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erincataldi's review
2.0
A quick brainless read that some teen girls might find enjoyable. Popular high school seniors; Courtney, Tiffany, Amber, and Michelle can't wait to quit their part time jobs as princesses at a local amusement park and join the real world of college, traveling, and careers. When all their plans fall apart they realize there is only one place to fall back on, their summer gig at the amusement park. At least the staff and customers treat them like royalty, they're practically worshipped and they get paid for it. The only problem is that attendance is down and people are scared to go to the park for fear of getting mugged. The four best friends decide that they care about the park and will work together to clean the place up, one mugger at a time. Cheesy, but not awful. There is a little lesbian romance thrown in at the end as an afterthought.
kice7788's review
5.0
super cute graphic novel!! loved the artistry and plot. Of course I also loved it because it was Disney princesses! it flowed really well and was great showing real life problems.
helpfulsnowman's review
3.0
Okay, a little Scooby-Doo-y. There's a derelict amusement park and a shadowy figure who is being bothered by these damn meddling teens. But overall I kinda liked it.
What I liked about it is that the characters are a bit unlikable. Which is to say, they are flawed, jerkass people. Which is to say, in Tina Fey parlance, they are Mean Girls.
But in the end, they totally change! 15%. Maybe 10%. Okay, they don't totally change. They make a slight improvement to being less jerkassy jerks.
What I like about this, it's something I don't see as often in books, especially books that seem targeted towards teens. I think so many of us are so afraid to hand this kind of book to teens because it's like, "No! Bad! There's someone drinking beer in here! And smoking! And one of our protagonists calls people nerds!? They don't respect their peers! They're self-absorbed! One of them sleeps with multiple partners, and though I'm totally okay with people expressing their sexuality and whatnot, and though I would never slut shame, it seems best to just avoid even implied sexuality. What kind of example are these characters setting?"
I feel like there are two possible missteps in that line of thinking, or two areas where I have a difference of opinion.
Number one, I feel like giving teens only the most positive of characters, only telling stories about role models, is something we do because we're afraid that teens will emulate the bad behavior. I think teenagers deserve a little more credit than that. I honestly don't believe that we can attribute, say, the consumption of a beer in this book to teen alcoholism. That's Seduction of the Innocent horseshit. That's saying Superman shouldn't exist because one time a kid jumped out a window. That's saying Beavis and Butthead shouldn't exist because one time a kid burned down his house and killed his younger sister. That's saying certain types of music need to be labeled and potentially banned because of the content of the lyrics. Look, Catcher in the Rye has a weird history with this stuff, John Hinckley, Mark David Chapman, possibly Lee Harvey Oswald, ALL alleged fans of the book, all assassins. So how can we possibly still teach it in schools? Because 250,000 copies of that book are sold every year. Well over 65 million total copies have been sold. Is three people who committed a violent act statistically significant and loved this book statistically significant? No. It's a much stronger case for the book NOT being a problem, that of 65 million copies, 3 have sparked something. Even if it were true that the book caused something to happen, those numbers don't really tell us much of anything.
Short version, I don't really think teens are going to become assholes because they read a book about assholes, especially when, like this one, the assholery is not shown as being awesome. It is what it is.
Number two, I feel that reading about characters who you don't particularly like is a great way to develop empathy. We ALL went to high school with some assholes. Or we say, "Everyone pretty much got along when I was in school" which probably means you were the assholes. This might be a rebellious, un-internet thing to say, but I think that assholes...also deserve empathy. I'm not really with this trend where, if someone acts like an asshole, it's game on and we just light into them. And maybe they work for some, but I don't feel that the stories where none of the main characters are assholes feel very real. That's just me, but I suspect others feel very much the same way. I can't say I entirely "get" stories where everyone is so nice and perfect because that's not how I think things are. I suppose it could be escapism, and that's legit, but I feel that escapism is one reason readers read, but it's not why everyone reads.
Anyway, I think it's a good read for people who have read some teen-centric comics and are looking for something with main characters who can be willfully problematic.
What I liked about it is that the characters are a bit unlikable. Which is to say, they are flawed, jerkass people. Which is to say, in Tina Fey parlance, they are Mean Girls.
But in the end, they totally change! 15%. Maybe 10%. Okay, they don't totally change. They make a slight improvement to being less jerkassy jerks.
