I'd heard a lot about I am Princess X and once I heard Cherie Priest speak about it at a book launch event for Wake of Vultures at a local bookstore, Fox Tales. Once I heard about the book I had to have it. It took a bit of time to get to, but once I picked up the book I read it in one afternoon without ever really putting it down.
The story really starts with a bang from the get go and once I was sucked in I had to know the truth, was Libby still alive and who was behind Princess X? The comics mixed in with the novel (and in a beautiful purple print no less!) really ties the two stories together. I found myself wanting to read the whole comic.
I loved May, Trick and all the other characters. The riddles woven into the comics were so clever and so tied into the overall story that I found myself reading over each comic panel more and more carefully. It felt like I was looking for the same clues that May was searching for. It made the entire story feel interactive. One of my favorite features was that interactivity. You can actually go to the websites that are mentioned in the book and explore the mystery online just like May. It brought the story into the world around me and left me thinking about the world of Princess X long after I'd finished the book.
My favorite part of the book was its focus on friendship. As someone who is still friends (and now roommates) with a friend from fifth grade, I love Libby and May's close friendship that spanned years and the space of (fake) death. The hidden things only the two of them understand and the way they were able to understand clues no one else had really made me happy. I don't see enough books where friendship is highlighted as opposed to romance and since friendship is such an important part of anyone's life (especially teens) I admire that in I Am Princess X.
This fast-paced, page-turning mystery will leave you rushing for the end. I'm totally planning on giving a copy of this book to my niece for Christmas (shhhhh don't tell her) and I can't wait for her to dive into it and get wrapped up in the world of Princess X.
You can but I Am Princess X here or from your local indie bookstore.