The Last Princess

September 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-England is in turmoil, cut off from the rest of the world by a series of natural disasters coined the "seventeen days." In the wake of this, a ruthless villain has started an uprising to overthrow the royal family. The King and Queen have been assassinated and two of the three royal children have been taken captive. Middle child, Eliza, a 16-year-old spitfire, has escaped and has made it her mission to rescue her siblings and seek revenge for her family's murder. She infiltrates the enemy army in order to fulfill her mission and ends up finding an unlikely ally. Like other titles in its genre, Galaxy Craze's tale (Poppy, 2012) features a strong female protagonist trying to survive in an apocalyptic landscape. What sets this one apart is the royal element and Eliza's ability to be a pillar of hope to the masses. Leslie Belliare narrates with a smoothness that draws listeners in. Give this to teens who enjoyed Lisa Blick's Ashes (Egmont USA, 2011) or Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" series (Scholastic).-Rebecca Flannery, Lyman Memorial High School, Lebanon, CT

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.