Summary

Libby and May are best friends who as kids invented Princess X, a comic they had no intention of sharing with anyone other than each other. But Princess X’s adventures come to an end when the car Libby and her mom are in goes off a bridge and Libby is presumed dead. However, May doesn’t accept that, she feels that she would KNOW if Libby is dead, so she knows that Libby is still alive somewhere. After some years go by May finds out that Princess X has become a hugely popular online comic… but she isn’t the one who published it, proving that Libby is still alive. So May, with the help of the hacker-boy who lives upstairs, follows the clues in the comic that only she would understand in order to find and save her best friend.

Impressions

I am Princess X is a combination of a text based novel with comics interspersed, which makes it a wonderful book for anyone who is new to comics because the focus is mostly on the text. However, I think the best part of the story is that May and Libby are both strong, powerful girls who have no problem asking for help. Of course, it helps that afterwards they don’t turn into damsels-in-distress; they keep on being strong girls working toward their goal. I Am Princess X also has a decent amount of tech language since it involves an online comic, hacking into systems to gather information, etc. However, I never felt like the story got bogged down in tech-talk. It was still easy to follow, and easy to figure out why the characters needed to use technology in order to achieve their goal. I Am Princess X is a strong and unique mystery thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Further Information

I Am Princess X is recommended for teens grades 7 and up, however, if you have a strong reader who can handle tense moments of mystery I feel like upper elementary school readers would also enjoy this title. I would definitely include this book on any display that focuses on comics, technology, or powerful female characters.

If you like I am Princess X by Cherie Priest and Kalie Ciesemier try Eye of Minds by James Dashner, The Naturals by Jennifer Barnes and When by Victoria Laurie.

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