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The Secret Life of Prince Charming
Maybe it was wrong, or maybe impossible, but I wanted the truth to be one thing. One solid thing.
Quinn is surrounded by women who have had their hearts broken. Between her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother, Quinn hears nothing but cautionary tales. She tries to be an optimist -- after all, she's the dependable one, the girl who never makes foolish choices. But when she is abruptly and unceremoniously dumped, Quinn starts to think maybe there really are no good men.
It doesn't help that she's gingerly handling a renewed relationship with her formerly absent father. He's a little bit of a lot of things: charming, selfish, eccentric, lazy...but he's her dad, and Quinn's just happy to have him around again. Until she realizes how horribly he's treated the many women in his life, how he's stolen more than just their hearts. Determined to, for once, take action in her life, Quinn joins forces with the half sister she's never met and the little sister she'll do anything to protect. Together, they set out to right her father's wrongs...and in doing so, begin to uncover what they're really looking for: the truth.
Once again, Deb Caletti has created a motley crew of lovably flawed characters who bond over the shared experiences of fear, love, pain, and joy -- in other words, real life.
322 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2009
78 people are currently reading
6274 people want to read
About the author
Deb Caletti
37 books2,277 followersDeb Caletti is the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of over twenty books for adults and young adults, including Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, a finalist for the National Book Award, and A Heart in a Body in the World, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. Her books have also won the Josette Frank Award for Fiction, the Washington State Book Award, and numerous other state awards and honors, and she was a finalist for the PEN USA Award. She lives with her family in Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
August 26, 2016
Women empowerment. Let me hear it for the ladies! Those are the first words I thought of when I finished this excellently done book. If someone were to ask me what book they could find advice about love this would be it. Seriously that good. I know someone will beg to differ, but for my young heart it was the perfect advice.
Now I really loved Quinn, but my favorite character was her younger sister Charlotte (aka Sprout). I wish I had that much confidence at that age. In reality all the characters are strong in this book and the quest they go on turns out to be a real eye opener for all involved.
One of the things that really stood out to me is that sometimes people are jerks and have no excuses. A lot of the time we make excuses for people but this book tells you sometimes the jerks don't have a foot to stand on.
Throughout the story we get little excerpts from Barry's past girlfriends and Quinn's relatives experiences with men. Listen to what they have to say. Another thing that I'm glad that Caletti did was have the main character be a nice person. Everybody looks at the adjective nice and thinks boring. Quinn is anything but boring but she is nice. She grows of course, but is still a nice person. I really appreciate that Caletti did that.
I have to say though I don't think guys will agree with some of the things said in the book, but no worries not all guys are made to look like villains. If anything it represents that we let ourselves be treated badly. Oh yeah before I forget I must say I hate the cover. It totally sends the wrong vibe. If I hadn't read a good review for it I would not have picked it up. A couple of F-bombs are dropped and there is the occasional cuss word but I'm sure most people won't be bothered.
There are so many things to say but I just can't cover them all. You can only get the full effect by actually reading it. Obviously highly recommended.
Now I really loved Quinn, but my favorite character was her younger sister Charlotte (aka Sprout). I wish I had that much confidence at that age. In reality all the characters are strong in this book and the quest they go on turns out to be a real eye opener for all involved.
One of the things that really stood out to me is that sometimes people are jerks and have no excuses. A lot of the time we make excuses for people but this book tells you sometimes the jerks don't have a foot to stand on.
Throughout the story we get little excerpts from Barry's past girlfriends and Quinn's relatives experiences with men. Listen to what they have to say. Another thing that I'm glad that Caletti did was have the main character be a nice person. Everybody looks at the adjective nice and thinks boring. Quinn is anything but boring but she is nice. She grows of course, but is still a nice person. I really appreciate that Caletti did that.
I have to say though I don't think guys will agree with some of the things said in the book, but no worries not all guys are made to look like villains. If anything it represents that we let ourselves be treated badly. Oh yeah before I forget I must say I hate the cover. It totally sends the wrong vibe. If I hadn't read a good review for it I would not have picked it up. A couple of F-bombs are dropped and there is the occasional cuss word but I'm sure most people won't be bothered.
There are so many things to say but I just can't cover them all. You can only get the full effect by actually reading it. Obviously highly recommended.
February 12, 2009
At first I was not in love with the premise of Deb Caletti's newest; it seemed a little too much like a movie theme, kinda like the last one. But Caletti's writing always conquers all. This, to me, was her most powerful novel. It's all about love and relationships and what women are willing to put up with for love. Like so many of her other novels, it's a multi-generational story and while the heroine is a teen, her mom, grandma, aunt, and the women who have been in her father's life are all living, multi-faceted, important characters. The story of Quinn and her journey to learn more about her charismatic father is interwoven with the life lessons and stories of all the women in her life and their disasters with love. It's heartbreaking and empowering and seems like a really important novel for teen girls to read. Guys in novels are too often too perfect and while the love interest here is a little dreamy, Caletti is not so generous with the others. Finally, I love how misleading the title is - any girl would pick this up with totally the wrong idea about this as a "romance" and it will end up being something she really ought to read. Fantastic!
