boarding school lines, and the pressure of family expectations.
First of all, Imani Jade Powers and Gail Shalan excellently narrated this. Both brought the emotions of these teenage girls to life. I particularly thought the performances excelled when the teens experienced anger or sadness. The voiced cracked at the right moments and was soft when needed. I always appreciate feeling these emotions through an audiobook
I would have loved this book in high school: the paparazzi, the princess, the brother’s school, and rugby matches. The school setting felt real, and I was really intrigued by this fictional country’s politics! At times, I felt I was maybe too removed from adolescence to fully appreciate all the details the author provided, but overall, I really enjoyed this book!
I would note that this book addresses teenage drug and alcohol use, describes an unintentional overdose, and has implied sexual content. I think this would be perfect for ages 14.
This truly reads like a book for high school kids, and the last 30% felt a bit over the top to me. That said, I think the intended audience would eat it up.
Overall, I loved the narration and felt the book did an excellent job of addressing the pressures and expectations of being a teen
