Before I review on this post, let me just say that: SCHOOL'S OUT, SUMMER'S IN!!!!!! Probably been like that for awhile for most of you, but my schools had a ton of makeup days. SO here's a nifty little icon for you:
:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) : ) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
.l. Hey look, it's a baby chicken on the left! ...What, nobody sees the resemblance? Okay, so maybe I need to lay off the coffee. Sorry, people. Decaf from now on! (Maybe.)
Anyways, to what the mission of this post is, reviewing Palace of Mirrors, by Margeret Peterson Haddix. No clapping for it, because I personally was very "meh" about this book. Three starz. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn.
Title:Palace of Mirrors
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
MSRP:
Pages: 297 pg's
Rating: * * */ 5 starz
"Somewhere in the world I have a tiara in a little box. It is not safe for me to wear it... It is not safe for me to tell anyone who I really am. But I know- I have always known."
That's the beginning of it, and from there I was drawn in, I thought it was goign to be a really great book- not that it wasn't good- but then I realized it wasn't. Why in a second...
Cecelia has always known she was the true princess of Suala, hidden away as a newborn to protect her from the enemies that killed her parents, the king and queen, when she was born. No one but her, Sir Stephen (the knight who teaches her the proper protocol and lessons for being the future ruler of Suala), and Nanny (who Cecelia lives with in a village of Suala), so to everyone else she seems lie just another peasant girl.
But when she's about to turn fifteen, she starts to grow tired of waiting, of Sir Stephen's endless lessons, and she and her best friend, Harper, run away to the Palace of Mirrors, where the decoy princess, Desmia, lives- where, as Cecelia repeats along with the phrase "I'm the true princess" to the pint where it's redundant and annoying- to"thank Desmia for her bravery in serving as the decoy for the true princess' life" and- actually, I don't know what they thought they were goingto do, I guess take over the throne, but there were so many unacknowledged obvious faws that there's no way that's what they were going to do- only to find when they get there that- sorry for the cliche phrase- everything she knows is a lie.
Characters: The only character I really liked was Ella, who was in "Just Ella," and it continues her story a little bit. Her book was like a feminist continuation of Cinderella, where the happily ever after isn't so happy or forever after all. Anyways, she was so calm and sweet, which was why I liked her. The main character, Cecelia, seemed kind of self-absorbed to me, and ignorant, but that's not how the author meant her to come across, I think, she just did. And Harper, her best friend she travels with, was supposed to seem sweetly stubborn and secretly devoted to Cecelia, in a way, but he was more annoying. They kind of reminded me of Rugrats, which was pretty hilarious, when I pictured it. Again, just me?
Desmia just seemed unstable to me, when she was perfectly sane and just meant to seem like she didn't know what she was supposed to be doing. She was suppposed to come across as innocent and clueless, needing Cecelia's help, and I guess giving clues to the truth through that.
I thought she just needed some little yellow pills with smiley faces on them, actually.
Plot: Actually, a really excellent plot. It kept you interested, it wasn't predictable, it was exciting enough at times- I thought of at least four ways the story was going to go, none of which were right. The ending could have been better- it was supposed to be romantic, it wasn't, "Eelsy," which is Cecelia's nickname (I don't see how the got that from that, but I don't get how they get Meg or Bob from Margaret or Robert), thought it out too much.
If her work is slightly better in the other books she's written. I might give them a try, but none of them seem like they would... Anyone able to back this up?
Being NIkki review coming soon! Also North of Beautiful, which was new when I got it in February. Tsk tsk tsk, shame shame shame, I've had so many of the books I'm working on since LAST YEAR- Perfect You among them. I don't even remember anything about them by now. HELP!
Peace out, Meggin
P.S. I may never finish the S.D.C.! I'll have to buy most of them, that'll take a WHILE.
