When I started to read this book I was worried that it was going to be another pathetic story full of whining and moaning from Mia, much like books 4 - 7, but thankfully Mia's depressive period didn't last for too long. There were some things which I liked about this book: the absence of Michael, who I always thought was unsuited for Mia; the absence of Lilly, who Mia should learn to stand up to; the story about the diary of Mia's ancestor, which was quite interesting; the subplot about Kenny - hilarious!; Mia realising that pining over Michael was going to get her nowhere; and Mia becoming friends with Lana, and her realisation that Lana isn't horrible, just shallow. Overall, this has to be one of the most realistic Princess Diaries books ever! I'm actually looking forward to reading the last book. I have to admit that Mia's "depression" irritated me and her behaviour when she broke up with Michael was quite pathetic for a girl of her age, and the character of JP seems to be quite 2D at some points. But this didn't spoil the book too much, and it was, all in all, an enjoyable read.