Status
Checked out
Due Jul 30, 2022
Publication
Scholastic (2015), 227 pages
Description
Mystery. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: Best friends, big fans, a mysterious webcomic, and a long-lost girl collide in this riveting novel, perfect for fans of both Cory Doctorow and Sarah Dessen, and illustrated throughout with comics. Once upon a time, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the pictures, May wrote the tales, and their heroine, Princess X, slayed all the dragons and scaled all the mountains their imaginations could conjure. Once upon a few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across the Ballard Bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X died with her. Once upon a now: May is sixteen and lonely, wandering the streets of Seattle, when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window. Princess X? When May looks around, she sees the Princess everywhere: Stickers. Patches. Graffiti. There's an entire underground culture, focused around a webcomic at IAmPrincessX.com. The more May explores the webcomic, the more she sees disturbing similarities between Libby's story and Princess X online. And that means that only one person could have started this phenomenonâ??her best friend, Libby, who lives.… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Brainannex
I picked this up even though it's about as far out of my wheelhouse as one could get. But what a blast to read. It was a fast read, which helped the tempo of this story of a girl whose best friend vanished one day and now she is convinced that the friend is sending messages to her via a comic
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superhero that they had created together as kids. It becomes a treasure hunt of sorts, traipsing through the city of Seattle, evading the necessary bad guy, and having help along the way. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mrslabraden
I Am Princess X starts out with a wonderful idea. May and Libby live in Seattle and build an unlikely friendship as they develop a comic called Princess X, but Libby dies in a car crash. May never really accepts Libby's death even when her body is found down river from where her mother's car went
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off a bridge. May's parents divorce and she goes to live with her mother in Georgia, but spends time with her father in Seattle. Three years later, May is intrigued when she begins to see I Am Princess X stickers and merchandise all over the Seattle area. Convinced that Libby is alive, May enlists the help of computer hacker, Trick to help her track down clues in an I Am Princess X online comic that might lead her to Libby. Although the ending provides closure to the story, I would have liked less predictability and a little more drama. Overall though, a good story. Show Less
LibraryThing member bluesalamanders
May and Libby created Princess X when they were kids. They wrote stories, drew comics, and created a whole history and life for her. Then Libby died and all their Princess X stuff was thrown away. So why - and how - has May started seeing stickers, patches, graffiti of Princess X all over?
I was
I was
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surprised to find this a straight-up fiction book. Priest is known for her adult fantasy-verging-on-horror novels, so I assumed her YA book would also be fantasy. The story was captivating, though, and I found it hard to put down. Show Less
LibraryThing member PghDragonMan
It took me a while to get into this story. I mean it took until the middle of the third paragraph to hook me!
I’ve said it before, Cherie Priest is a great author, one who rarely fails to tell a good story. We know Ms. Priest writes some strong women characters: look at Raylene, her Vampire; look
Back to being hooked . . . What makes a great novel is believability of the characters. The setup for the two girls becoming friends could not have been more believable. Another mark of greatness in story telling is the perfectly ordinary becoming so extraordinary. That opening scene was so ordinary, you could easily envision variations of that being played out in any schoolyard, all across the country. Just the right amount of sympathy for two girls missing out on PE class, one with her leg in a cast the other with asthma problems, was introduced to make you pay attention to them, but not feel pity for them. Brilliant!
At first I was tempted to chastise the author for failing to fully develop the two boys of the story, Patrick and Jack, but then I realized this is a story of female empowerment. The guys are fleshed out enough to make them believable within the story’s framework and their full story is not truly essential to the tale of Princess X. Having said that, I really did want to know more about Jackdaw, but I think we are given enough to just go with the flow of his character.
Normally, I am a big fan of audio books. Don’t do it for I Am Princess X because you will miss out on some great artwork by Kali Ciesemier. Not only are the graphic panels a perfect counterpoint to the visual descriptions of the artwork, they really enhance the book itself. And, like the character introductions, less is more: this is not an illustrated novel, these panels are sparingly introduced between key action points or to enhance the written story. A katana sword flourish to you, Ms. Ciesemier for your artwork.
I’m going full out on this work and giving it five stars! Cherie Priest has turned what could have been just another YA Chick-Lit book into something much more. While not as deep as some other YA stories I’ve praised, this is still accessible to adults. One more thing: it was a full three hours after that third paragraph that I finally realized just how late it was and how far into the story I was. Any book that can transport me and hold me like that is worth full marks from me!
