Palace of Stone (Princess Academy, #2) in Mock Newbery 2026

Dec 21, 2012 Barbara rated it really liked it

Shelves: bullies, friendship, cultural-identity, community, travel, families, animals, fantasy

Thank goodness for Shannon Hale and her delightful books. In this follow up to The Princess Academy, Britta is set to marry the prince, the boy she has loved all her life, and several of the girls from Mount Eskel have been invited to help her prepare for the wedding. But things in the capital are not running smoothly, and the king seems unaware of how poor his subjects are. As he demands more tributes, the seeds of revolution are planted, and Miri is unwillingly caught up in the plots to discre ...more

Like · see review

Apr 27, 2012 Brandy rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, mock-newbery-contenders

I re-read Princess Academy right before reading this one and I am really glad I did. I know this book has had a little buzz over weather or not it will win a medal for this years Newbery award. Unfortunately, I don't feel that this book could stand alone very well with out the back story of Princess Academy. Also, the way Hale reviewed the backstory of Princess Academy really put me off and felt boring and forced.

Newbery medal aside, I really loved this book. In fact, I might even like it better I re-read Princess Academy right before reading this one and I am really glad I did. I know this book has had a little buzz over weather or not it will win a medal for this years Newbery award. Unfortunately, I don't feel that this book could stand alone very well with out the back story of Princess Academy. Also, the way Hale reviewed the backstory of Princess Academy really put me off and felt boring and forced.

Newbery medal aside, I really loved this book. In fact, I might even like it better than Princess Academy. I absolutely loved all the dichotomies set in this book. And I think that Hale does a wonderful job setting the reader up for that right at the beginning. "Strange, lately, how many things made her feel two opposite ways twisted together."

I have experienced many of the same things that Miri experienced in the book, so for me it was very relate-able. This year especially I have been trying to figure out my own dichotomies of being away from home and wanting to be back home.

I do feel that the book was very calculated. Almost as if Hale were trying to get certain points across instead of just telling a story. Fortunately, I really enjoyed the points she was trying to get across. However some elements of the story really didn't work because they didn't fit into her agenda. For example, Peter. He seemed to be a forgotten part of the story until the end and that bothered me. I feel like Hale had him as part of the story because she needed to but set him aside because he didn't mesh with the agenda of the book.

Some of the scenes were a little unbelievable but I was willing to forgive that because I wasn't looking for believable, I was looking for an answer to the dichotomies and I feel that I got it.

As a young adult novel I am really excited for this book. I hope that my daughter enjoys it as much as I did. I hope that by reading it she can learn that life isn't always black and white and that sometimes you don't choose one thing or the other but you learn how to balance. ...more

Like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Crystal rated it it was amazing

Miri once again shows her strength as a young girl looking for her place in the world. She feels called to go beyond her small mountain village to learn more even while knowing it will be hard to be away from her family. She is excited about visiting a bustling city and meeting people, but doesn't realize that she is stepping into a palace filled with intrigue and danger. Miri discovers that there is a revolution brewing and she is faced with many complex choices. I appreciated Miri's courage an ...more

Like · see review

Sep 11, 2013 Christi rated it liked it

While I liked it, I didn't think it was as good as the first one and I think it targeted an older audience than the first one. I will still read #3 when it comes out, but I won't be letting my #2 read them until she is older. ...more

Like · see review