lastblossom reviewed The Princess Protection Program by Alex London
A fun fairy tale romp about taking control of your own story.
Fairy tale "twist" stories are almost as ubiquitous as as fairy tales at this point. Retellings, the "true" version, or even lightly inspired editions grace many a shelf (mine included). But Princess Protection Program is not a retelling. It's a what if? What if the characters from those tales saw their futures and wanted to opt out? And what if the opt out was just as restrictive as their original stories? When Rosamund decides to opt out, she learns she's not the only one - in fact, an entire school has been created for characters who want to avoid their preset, often tragic, endings. But the school feels more like a pause button than an escape, and Rosamund quickly finds herself wondering if her story will ever truly go anywhere. And therein lies the heart of this book - a tale not about escaping destiny, but taking control of it. …
Fairy tale "twist" stories are almost as ubiquitous as as fairy tales at this point. Retellings, the "true" version, or even lightly inspired editions grace many a shelf (mine included). But Princess Protection Program is not a retelling. It's a what if? What if the characters from those tales saw their futures and wanted to opt out? And what if the opt out was just as restrictive as their original stories? When Rosamund decides to opt out, she learns she's not the only one - in fact, an entire school has been created for characters who want to avoid their preset, often tragic, endings. But the school feels more like a pause button than an escape, and Rosamund quickly finds herself wondering if her story will ever truly go anywhere. And therein lies the heart of this book - a tale not about escaping destiny, but taking control of it. I appreciated that the story also spent time discussing how everyone has their own story to pursue, even as we often are supporting cast in someone else's tale. All of it is written in a quickly-paced, whimsical book with lots of fun references and some playful pokes at life in "the real world." A great book for any middle grade reader who enjoys a good twist on an old classic.
Thanks to NetGalley and Greenwillow Books for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.