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Secrets of a reluctant princess

At Beverly Hills High, you have to be ruthless to survive... Adrianna Bottom always wanted to be liked. But this wasn't exactly what she had in mind. Now, she's in the spotlight... and out of her geeky comfort zone. She'll do whatever it takes to turn the rumor mill in her favor - even if it means keeping secrets. So far, it's working. Wear the right clothes. Say the right things. Be seen with the right people. Kevin, the adorable sketch artist who shares her love of all things nerd, isn't exactly the right people. But that doesn't stop Adrianna from crushing on him. The only way she can spend time with him is in disguise, as Princess Andy, the masked girl he's been LARPing with. If he found out who she really was, though, he'd hate her. The rules have been set. The teams have their players. Game on.

Book  - 2017
  • ISBN: 9781633755932
  • Physical Description 334 pages ; 22 cm
  • Edition First edition.
  • Publisher [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 2017.

Additional Information

Syndetic Solutions - Kirkus Review for ISBN Number 9781633755932
Secrets of a Reluctant Princess
Secrets of a Reluctant Princess
by Griffin, Casey
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Kirkus Review

Secrets of a Reluctant Princess

Kirkus Reviews


Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A hilarious, angst-ridden YA novel about a teenage girl acclimating to life at a new high school by Griffin (Beauty and the Wiener: A Rescue Dog Romance, 2017, etc.). Adrianna Bottom was bullied relentlessly at her old school in Seattle, and she's determined not to experience the same fate at Beverly Hills High. But she's off to an inauspicious start. As if having the surname Bottom weren't enough, her father is a self-proclaimed "Bathroom Baron" who made his fortune selling novelty bathroom accessories. Her parents are parlaying their newfound wealth into a reality TV series starring Adriannawhom they call the "Porcelain Princess." On her first day of school, she accidentally exposes her Wonder Woman-underwear-clad bottom to her entire biology class, a feat that's also filmed for the reality show. She does manage to meet three new people, however: a beautiful girl named Harper; Harper's ex, Lennox; and the geeky Kevin. Harper immediately warns Adrianna of the social suicide that would result from fraternizing with Kevin, who, among other nerdy pursuits, spends his weekends doing fantasy live-action role-playing with friends. Adrianna soon finds herself leading a dual existencehanging out with Harper and other popular kids during weekdays and role-playing (behind a mask) with Kevin on weekends. Adding to her woes is reality show producer Corbin, who's determined to do anythingno matter how humiliating or socially disastrous for Adriannato garner a larger viewing audience. This book embraces some traditional aspects of YA literatureincluding a romance and a quest to be popularbut it avoids trendy dystopian or paranormal aspects. Griffin perfectly captures the characters' adolescent angst, and many readers will relate to Adrianna's dilemmashe wants to do what's right, but she's so emotionally scarred by past bullying that she feels crippled by indecision. Indeed, the author's characterizations of Adrianna, Kevin, Harper, and even Lennox make this YA novel transcendent. The addition of live-action role-playing and reality television keeps the story feeling contemporary, and there's just enough bathroom humor to add laughs without being too heavy-handed. An effective combination of traditional and modern YA elements. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.