Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* May and Libby came up with Princess X, a katana-wielding cartoon girl with a crown and red Chucks, on the day they met in fifth grade, and for the next several years of their friendship, they wrote enough stories about her to fill a closet. But then Libby and her mother die in a car accident, and May tries to move on with her life, but she can't shake the feeling that not everything adds up about Libby's death. Three years later, May notices a faded vinyl sticker that is unmistakably Princess X. Then she discovers a webcomic about her, which includes characters that look alarmingly like Libby and May, and clues that only May can decipher. With the help of her tech-savvy neighbor, Trick, May looks all over (and under) Seattle to uncover the truth about her best friend. Interspersed with Ciesemier's webcomic-style illustrations, Priest's YA debut is an engrossing cyberthriller packed with a puzzling mystery, crackerjack detective work, and an eerie, atmospheric sense of place. The unembellished style is a perfect match for the noir-lite tone, and May and Trick, whose banter crackles with energy, rival any team of gumshoes out there. Teens who roll their eyes at adults out of touch with Internet culture will eat this up.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Back in fifth grade, best friends May and Libby created Princess X, a katana-wielding heroine who wears Converse sneakers with her ball gown. Ever since Libby and her mother died in a freak accident, May's life has been as gray as her Seattle home-until the 16-year-old spots a Princess X sticker in a store window, leading her to a Princess X webcomic that suggests that Libby might still be alive. With the help of Trick, a hacker-for-hire, May follows the trail that Princess X's near-mythic narrative leaves for her, which incorporates Seattle landmarks like the Fremont Troll and characters like the dangerous Needle Man and the mysterious, helpful Jackdaw. Illustrations from the Princess X comic-skillfully rendered by Ciesemier and printed in purple-add greatly to this techno-thriller's tension. Fresh and contemporary, this hybrid novel/comic packs a lot of plot in a relatively short book, but its strongest suit may be Priest's keen understanding of the chasmic gap between the way teens and adults engage in the landscape of the Internet. Ages 12-up. Author's agent: Jennifer Jackson, Donald Maass Literary. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-May and Libby created Princess X on the day they met in fifth grade. That was before Libby and her mother died in a car crash. Now May is 16 and looking at another long, lonely summer in Seattle when she spots a Princess X sticker on the corner of a store window. Suddenly she starts seeing Princess X everywhere, including in a webcomic at IAmPrincessX.com, where the princess story is eerily similar to Libby's. This means that the only person who could have created the comic is May's best friend-Libby-who must still be alive. In her YA debut, Priest offers a tantalizing, page-turner of a mystery that spans real locations in Seattle and dark pockets of the Internet. May is an assertive, capable heroine who finds help from likable and well-realized characters along the way in this fresh and authentic story. Even when the action moves online, Priest keeps the story exciting and approachable without ever resorting to technical jargon. Accompanying illustrations by Ciesemier bring the story found in the webcomic to life and integrate beautifully with May's search for Libby in this utterly satisfying read. VERDICT An excellent book with loads of cross-genre and cross-format appeal. Highly recommended.-Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
May and best friend Libby created Princess X in fifth grade. When Libby dies in a car accident, hundreds of pages of Princess X comics disappear. Now May, sixteen, finds a Princess X webcomic, with little clues only Libby could know. May is sure Libby's alive--and in danger. Scenes from the comic are interspersed throughout the harrowing and mysterious narrative featuring an engaging protagonist. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Cryptic clues in a Web comic put a Seattle teenager onto the trail of a deranged kidnapper and his victim. Three years after the (supposed) drowning of bosom friend Libby, 16-year-old May is shocked to see new stickers and other merch for "Princess X," an intrepid swordswoman in a puff-sleeved dress and sneakers that she and Libby had privately invented in fifth grade. The princess's recently posted online adventures tell a scary tale about escaping from a "Needle Man" years after being stolen as a replacement for his own dead daughter. They leave May convinced that Libby is still alivehiding out from her clever, relentless captor and imbedding veiled messages in the comic that only May would catch. Said hints lead May and Trick, a hacker dude she goes to for help, on a quest through the city's seedier and underground quarters to encounters with Jackdaw (a gay, goth Robin Hood) and a desperate scheme to steal proof of the Needle Man's perfidy. Priest cranks the suspense somewhat by casting the kidnapper as both an IT expert and a killer, but because he mostly appears only in the emotionally charged, sparely drawn purple-and-black comics pages that Ciesemier scatters through the tale's first two-thirds, he remains, at best, a shadowy bogeyman. Promising elements aplenty, but they never fully mesh or deliver more than a passing chill. (Thriller. 11-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
