November 24, 2008

Princess Academy

Rating:
Awards:
Author: Shannon Hale
Narrator: Laura Credidio and the Full Cast Family
Category: Fiction
Publisher: Full Cast Audio
Release Date: 2007
Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
Unabridged

An Overview:
Princess Academy, I was thrilled to discover Shannon Hale's blog this week. I went and explored it and had a great time getting to know the author of one of the best young adult pieces of fiction my kids and I have read in a long time. Princess Academy is about a young girl named Miri. Miri lives with her father and older sister in a crude cottage in a small village.

These villagers live on the side of a mountain surrounded by rock quarries full of a beautiful stone called linder. For generations, the impoverished villagers mined linder for sale to the hated lowlanders. All except for Miri, whose father forbade her to enter the quarry for any reason? Each year, Miri hopes to be able to participate, but her father refused to even discuss it. Her self esteem shattered by this rejection, she attempts to make herself as useful as possible, but never feels totally accepted by her community.

One day, the king's priests determine that the royal prince's future bride is currently living in their small village. In keeping with the traditions of the kingdom, he is expected to greet the young women of this community to make his choice, however the village's girls are considered unprepared for this honor, and thus must be sent to school to prepare them. The king's ministers create a school for these young ladies and all of the appropriately aged girls are then forced to attend.

Separated from their families, taught by the harsh, seemingly evil teacher, and encouraged to be fiercely competitive, these girls struggle to learn the kingdom's history, to read, etiquette and all of the other skills that a court maiden would have been taught. Miri's struggles lead her to a place where she is forced to both look within for strengths she never knew she had and to use her unique perspective as an outsider to see something that, in the end, would save all of their lives.

The Narration:
By Laura Credidio and the Full Cast Family

Audiobook reviewed by Sarah Gross