I Am Princess X
by Cherie Priest
illustrated by Kali Ciesemier
As fifth-graders, May and Libby together created Princess X. Libby drew the pictures and May wrote the stories. Years later, 16-year-old May is still mourning the loss of her best friend, who died 3 years earlier when her car went over a bridge. Then May starts seeing stickers and merchandise with a webcomic character that could only be Princess X. Could it possible that Libby is still alive?
I Am Princess X is realistic fiction, but I think will have strong appeal for fans of genre fiction as well. It's an engaging and fun story with an edge-of-your-seat plot, as May and her new friend Patrick try to decipher the clues to find and rescue Libby. I loved the many pop-culture and internet references.
I admit that I picked this book because I was drawn to the pink and purple cover with its katana-wielding princess.
I listened to the audio book narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal, and it was quite well done. The visual book has actual comics in it, but the audiobook didn't suffer for the lack of the comics, as the narrator performed a version of them.
I Am Princess X is listed as YA, but I think it also has strong middle-grade appeal.
Diversity
Libby's mother was Japanese and her father white. She felt ostracized by forms which asked her to choose a race, so she started calling herself a "gray child."
One of the main characters, Jackdaw, is gay.
Categories:
- Young Adult
- Mystery
- Realistic Fiction
- Suspense
Buy: Amazon.com | Powells.com
Source: Library audiobook on Overdrive
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