Gr 6—8—A year after the events in The Princess Plot (Scholastic, 2009), Princess Jenna's adjustment to her new boarding school, and her new country, is not going smoothly. When she sees an opportunity to escape during a lavish garden party, she runs away, planning to reunite with her best friend. What she doesn't plan on is that Perry, son of the Minister of the Interior, has also run away. Both of them are kidnapped and caught up in conspiracy to overthrow the king and incite a civil war. Frequent expository dialogue refreshes readers on the events of the first book, making it possible to jump straight into this one. While conspiracy stories often have many characters and plot twists, The Princess Trap gets particularly bogged down by its large cast and political maneuverings. In Jenna's and Perry's sections, their fears about their captors take a backseat to their predictable romantic troubles and contrived misunderstandings. The writing style is simplistic and at times awkward. Jenna's royal status doesn't factor into the plot much beyond a handy excuse for her kidnapping. Teens looking for princess stories will be better served by Meg Cabot's "The Princess Diaries" (HarperCollins) or Gail Carson Levine's novels.—Brandy Danner, Wilmington Memorial Library, MA
King Magnus has returned to the throne after being kidnapped in The Princess Plot, but Scandia is still in chaos. Princess Jenna, who's being mocked by her country, now has to protect it from civil war. Readers who endure some political-machinations-themed tediousness in the first half of this German import will be rewarded with a dramatic, fast-paced conclusion.
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