The Princess Protection Program is an exciting twist on the typical fairy tale tropes. When Rosamund is awakened after 100 years of sleep, she finds that she is, quite frankly, not all that excited about being kissed by a perfect stranger. She runs away and finds herself in the Home Education Academy (or HEA for short) surrounded by other princesses (and a prince) who have escaped their stories, as well. This fast-paced story turns fairy tales on their heads and asks important questions like “What does happily ever after really look like?” It would be a great book for elementary readers who like their princes with a little edge and choose to question authority.

All that being said, I would have preferred this book if it were twice as long and did more to flesh out the characters and the story. There were times when the plot felt rushed and backstories were poorly fleshed out, like how the villain turned evil. Given that the princesses are teenagers and that some of the challenges that they encounter are more mature, this could have been an even better middle-grades book.

This is a perfect magical little read that gave me vibes similar to the school of good and evil. But this book has feminist and queer representation meant for those who are queer and grew up loving all of the princesses and princes from our childhood fairytales. Overall, this book is very whimsical and comical and just awesome.

This is a cute, lighthearted middle grade novel about what happens when fairy tale characters start to make their own choices. It's fast paced and the worldbuilding isn't too heavy, so kids will be able to rip right through it.

When Sleeping Beauty is awakened by a kiss, she flees her prince and ends up in "the real world" where she's taken into a school intended to teach her about fashion and selfies and blending in among today's teenagers. But after an ill-fated adventure off-campus to a pizza parlor that sees one of her new friends captured and returned to her story (The Little Mermaid version where she turns into sea foam, so it's definitely one worth escaping!) she begins to realize that all is not as it seems at her school. She and the other fairy tale characters must figure out what's really going on, save their friends, and more generally save all the characters who make up parts of their fairy tales.

What worked:
I’m not a young girl but I can see them cheering for characters rebelling against fairy tale, gender-biased expectations. Rosamund is awakened after a 100-year sleep but why should that mean she must marry the well-intentioned prince and live with him forever? All of the girls at the HEA agree that getting kissed while you’re asleep is gross and wrong. However, the school has no servants and the students are responsible for completing all of the chores like dusting and cleaning the bathroom. Readers will watch Rosamund transform as she develops an appreciation for the hard work done by her former palace workers. She also becomes an independent thinker with a strong motivation to right the wrongs she encounters.
Rosamund is gifted with curiosity and she’s always been taught that the most important question to ask is “Why?” However, the headmistress and teachers disagree and tell her she needs to accept things as they are. Why? She can’t understand how the other students can answer all of the teachers’ questions, sometimes before they’re even asked. Rosamund begins to sense something is off at the school and the plot becomes a mystery to answer her questions. The story takes a dramatic turn when one of her friends disappears right before her eyes!
A fun aspect of a story based on fairy tale characters is trying to figure out the connections between the two. Rosamund is Rose Red as she fell into a deep coma after pricking her finger on an enchanted spindle. Rana comes from a tale involving a frog prince while Sirena used to be a mermaid. The characters maintain traits from their fairy tales and luckily Rana isn’t shy about breaking the rules. Cinderella and Prince Charming are represented although Charlie is the only boy at the school. Readers will discover later that he has knowledge about what’s going on that the other students do not. The characters at HEA learn to live in the real world with lessons ranging from government to using technology like cell phones and TikTok. These concepts are part of a “magical” world in the minds of fairy tale characters.
What didn’t work as well:
The narrative moves very quickly with revelations and twists arising at every turn. This style will capture the interest of readers but it limits the ability to fully develop characters other than Rosamund. This may not bother readers much but it would be nice to know more about Rona’s character too.
The Final Verdict:
This book introduces unique ideas that aren’t often seen in these types of stories. The setting and conflict are innovative and the author saves some surprises for the end. I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I do and I recommend you give it a shot.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a bit short but has a great pace and each chapter has valuable info not delaying the plot and advancing with action. I can't resist an Academy.

I love the concept that the princesses can escape their stories and go to this Academy where they learn about our world. We don't get much detail about the Academy grounds yet or more about the teachers and other students, but there is a reason for that and this volume seems like a good introduction. It focuses on the growth as a character of Princess Rosamund who just arrived at the Academy.

It has really clever references for the most attentive bookworms and all the characters are fun to read.

Standing up for oneself, finding your voice, friendship, standing up for your friends and the right thing, and learning how to lead and take hold of your story and destiny. It's inspiring and uplifting.

I loved the villain as well and the funny twists at the end.

Like the blurb says The Princess Protection Program is for fans of the Never Afters and the Descendants series, The School for Good and Evil, and the Fairly True Tales series. Can be read as a standalone but I truly hope it becomes a series as well.

Love the cover artwork.

Thank you netgalley and Publisher for this eARC.

I went into The Princess Protection Program with zero expectations and little knowledge of what this story would actually be. This story has stories, and those stories have stories, too. Think of it like this: This is a feminist, queer loving fairy tale for queers who grew up loving the princesses and princes from the stories we grew up reading, and learning as adults that they were awful endings for everyone involved. We didn't know as children that growing up a princess only meant that we fell in love with a prince we did not know and who we would devote our entire lives to!

This story is whimsical, comical and totally unserious in every way with thematic, spell-bounding quotes along the way. It's the perfect book to read to your children, and one to be shared with at a Drag Reading Hour.

We have princesses ( and one prince ) who want to break out of the mold of their Forever Afters and to question the logic and meanings of their futures and stories. My only gripe is that the setting, the Real Modern World with technology and modern slang, it felt a bit underwritten and jarring when we are thrust into the world so quickly, not in the sort of "the character is experiencing this jarring moment of narrative" thing. Anyway.

It was lovely. It was fun. It's what you could expect with a twinge of fantastical and most definitely is reminiscent of the Disney Wreck-It-Ralph series where the Disney Princesses meet as animated 3D characters. I thought maybe that some names didn't match up to the princesses we know well, whereas some were meant to be more obvious. I feel that the story would benefit being more fleshed out and expanded, but regardless, it was a short and wonderful read. I was impressed considering the author is one I don't reach out for after a tasteless experience with one of his other books.

However, this was queer, and powerful, and I can't wait for this to come into the world. I'm very lucky to have read it.

If you would like an adult version of this with more comedy and outrageousness and queerness and dragons, I would suggest TJ Klune's Tales From Verania Series ( 18+, for adults, very explicit but AMAZING )

This was a sweet and fun story but it wasn't as unique as I was hoping. It's a story we've all read a hundred times. That being said, it was still a delightful and adventurous read.

What happens when the princess decides she doesn't want to follow her fairytale? I mean if you were cursed to sleep and suddenly wake up with a random guy who has just kissed you, you'd run away too! When princess Rosamund suddenly wakes up from her sleeping curse she runs away from her prince and sees a "Door of Opportunity" and takes the opportunity to escape through it. leading her to the steps of the Home Educational Academy. There she discovers the Princess Protection Program, a place for fugitive fairytale princesses to escape unwanted affections, untimely ends, and all other parts of their stories. Rosamund is given the chance to adjust to the real world ( technology and all) and make friends. But something strange is going on.... like the fact that no one has ever actually graduated from the HEA and that nobody remembers former students..... can Rosamund and her new friends figure out whats happening to everyone and save each other before they are forced back into their fairytales? This was a really fun take on classic fairytales and I think that it would make a great read for middle grade readers!



*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Greenwillow Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*