I’ve said it before, Cherie Priest is a great author, one who rarely fails to tell a good story. We know Ms. Priest writes some strong women characters: look at Raylene, her Vampire; look
Show More
at her take on Lizzie Borden (Come on! When will my copy of Chaplewood make it to my Library?). With May and Libby, we are introduced to two teen girls in a real KATN story. OK, maybe they did have a little help from two guys along the way, but the girls are the real center of attention here.Back to being hooked . . . What makes a great novel is believability of the characters. The setup for the two girls becoming friends could not have been more believable. Another mark of greatness in story telling is the perfectly ordinary becoming so extraordinary. That opening scene was so ordinary, you could easily envision variations of that being played out in any schoolyard, all across the country. Just the right amount of sympathy for two girls missing out on PE class, one with her leg in a cast the other with asthma problems, was introduced to make you pay attention to them, but not feel pity for them. Brilliant!
At first I was tempted to chastise the author for failing to fully develop the two boys of the story, Patrick and Jack, but then I realized this is a story of female empowerment. The guys are fleshed out enough to make them believable within the story’s framework and their full story is not truly essential to the tale of Princess X. Having said that, I really did want to know more about Jackdaw, but I think we are given enough to just go with the flow of his character.
Normally, I am a big fan of audio books. Don’t do it for I Am Princess X because you will miss out on some great artwork by Kali Ciesemier. Not only are the graphic panels a perfect counterpoint to the visual descriptions of the artwork, they really enhance the book itself. And, like the character introductions, less is more: this is not an illustrated novel, these panels are sparingly introduced between key action points or to enhance the written story. A katana sword flourish to you, Ms. Ciesemier for your artwork.
I’m going full out on this work and giving it five stars! Cherie Priest has turned what could have been just another YA Chick-Lit book into something much more. While not as deep as some other YA stories I’ve praised, this is still accessible to adults. One more thing: it was a full three hours after that third paragraph that I finally realized just how late it was and how far into the story I was. Any book that can transport me and hold me like that is worth full marks from me!
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LibraryThing member titania86
May Harper and Lily Deaton have been best friends since fifth grade. They do everything together although May is kind of awkward and shy while Lily is confident and outgoing. Together, they created the adventures of Princess X, a girl who lives in a haunted house, wheres sneakers, and carries a
I Am Princess X is Cherie Priest's first foray into young adult fiction and I enjoyed it. It's a hybrid comic book and novel. I read an ARC, so I didn't get to see the majority of the comic part. The art at the beginning was adorable and I'll have to pick up an official copy so I can see the grown up Princess X art. It starts with May and Lily's friendship and their adventures of Princess X. It's adorable, creative, and gave me the warm fuzzies. Then Priest drops the bomb: Lily and her mother die in a car accident. May never really recovers from it and always has an inkling that Lily is still alive. A lot of things just didn't add up and she discovers that her best friend and her mother were actually murdered. Her father rightfully becomes concerned when Lily obsesses over the Princess X comics. Maybe May is latching onto it simply because she never had closure and she sees things that aren't there. I was surprised that the plot went so dark, especially in such stark contrast to the happy, bubbly beginning. The darker plot really hit me and I felt for May.
The rest of the novel is a cool mystery/thriller where May deciphers each of the keys to find the mysterious comic book creator while avoiding the villain. I enjoyed her friendship with Trick, the hacker who gets roped into all this. They have kind of a sibling vibe and trade snarky remarks. The lack of any romantic subplot is so refreshing and I wish more YA books would follow suit. My only real problem with the novel is the Needle Man. He may as well be a shadow because his presence is just a blank menace. He doesn't even really seem like a person. The creepy factor is pretty high, but I don't care for one dimensional villains. The rest of the book is so well written that it stands out as meh.
