Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Palace of Mirrors

Cecilia lives as a peasant in a small town. But, secretly, she knows that she is princess who is being hidden from the enemies of the kingdom for her safety. It's a normal day in hiding for Cecilia, who is out with her friend Harper. But she feels like her enemies are following her. She decides it is in her best interest to go to the palace, reclaim her throne, and take over her duty as princess from the decoy princess Desmia. Once Cecilia gets to the palace, things get strange. She is introduced to other girls just like her who claim that they are the true princess. Is Cecilia the real princess? Who are those other girls? Will she be captured by the enemies before she finds out the truth?

Palace of Mirrors is a quick, fun, one-day kind of read that doesn't require much thought. The story carries itself and moves at a pace that isn't so slow that you lose interest. Although it is predictable, author Margaret Peterson Haddix throws in a few curve balls to make it more surprising in the end. Overall, Haddix has created a story that seems to be generic on the outside: a story about a princess who is being hunted by evil. But after reading the book, I realize that it explored issues that people go through every day, from friendship and love to finding yourself and your destiny in the world.

Reviewer Age: 14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, IL USA