The Princess of Iowa

Gr 8 Up—"Everyone knows you're not supposed to drink and drive," begins Paige Sheridan. Before the accident, she had been leading the life of a popular, privileged teen. Then one night of partying brings her perfect world to a halt. She and her two best friends were extremely lucky, and only Lacey had any lasting injury, but they were separated for the summer as their parents' exercised damage control. Paige was sent off to Paris as an unpaid babysitter, a job that sounded more exciting than it really was. When she returns, her friends and boyfriend become distant and unfriendly, while her mother expects her to carry on being the homecoming queen she was meant to be. Paige takes refuge in her creative writing class, where Mr. Tremont, an inspiring teacher, and some outsider classmates encourage her to be herself. But who is Paige Sheridan? Is she just a princess? Or is she something more? In this debut novel, Backes takes Dead Poets Society and brings it into the age of Mean Girls. Her writing style is witty while still being relatable, and the themes of acceptance and identity will ring true to teens. One aspect of the narrative deals with Mr. Tremont's possible homosexuality in an extremely close-minded town. Though this issue becomes one of the larger plot points, it is never fully addressed or resolved. While this may be less satisfying to readers, it is a realistic outcome. Backes re-creates a world that most teens already live in, with the overarching message that anyone can become more than what others perceive them to be.—Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Stark County District Library, Canton, OH