The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

I have to admit, I watched the movies way before I read this book. I enjoy the movies, and I enjoyed this book, but they are very different from one another and have their own unique values. This is the first in the "Princess Diaries" series by Meg Cabot. In it, Mia Thermopolis discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Genovia. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer and radiation/chemo treatments have rendered him sterile. This means that Mia, his only offspring, is now the sole heir to the throne. Written in a diary format, Mia struggles with the fact that she is a princess along with failing algebra, her mom dating her algebra teacher, and other teenage angst issues. The story takes place in New York City and is much harsher and sharper than the Disney-fied fairy tale movie. The movie has a unified plot with plenty of drive. This book has more of the sense that you're living life with Mia for a few weeks. The culmination of the plot is the Cultural Diversity Dance, which is fine, but it lacks the sense of purpose and finality that the movie had with the final ball. That is the difference between a book that starts a series and a movie, I suppose. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I think it is great literature for middle school and high school readers. It addresses a lot of issues that teens today face in a responsible way.