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samurai sword. Then Lily and her mother die in a car accident. Now, May is sixteen and still feeling unresolved about her best friend's death. She starts to see Princess X everywhere on street art and stickers all over the place. Princess X is now a famous web comic with a mysterious creator. The adventures are different, but most of the characters are the same. Princess X has to find the five keys in order to escape the Needle Man. May starts to read it and sees references to her childhood with Lily. Convinced Lily is still alive, May examines the comic and tries to find the messages she believes Lily has left for her with the help of a tech savvy neighbor. Their quest attracts the attention of the real life Needle Man and the race is on to connect the dots and help Lily before he catches them.I Am Princess X is Cherie Priest's first foray into young adult fiction and I enjoyed it. It's a hybrid comic book and novel. I read an ARC, so I didn't get to see the majority of the comic part. The art at the beginning was adorable and I'll have to pick up an official copy so I can see the grown up Princess X art. It starts with May and Lily's friendship and their adventures of Princess X. It's adorable, creative, and gave me the warm fuzzies. Then Priest drops the bomb: Lily and her mother die in a car accident. May never really recovers from it and always has an inkling that Lily is still alive. A lot of things just didn't add up and she discovers that her best friend and her mother were actually murdered. Her father rightfully becomes concerned when Lily obsesses over the Princess X comics. Maybe May is latching onto it simply because she never had closure and she sees things that aren't there. I was surprised that the plot went so dark, especially in such stark contrast to the happy, bubbly beginning. The darker plot really hit me and I felt for May.
The rest of the novel is a cool mystery/thriller where May deciphers each of the keys to find the mysterious comic book creator while avoiding the villain. I enjoyed her friendship with Trick, the hacker who gets roped into all this. They have kind of a sibling vibe and trade snarky remarks. The lack of any romantic subplot is so refreshing and I wish more YA books would follow suit. My only real problem with the novel is the Needle Man. He may as well be a shadow because his presence is just a blank menace. He doesn't even really seem like a person. The creepy factor is pretty high, but I don't care for one dimensional villains. The rest of the book is so well written that it stands out as meh.
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LibraryThing member aliceoddcabinet
While I think Priest does a good enough job at managing all the online stuff that happens in the book, for my money those kinds of scenes are just not dynamic enough. I also didn't have the emotional connectiont to the story that I felt I needed to truly be 100% down. I love Cherie Priest's books,
I think another reader would like this more.
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but this one didn't quite do it for me. I wonder if it might have been better as an ACTUAL comic (and I wonder if that's how she originally pitched it, but couldn't get any traction)I think another reader would like this more.
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LibraryThing member aliceoddcabinet
While I think Priest does a good enough job at managing all the online stuff that happens in the book, for my money those kinds of scenes are just not dynamic enough. I also didn't have the emotional connectiont to the story that I felt I needed to truly be 100% down. I love Cherie Priest's books,
I think another reader would like this more.
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but this one didn't quite do it for me. I wonder if it might have been better as an ACTUAL comic (and I wonder if that's how she originally pitched it, but couldn't get any traction)I think another reader would like this more.
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LibraryThing member Debra_Armbruster
Fantastic mixed-media YA, with a kick-ass princess in the cast.
LibraryThing member acargile
An unusual novel, Princess X, is realistic fiction, falling into the thriller category.
May and Libby are best friends. They bond when they meet at school in the 5th grade. They’re bored during PE, so Libby begins drawing anything the kindergartens ask her to. They end up with a princess who
Three years after Libby’s death, May is living with her father, as she does every summer, when she sees a Princess X sticker. She soon discovers with Patrick, her computer expert friend, that the Princess X comic strip is a rage on the Internet. The main character looks just like Libby and the other character looks just like May. Oddly, the story parallels what happened with Libby. May is now convinced Libby is alive and follows the clues the comic strip gives that will lead her to Libby. Considering that Libby’s mom died, May realizes that solving this mystery could be dangerous. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to find Libby and save her from the Needleman.
I did not want to read this novel because I thought I knew what it would be about and I was tired of that storyline. I was so wrong! You do have to read the comic as it appears in the book because it tells what really happened and you have to follow the clues. I really like May; she’s sassy and smart. If you listen to the book, the reader does a great job with May’s part. I recommend reading this book.
May and Libby are best friends. They bond when they meet at school in the 5th grade. They’re bored during PE, so Libby begins drawing anything the kindergartens ask her to. They end up with a princess who
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wields a sword, and May names her Princess X. They spend years creating their comic until one day Libby’s mom falls asleep and drives off a bridge, killing herself and Libby--supposedly.Three years after Libby’s death, May is living with her father, as she does every summer, when she sees a Princess X sticker. She soon discovers with Patrick, her computer expert friend, that the Princess X comic strip is a rage on the Internet. The main character looks just like Libby and the other character looks just like May. Oddly, the story parallels what happened with Libby. May is now convinced Libby is alive and follows the clues the comic strip gives that will lead her to Libby. Considering that Libby’s mom died, May realizes that solving this mystery could be dangerous. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to find Libby and save her from the Needleman.