What I like about this, it's something I don't see as often in books, especially books that seem targeted towards teens. I think so many of us are so afraid to hand this kind of book to teens because it's like, "No! Bad! There's someone drinking beer in here! And smoking! And one of our protagonists calls people nerds!? They don't respect their peers! They're self-absorbed! One of them sleeps with multiple partners, and though I'm totally okay with people expressing their sexuality and whatnot, and though I would never slut shame, it seems best to just avoid even implied sexuality. What kind of example are these characters setting?"
I feel like there are two possible missteps in that line of thinking, or two areas where I have a difference of opinion.
Number one, I feel like giving teens only the most positive of characters, only telling stories about role models, is something we do because we're afraid that teens will emulate the bad behavior. I think teenagers deserve a little more credit than that. I honestly don't believe that we can attribute, say, the consumption of a beer in this book to teen alcoholism. That's Seduction of the Innocent horseshit. That's saying Superman shouldn't exist because one time a kid jumped out a window. That's saying Beavis and Butthead shouldn't exist because one time a kid burned down his house and killed his younger sister. That's saying certain types of music need to be labeled and potentially banned because of the content of the lyrics. Look, Catcher in the Rye has a weird history with this stuff, John Hinckley, Mark David Chapman, possibly Lee Harvey Oswald, ALL alleged fans of the book, all assassins. So how can we possibly still teach it in schools? Because 250,000 copies of that book are sold every year. Well over 65 million total copies have been sold. Is three people who committed a violent act statistically significant and loved this book statistically significant? No. It's a much stronger case for the book NOT being a problem, that of 65 million copies, 3 have sparked something. Even if it were true that the book caused something to happen, those numbers don't really tell us much of anything.
Short version, I don't really think teens are going to become assholes because they read a book about assholes, especially when, like this one, the assholery is not shown as being awesome. It is what it is.
Number two, I feel that reading about characters who you don't particularly like is a great way to develop empathy. We ALL went to high school with some assholes. Or we say, "Everyone pretty much got along when I was in school" which probably means you were the assholes. This might be a rebellious, un-internet thing to say, but I think that assholes...also deserve empathy. I'm not really with this trend where, if someone acts like an asshole, it's game on and we just light into them. And maybe they work for some, but I don't feel that the stories where none of the main characters are assholes feel very real. That's just me, but I suspect others feel very much the same way. I can't say I entirely "get" stories where everyone is so nice and perfect because that's not how I think things are. I suppose it could be escapism, and that's legit, but I feel that escapism is one reason readers read, but it's not why everyone reads.
Anyway, I think it's a good read for people who have read some teen-centric comics and are looking for something with main characters who can be willfully problematic.
geno's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
"Part-Time Princesses" es una novela gráfica con una buena premisa y una pobre ejecución.
Nos presenta cuatro amigas populares y bastante mala gente, que de pronto descubren que sus futuros soñados no son posibles y deciden ocultar su fracaso trabajando como princesas en un parque de diversiones en decadencia.
Empezando por lo mejor del libro, se puede mencionar el arte. Es un estilo muy limpio y claro que va bien con la trama más “liviana”, a pesar de eso, algunos diseños de personajes son muy similares.
Mi principal queja es trata de abarcar muchos temas en pocas páginas y no termina profundizando en nada.
Las protagonistas son personajes horrendos, sí, la idea es que sean “mean girls” pero no crecen ni mejoran, terminan en el mismo lugar que empezaron, solo que unos meses después. Que hayan “fracasado” al comienzo del libro es la excusa para tener la subtrama del parque, pero tampoco se desarrolla, hay un villano que quiere el terreno y eso es todo. Nada tiene motivación.
Es una idea entretenida, que tal vez necesitaba más páginas para desarrollarse o menos personajes.
Probablemente un público adolescente disfrute del libro.
---
"Part-Time Princesses" is a graphic novel with a good premise and poor execution.
It introduces us to four popular but unlikeable teenage girls, who suddenly discover that their dreams are not possible and decide to work as princesses in a local amusement park.
The best part of the book is the artwork, simple and clear. It goes well with the “lighter” tone of the plot, even if some character designs are very similar.
My main complaint with the story is that it tries to cover a lot of topics at surface level.
