Review: Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt

Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
My rating: 10.0/10.0

I received this book for review through 1-ARC-Tours.

A wonderful, fanciful read and not just for young adults.  Sheer pleasure for an afternoon reading.

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Publish Date: March 16, 2010
Hardcover, 256 Pages
Ages: 9-12 (and older I say)

My Review:

First let me say I really wish I had had books like this around when I was a young adult.  In Princess For Hire, Lindsey Leavitt does a wonderful job mixing reality with the fantasy.  How many teenage girls have trouble with their friends?  How many just want to fit in and get the one guy they crush on?  I know I did as a teenager and this is exactly where Desi is at.  Her best friend got mad at her and took all her friends away and she wants the guy her ex-best friend has.  Sounds pretty normal to me.

Then she finds out from her agent, Meredith, that she has magical powers and she is sought after as a stand-in for royalty when they just want to escape.  All Desi needs is the magical rouge compact and she looks just like the royalty.  It's a dream job for Desi, but for the fact that she is just supposed to stand-in for royalty not stand up for them.  As royalty Desi finds courage that she doesn't have in her real life and of course hysterical hijinks will follow.  I laughed and cried through this book.  So much rings true for teenage girls even with royalty. 

Desi grows as a character along with Meredith's character and I enjoyed seeing how that came about.  Desi's adventures kept me interested through the whole book and I am looking forward to more of her adventures in future books.

Rating Breakdown:

Characterization:    2.0/2.0
Plot:                      2.0/2.0
Writing:                 2.0/2.0
Attention-holding:   1.0/1.0
Ending:                  1.0/1.0
Believable:             1.0/1.0
Genre:                    1.0/1.0    
Rating:                10.0/10.0
 
About the Book:

When an immaculately dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and asks you if you'd like to become a substitute princess, do you

a) run

b) faint

c) say Yes!

For Desi Bascomb, who's been longing for a bit of glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C--that is, once she can stop pinching herself.  As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula "Royal Rouge," she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don't know? Or when a princess's conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off--and you know she would want you to change his mind? 

In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl's dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

About the Author:

Lindsey Leavitt grew up in Las Vegas and now lives in Alabama with her husband and two small daughters. Although she has been a substitute teacher and a homecoming princess, she has never been a substitute princess. Yet. She's still scanning the job pages. Until then, Lindsey is hard at work on the next book in the Princess for Hire series. Visit her on the web at www.lindseyleavitt.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.