I did not want to read this novel because I thought I knew what it would be about and I was tired of that storyline. I was so wrong! You do have to read the comic as it appears in the book because it tells what really happened and you have to follow the clues. I really like May; she’s sassy and smart. If you listen to the book, the reader does a great job with May’s part. I recommend reading this book.
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LibraryThing member ewyatt
Libby and May created Princess X, a series of graphic novel stories, together. After Libby and her mom are in a fatal car accident, May feels alone. When she starts to see Princess X stickers and graffiti and discovers an entire underground world that has been built around the Princess X web comic,
With the help of the computer geek upstairs, May tries to find the truth about Libby and help her survive.
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she feel that Libby must still be alive. With the help of the computer geek upstairs, May tries to find the truth about Libby and help her survive.
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LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
A tech-savvy, suspenseful mystery with a touch of fantasy. I was racing ahead to find out what happened next and now I'm re-reading it to catch the subtleties I missed. A nice problem to have, re-reading a good book!
LibraryThing member Erika.D
So good! I couldn't put this book down! Stayed up all night to finish it. Mystery, suspense, humor, graphic novel mixed with regular text...oh such a good story. I loved all of the characters. The author did an excellent job at including current technology and websites that teens are familiar with
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as well as giving readers a good old treasure hunt. The ending was great and worked well with the story. Loved it!! Show Less
LibraryThing member ladycato
I read almost the entire book in one sitting. It's that intense. That good. The pacing is perfect and I adored the illustrations; it's partially a graphic novel. This is a girl power book for anyone and everyone. I loved that it was a YA book about friendship, too, without any romance stuff at all.
The only negative (kinda?) is that I now want a full Princess X graphic novel.
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There are guy characters and no attraction involved!The only negative (kinda?) is that I now want a full Princess X graphic novel.
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LibraryThing member rivkat
Priest tries her hand with modern YA, complete with tumblrs and Dropbox accounts. Libby was May’s best friend; Libby illustrated May’s Princess X stories. Then she died. Three years later, May starts seeing Princess X stickers around town, and finds a webcomic (many of whose images are shown in
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the book) that seems to tell a version of Libby’s own story. Now what? Breezy despite the relatively grim subject matter. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gretchening
This is a fun and contemporary story that hit some satisfying notes. The story revolves around a girl who discovers a webcomic about the character she and her BFF from childhood made up together--only her BFF is supposed to have died three years ago. The book includes pages of the webcomic, which
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is fun. Lots of scavenger hunting clues, mystery-solving, and hacking. This is a book that will probably feel very dated in five years but it's really fun right now. The webcomic was beautifully integrated into the story, though I felt that the writing on it was a bit banal/generic. The book as a whole was energetic, well-paced, and quick. I enjoyed it a lot! Show Less
LibraryThing member fromthecomfychair
Great concept--story of best friends who create a comic together, one dies, supposedly, then the friend who is left behind discovers stories of Princess X on the web, and a mystery to solve. Did her friend really die in a car accident, or is something more sinister going on? A very quick read,
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might appeal to girls who like graphic novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member andrlik
I intended to only read a few chapters before bed but ended up reading the whole thing. Great story that maintains a thriller's pace throughout. I thought the characters were a little simplistic but this is a book geared at younger audiences.
LibraryThing member hopeevey
A bit of a believability stretch, but so excitingly written I don't care :)
LibraryThing member bookczuk
Story with webcomic strips mixed in to carry the tale. Princess X rocks!
LibraryThing member aratiel
Wow. This was a great book. So fast-paced and suspenseful. Mysteries aren't usually my thing (although I'm okay with books from other genres having elements of mystery). But this had me hooked until the very end. I was genuinely invested in the characters. They were all very well-written - even the
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villain, who we never see much directly, and who gave me the major wiggins. Show Less
LibraryThing member foggidawn
As middle-schoolers, May and Libby created Princess X, a katana-wielding, sneaker-wearing heroine who lived in a house haunted by friendly ghosts. They had piles of notebooks filled with her adventures, written by May and drawn by Libby. And then, the unthinkable happened: Libby died in a car
The pacing of this book is spot-on, and the characters are great. I sometimes questioned their choices, but not because they were unbelievable (at one point I asked the book, "Have these people never seen a horror movie?" because they kept going places they shouldn't). It's a quick, fun read, and there's no romance to speak of -- it's all about strong friendships. It would be easy to pick holes in the plot, I think -- the mystery element wasn't particularly strong or twisty, and I thought the "clues" in the Princess X comic weren't as cryptic as the author wanted you to think, but all in all, I bought even the sometimes tenuous plot details in the moment as I read. Recommended to readers who enjoy YA for the quick pacing, and don't mind making a few leaps in terms of plot.