The protagonists are horrible characters, they are “mean girls” but they don't grow, and they end up in the same place. That they "failed" at the beginning of the book is the excuse to have the park subplot. Another thing that is not developed either.
It's an entertaining idea, which perhaps needed more pages to develop or fewer characters to work with to give them more space to grow.
A teenage audience will probably enjoy this book better.
Nos presenta cuatro amigas populares y bastante mala gente, que de pronto descubren que sus futuros soñados no son posibles y deciden ocultar su fracaso trabajando como princesas en un parque de diversiones en decadencia.
Empezando por lo mejor del libro, se puede mencionar el arte. Es un estilo muy limpio y claro que va bien con la trama más “liviana”, a pesar de eso, algunos diseños de personajes son muy similares.
Mi principal queja es trata de abarcar muchos temas en pocas páginas y no termina profundizando en nada.
Las protagonistas son personajes horrendos, sí, la idea es que sean “mean girls” pero no crecen ni mejoran, terminan en el mismo lugar que empezaron, solo que unos meses después. Que hayan “fracasado” al comienzo del libro es la excusa para tener la subtrama del parque, pero tampoco se desarrolla, hay un villano que quiere el terreno y eso es todo. Nada tiene motivación.
Es una idea entretenida, que tal vez necesitaba más páginas para desarrollarse o menos personajes.
Probablemente un público adolescente disfrute del libro.
---
"Part-Time Princesses" is a graphic novel with a good premise and poor execution.
It introduces us to four popular but unlikeable teenage girls, who suddenly discover that their dreams are not possible and decide to work as princesses in a local amusement park.
The best part of the book is the artwork, simple and clear. It goes well with the “lighter” tone of the plot, even if some character designs are very similar.
My main complaint with the story is that it tries to cover a lot of topics at surface level.
The protagonists are horrible characters, they are “mean girls” but they don't grow, and they end up in the same place. That they "failed" at the beginning of the book is the excuse to have the park subplot. Another thing that is not developed either.
It's an entertaining idea, which perhaps needed more pages to develop or fewer characters to work with to give them more space to grow.
A teenage audience will probably enjoy this book better.
iamliterate's review
5.0
In the words of Queen Bey, twirl on them haters. Don't believe the negative reviews on here, folks. This book is fabulous, fun, and the comic feminist manifesto we've all been waiting for. Ovaries of iron kick ass and take names. Read it. Read it. Read. It.
lyssrose's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Awful characters, a mediocre plot, and not much else. Definitely not worth the 45 minutes it took to read.
ashleymartin's review
3.0
Four best friends, high school seniors whose dreams for post-graduation aren't panning out - college, modeling, etc. This ends up being good for them, though, as they find out they're interested in more than they realized. The cheerleader likes engineering. The avid actor enjoys architectural set design. Bonuses: a romance develops between two of the girls. And a few different shapes/sizes are represented. Will appeal to princess lovers, while showing them they can like and be more than hyper feminine. But the snobbery though... This book was too Mean Girls for me. The attitude all four girls hold that they are above everyone persists for the entire book. There is maybe an insightful moment of insecurity here and there. They are good friends to each other but treat everyone else poorly. 2.5.
theybedax's review
3.0
I enjoyed the art and the premise but not really the characters. They were stuck up and kind of awful people. It was nice to see them grow a little and take on more responsibilities and accept ownership on their own lives. They still mostly seemed stuck up and it just didn't hit home for me.
nerfherder86's review
4.0
Interesting graphic novel about four graduating senior girls who, when their life plans for college or dance team auditions or modeling tours in Europe fall through, decide to stick with their summer jobs of portraying Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel and the Little Mermaid in a Disney-knockoff local amusement park. But the park has become rundown and has a bad reputation for muggings and gang activity, and no matter how much the girls try their hand at improving the park--cleaning, painting, fixing, teaching themselves how to be handy with tools--the crowds still aren't coming. So they decide to get really serious: take self-defense classes and take on the gang members physically! Along the way they also learn a little humility--they were the "popular" girls and treated the male employees as beneath them--and teamwork. I liked the story idea, and there's some humor, but the art is so-so; I sometimes had trouble differentiating the two blondes and two brunettes from each other. But a cute twist on princess stories.
magicowl's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5