I've been a reader for as long as I can remember. I know that I loved books as a very young child because my mom would sit around my brother and I and spread out what seemed like hundreds of books, all over the floor and let us pick, one after another. We often picked ten or eleven books, by the time 'reading time' was over it was nearly 11:00pm and we were both passed out tired. While going through elementary school I read Junie B. Jones, The Wrinkle in Time series, and God ony l knows how many more books. I was addicted. I wouldn't do homework because I wanted to read so badly. It never ceased as I got into middle school ,and eventually high school. In 8th grade my friend had a pink book with a crown on it sitting on her desk at school. I stared at it, I wondered what kind of "Princess" it couldbe about, the title was written in shiny silver writing The Princess Diaries. I asked the girl, her name was Maddie, if I could read the back, she said I could have the book, since she was done with it, and she didn't like keeping books she had already read. I eagerly picked it up and scanned thoroughly through the back of the paperback book, it had a combat boot on it and talked about a girl named Mia.
When I got home that day I quickly dug through my bag, found the book, shut the door to my room, laid on my bed, and I read. I read for three hours straight, I didn't move from my spot. I was riveted. Mia was fourteen, she was tall, she didn't quite fit in, and she had a genius friend who was always thinking of new and sometimes horrible ideas. I felt like I was her, all the way. I literally transformed into Mia. Even at the age of thirteen I was already my forever height of six feet two inches, extrememly tall for a girl, let alone a girl in middle school. I damn near cried a few times through my first read, I just felt so in touch with Mia and all of her friends. After I finished that book I was in need of the second in the series, and the third and so on! I made my mom take me to Borders. My reading was the only obsession I had that she indulged, being the good english teacher she is. I saw the "Meg Cabot" section smiling at me from where I stood. She had written so many books, I didn't have time to count, but I would one day. I picked up numbers two, three and four, then I rushed to the counter, practically bouncing in place. I was deeply in love with Cabot's writing, but also the fact that she had such a huge personality, for every one of her characters and all of their pain, happiness and worries.
A week later I was done with the entire series, well that which existed, and I was sad. However I remembered she had other books too, I read them, excitedly, all of them. I let myself become all of those characters too, but I never lost the feeling that came from reading about Mia. As the years went on I often came back to those books, my beloved, worn down copies of the Princess Diaries series. I watched both movies and threatened violence on the movie industry, spouting off everything they got completely wrong. My favorite part of these past years were the times I waited anxiously for a new book in the series to be released. My collection is a hilaroiusly perfect mix of paperbacks and hardbacks. I survived high school, because of Mia. I don't think I could've gotten through it on my own, but she gave me strength. I might sound cheesy, but she was me. I was her. I felt so completely devoted to any choices she made, good or bad. Anything concerning Michael I am convinced I would've done the same thing. Same thing with Lil or Tina. Any secrets Mia kept or things she never said, I was sure that she was making the choice that was right for her. By the way, I also have an evil grandmother. I mean, Mia wrote her own book and gave all the proceeds to Green Peace! I'm not kidding! I went to the library and there on the shelf was Ransom My Heart by Mia Thermopolis with help from Meg Cabot. Yes, a fictional character wrote a book with help from the author that invented her! Meg Cabot is that amazing!
I remember the loss of color in my cheeks and the tears stinging my eyes as I read the final pages of Princess Forever. The title seemed so ominous to me, I almost didn't want to read it, what would I, Mia, do? With tears staining the pages I finished the book and I actually was satisfied, dreaming of all the things Mia would have in her life. Easy enough to say I don't care about finding my Prince Charming, I want to find my Michael Moscovitz. I am stuck on so many things about this series. I read it like a life Bible. I read it to calm my nerves and to make me giggle. I'm eighteen and I still relate wholly to that fourteen year old girl in love with the popular boy in school. My life is better because of these books, Avalon High, Teen Idol, Jinx and so forth, my life will continue to get better as I read her adult novels now, considering that I am now an adult(score!) therefore they are now appropriate! All that is left to say about this phenomenal lady is thank you, thank you for making my life better by having Mia shine through your books, into my soul.
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