Review: The Princesses of Iowa

May •  6 •  2012

Title: The Princesses of Iowa
Series: No
Genre: Young Adult- Conteporary
Author: M. Molly Backes
Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Book: Netgalley

“What does it mean to do wrong, when no one punishes you? A smart and unflinching look at friendship, the nature of entitlement, and growing up in the heartland.
Paige Sheridan has the perfect life. She’s pretty, rich, and popular, and her spot on the homecoming court is practically guaranteed. But when a night of partying ends in an it-could-have-been-so-much worse crash , everything changes. Her best friends start ignoring her, her boyfriend grows cold and distant, and her once-adoring younger sister now views her with contempt. The only bright spot is
her creative writing class, led by a charismatic new teacher who encourages students to be true to themselves. But who is Paige, if not the homecoming princess everyone expects her to be? In this arresting and witty debut, a girl who was once high-school royalty must face a truth that money and status can’t fix, and choose between living the privileged life of a princess, or owning up to her mistakes and giving up everything she once held dear.”

Every time I think of this book, my heart breaks. This is one of those books that you read and will always stick with you. Even now, after weeks of reading it, my heart still clenches of what this girl went through.
The plot line of this book is what drives the reader. The reader is introduced to Paige who learned a life lesson the hard way. They drank, got in a crash and while everyone was okay, they were still dealing with the repercussions of the accident. Paige gets ships away to work while her parents cleans up her mess. And her friends, well lets just say that they stay behind helping each other. And when she comes back its all different,
What made my heart ache the most was the boyfriend deal. All of a sudden, her boyfriend is always hanging out with her other friend “helping her” deal with the accident. She hurt her leg and needs help. UGH! Do I have to mention how many times I wanted to slap the boyfriend and the friend! I can’t tell you how angry I got with these parts!!! Literally. Her friend was just using any excuse to use against her. And there comes my second point, the friend blaming her. I’m sorry, but if you drink and force her to drive when you are just as drunk, it is just as much fault your fault as it is hers. In my book, you were all stupid. Not to mention the jawdropper at the end. That ticked me off even more.
Ok, I think I am done ranting! LOL. Back to the review…
What I did enjoy is despite what is going on, Paige finds strength to deal with all of the issues without her “friends” help. Cause what is a friend anyway? One that helps you. Paige finds new friends who help her see things differently than before. She grows and learns so much about herself. In the end, the truth is out and Paige no longer lives in the past caring all of the guilt. She is not a princess cause of some crown. She is a princess cause what she went through and still is strong,
The love interest really felt good. When Paige got ignored, he is there. He helps her stands strong and helps see clearly. Sigh. He is one amazing guy.
The Princesses of Iowa changes everything in what you think. It’s not about popularity, jealousy or even beauty. It’s about who you are inside. A perfect romance formed in the midst of chaos, The Princesses of Iowa is brilliant!
I give it 5 BITES!
Happy Reading!

2 Comments

  1. Nina Reed
    May 6, 2012

    Ooh, this sounds exactly like the kind of contemporary I’ll love!:)

  2. Savannah Valdez
    May 7, 2012

    @Nina, its such a good book! I hope you get to read it.