by Cherie Priest
Libby and May are best friends who create a comic as their hobby. Libby is the artist and May invents the storyline for their heroine, Princess X, who wields a sword and wears high-tops. A few days after a tragic car accident on a bridge, a washed-up body is assumed to be Libby.
May is still mourning the loss of her best friend three year later when she sees a sticker of Princess X in an abandoned storefront window. Then she sees the image of Princess X at the skater park where she learns there is an underground following of a website www.IAmPrincessX.com. Could her friend still be alive?
With help from a teen techie who lives in May’s apartment building, they piece together clues from the webcomic in hopes of finding Libby. What ensues is an action-packed thriller taking place on the computer and in real life. The novel incorporates the Princess X webcomic seamlessly which adds to the suspense and mystery of what may have really happened to May’s friend.
I enjoyed the creation story of Princess X, but when the fatal accident occurs I thought the book was heading down the road of depressing teenage novel. I’m so glad I kept reading. My favorite line from the book comes when May discovers the Princess X webcomic, “Libby’s Princess X. It was on the Internet, and that meant it was real” (p 23). The storyline turns into a heart-thumping thriller with lots of action-packed sequences in downtown Seattle.
This book is a wonderful mix of mystery, cyber-thriller, friendship, and a bit of graphic novel. I couldn’t put it down! Check it out for yourself at the Scholastic Book Fair. Previews are Wednesday, October 26 through Thursday, October 28th in the link.