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accident, along with her mother. May was devastated -- and even more so when she realized that Libby's father had left, hiring a cleaning service to clear out the house. All of the Princess X notebooks were gone. Years later, May starts seeing something impossible: stickers and graffiti bearing the phrase "I am Princess X," accompanied by the unmistakable image of the princess, just as Libby once drew her. There's even a website with a Princess X webcomic. Did someone find their old notebooks and recreate the character, or is it possible that Libby somehow survived the crash, and is out there somewhere, waiting for May to find her?The pacing of this book is spot-on, and the characters are great. I sometimes questioned their choices, but not because they were unbelievable (at one point I asked the book, "Have these people never seen a horror movie?" because they kept going places they shouldn't). It's a quick, fun read, and there's no romance to speak of -- it's all about strong friendships. It would be easy to pick holes in the plot, I think -- the mystery element wasn't particularly strong or twisty, and I thought the "clues" in the Princess X comic weren't as cryptic as the author wanted you to think, but all in all, I bought even the sometimes tenuous plot details in the moment as I read. Recommended to readers who enjoy YA for the quick pacing, and don't mind making a few leaps in terms of plot.
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LibraryThing member elenaj
I enjoyed it, but the plot was a bit too far-fetched melodrama for me.
LibraryThing member ftbooklover
I Am Princess X starts out with a wonderful idea. May and Libby live in Seattle and build an unlikely friendship as they develop a comic called Princess X, but Libby dies in a car crash. May never really accepts Libby's death even when her body is found down river from where her mother's car went
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off a bridge. May's parents divorce and she goes to live with her mother in Georgia, but spends time with her father in Seattle. Three years later, May is intrigued when she begins to see I Am Princess X stickers and merchandise all over the Seattle area. Convinced that Libby is alive, May enlists the help of computer hacker, Trick to help her track down clues in an I Am Princess X online comic that might lead her to Libby. Although the ending provides closure to the story, I would have liked less predictability and a little more drama. Overall though, a good story. Show Less
LibraryThing member AKBouterse
This was a very fun adventure story. Short and sweet. I went into this book knowing very little about it. It had been on my TBR list for such a long time that I had basically forgotten everything about it. It wasn’t exactly what I expected given the summary on the book but it was still a fun
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read. Some parts of this I found unbelievable in a way where it was hard to suspend my disbelief which is part of why I didn’t give it five stars. Also I was listening to the audiobook for this one and I didn’t love the narrator. Most of that isn’t the stories part but the one thing that is is the fact that the main character is from Atlanta and apparently has a southern accent. Of course there are some people in Atlanta with southern accents but I was born and raised in Atlanta and most of my friends were also born and raised in Atlanta so I can safely say that most people who are from Atlanta don’t have what people would describe as southern accents. It’s too much of a blended city with many different accents. Overall though I did like this story though I wish I had read it when I had first heard about it and I was closer in age to the main characters who were 17. Show Less
LibraryThing member ms_rowse
Quick read, mostly because the idea was so clever that I wanted to know what happened next. Really enjoyable!
Awards
Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 2018)
Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — Middle Grade — 2018)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee — 2018)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2017)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Teen — 2018)
Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (Nominee — 2017)
Iowa Teen Award (Nominee — 2019)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Nominee — 2018)
Arkansas Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2017)
Blue Hen Book Award (Nominee — 2017)
Truman Readers Award (Nominee — 2018)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — 2017)
Westchester Fiction Award (Winner — 2016)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2018)
Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers (Nominee — 2017)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2017)
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Selection — Fiction — 2016)
Books From All 50 States (and Washington, D.C.!) (Washington)
Young Adult Favorites Award (2016)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Teens (Fiction — 2015)
Texas Lone Star Reading List (2016)
OYAN Book Rave (2016)
Language
Original publication date
2015
ISBN
9780545907316
Other editions
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest (Paperback)
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest (Paperback)