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Book Review By Angela Tircuit
Raising the Griffin by Melissa Wyatt

Alex Varenhoff thinks of himself as an ordinary British teenager. The fact that his family were once rulers of the European country of Rovenia doesn't matter. The royal family was put into exile way before Alex was born. But, one day, Alex comes home from boarding school to find out that the citizens have decided to reinstate the monarchy. Now, Alex, and his parents are moving to a country he's never seen. Worse, he has to be a prince! Prince Alexei. He has teenage girls fighting to be next to him (which isn't as exciting as one might think) he can't have any privacy, and he isn't even allowed to dress himself. His father has to worry about handling his duties as king, and can't be bothered with Alex's troubles. Alex has a tutor who is very strict about protocal and learning Rovenian history. The only friend Alex has is Sophie, the daughter of his new PR agent.

Alex slowly begins to take an interest in his new country and in the people. But, when he meets the crazy Princess Izzy, he is warned that his actions could put the entire monarchy in danger. Some people don't want the monarchy back, and they're looking for any excuse to make it fail. A prince who is a disgrace could very well do it.

At first glance, this book may seem like a male version of The Princess Diaries, but it is a much more serious look at a young person thrust into a role that isn't as glamourous.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1980's-1999
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Life of a profession:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story Yes
Age group of kid(s) in story: - high school

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - a teen
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 3 ()
Europe Yes
European country: - Baltic States

Writing Style
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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