Reviewed by Andie Z. for TeensReadToo.com

It's the beginning of Mia's junior year, but so far, things are not going as planned. For starters, Mia may have managed to pass Algebra and Geometry, but now she has to deal with Pre-Calculus. And she's also totally lost in Chemistry, even though she now has two lab partners instead of just one. Lilly has also decided to nominate Mia for student body president. Again. And even though Mia has tried to explain that she doesn't want it, as we all know, once Lilly's mind is made up, there's no changing it.

On top of all that, Michael has some interesting news for Mia. He has the opportunity to do some more work on the robotic arm he's been developing that could make it possible to perform closed-chest surgery. Great, right? Wrong. In order to do this research, Michael is moving to Japan. For a year. Or more. And he won't be coming back over holiday breaks.

Mia's world seems to be falling apart around her, and she can't understand how a year that was supposed to have been so great can have turned into such a nightmare so quickly. But then, with some unexpected help from Grandmere, Mia comes up with a plan. One that might just convince Michael to stay in New York, if only she has the guts to go through with it.

In this eighth installment of the PRINCESS DIARIES series, Mia finds herself having to grow up and deal with more adult situations, and it's a refreshing change from previous books. I have to admit, this series did seem to be going on for a very long time, but personally, with this book, Meg Cabot has managed to recapture my interest. Mia is still the same princess, entertaining and somewhat naive, but her voice seems to have matured, and the book has lost a lot of the bubbly, pre-teen feel.

Overall, PRINCESS ON THE BRINK is a great addition to the series, sure to please old and new fans, and there is no doubt that it will leave readers clamoring for more. ( )

Written for http://teensreadtoo.com/

It's the beginning of Mia's junior year, but so far, things are not going as planned. For starters, Mia may have managed to pass Algebra and Geometry, but now she has to deal with Pre-Calculus. And she's also totally lost in Chemistry, even though she now has two lab partners instead of just one. Lilly has also decided to nominate Mia for student body president. Again. And even though Mia has tried to explain that she doesn't want it, as we all know, once Lilly's mind is made up, there's no changing it.

On top of all that, Michael has some interesting news for Mia. He has the opportunity to do some more work on the robotic arm he's been developing that could make it possible to perform closed-chest surgery. Great, right? Wrong. In order to do this research, Michael is moving to Japan. For a year. Or more. And he won't be coming back over holiday breaks.

Mia's world seems to be falling apart around her, and she can't understand how a year that was supposed to have been so great can have turned into such a nightmare so quickly. But then, with some unexpected help from Grandmere, Mia comes up with a plan. One that might just convince Michael to stay in New York, if only she has the guts to go through with it.

In this eighth installment of the PRINCESS DIARIES series, Mia finds herself having to grow up and deal with more adult situations, and it's a refreshing change from previous books. I have to admit, this series did seem to be going on for a very long time, but personally, with this book, Meg Cabot has managed to recapture my interest. Mia is still the same princess, entertaining and somewhat naive, but her voice seems to have matured, and the book has lost a lot of the bubbly, pre-teen feel.

Overall, PRINCESS ON THE BRINK is a great addition to the series, sure to please old and new fans, and there is no doubt that it will leave readers clamoring for number nine. ( )

Just as I was getting all snarky about the standard formula for these books, the carpet is pulled out from underneath my feet! This did not end as I expected at all. I am very keen to read on -I was getting tired, but my interest is once again engaged. It is possible that Mia may just grow up a little bit. ( )

well done, nice to see Mia mocked for the whole Precious Gift thing ( )

After eight books, Mia's silliness and general cluelessness are beginning to grate on me. This book takes place in the week between the start of school with Michael's announcement that he is going to Japan for a year to build robots (wtf?), and his leaving. In between, we have Mia whining, scheming to make him stay, and breaking up with him. Usually I like Michael/Mia but honestly it's about time she grows up.