January 15, 2010
I'm giving you another chance, Deb Caletti! I liked your first books, and then you made me angry with your lame studies in class in America, a.k.a. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye.
This one kicks off with a quote from a sexist John Mayer song. God, guys, not to go off on a tangent, but how much do I hate that song? First of all, if I were to rerecord it (and I'm not sure the twisty path of circumstances that would lead to that happening) it should just go "parents be good to your children, it's your effing JOB" but I also hate the whole thing where boys are fine if their parents screw them up, because UH NO THAT IS NOT EVEN TRUE YOU IDIOT and there's also the fact that, really, let's say girls and boys really ARE that different (just go with me here), is the insinuation that the only reason to be kind to your girl child is so she doesn't grow up to annoy some bro she's sleeping with because bros hate that shit, yo. GOD I HATE THAT SONG. And I know this is not some freaking song review site, but I do have to SERIOUSLY QUESTION any woman--no, any PERSON who thinks it's a good idea to kick off a book with a quote from it.
That said the book didn't annoy me nearly as much as I expected. I think I'm just getting tired of Caletti's interest in middle-aged people. I actually like YA lit where adults are present too - sometimes I'm thrown when a book has no parental figures or significant teachers or whatever else. But that said, I cared about the father as he related to the daughters. I didn't care about all his past relationships to the extent we were presented them, and I really didn't care about the love lives of all these women. I'm reading YA; could I have gotten more makeout time with cute musician boy? I think this book (and maybe some of her previous ones) should be shelved in women's fiction, not YA. Which is not an insult. But this is really not what I go to YA for.
(read: 5)
This one kicks off with a quote from a sexist John Mayer song. God, guys, not to go off on a tangent, but how much do I hate that song? First of all, if I were to rerecord it (and I'm not sure the twisty path of circumstances that would lead to that happening) it should just go "parents be good to your children, it's your effing JOB" but I also hate the whole thing where boys are fine if their parents screw them up, because UH NO THAT IS NOT EVEN TRUE YOU IDIOT and there's also the fact that, really, let's say girls and boys really ARE that different (just go with me here), is the insinuation that the only reason to be kind to your girl child is so she doesn't grow up to annoy some bro she's sleeping with because bros hate that shit, yo. GOD I HATE THAT SONG. And I know this is not some freaking song review site, but I do have to SERIOUSLY QUESTION any woman--no, any PERSON who thinks it's a good idea to kick off a book with a quote from it.
That said the book didn't annoy me nearly as much as I expected. I think I'm just getting tired of Caletti's interest in middle-aged people. I actually like YA lit where adults are present too - sometimes I'm thrown when a book has no parental figures or significant teachers or whatever else. But that said, I cared about the father as he related to the daughters. I didn't care about all his past relationships to the extent we were presented them, and I really didn't care about the love lives of all these women. I'm reading YA; could I have gotten more makeout time with cute musician boy? I think this book (and maybe some of her previous ones) should be shelved in women's fiction, not YA. Which is not an insult. But this is really not what I go to YA for.
(read: 5)
July 10, 2009
The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti is a very negative and slow paced book. Not a good combo in a book IMO. It took me over half the book to even become slightly interested in the story, but I felt like I was forcing myself to finish it. The story is so negative about the father of the story that it clouded the message I believe it was trying to convey. The dialog was slightly lame, that I experienced a few head desks, as well.
Quinn is the main character of the story, and she’s the daughter of a divorced couple. Her mom is a victim of several failed relationships and her father has gone through a fair share of women and a ton of broken relationships. Quinn discovers her father has stolen items from the women in his past. Quinn goes on a crusade with her sister and step sister to return the items to the women and hopefully learn something about her dad.
Overall, the story never fully captured my attention, and I never came to care for any of the multiple female characters stuffed into the storyline. What also bothered me was the foul language in the book. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate the occasional FU when it adds to the snark or used as an attention grabber. Not the case here. It came across as plain vulgar.
The novel may appeal to young adults of divorced families, but I’m sure there are better options out there. This novel just didn’t do it for me.
Quinn is the main character of the story, and she’s the daughter of a divorced couple. Her mom is a victim of several failed relationships and her father has gone through a fair share of women and a ton of broken relationships. Quinn discovers her father has stolen items from the women in his past. Quinn goes on a crusade with her sister and step sister to return the items to the women and hopefully learn something about her dad.
Overall, the story never fully captured my attention, and I never came to care for any of the multiple female characters stuffed into the storyline. What also bothered me was the foul language in the book. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate the occasional FU when it adds to the snark or used as an attention grabber. Not the case here. It came across as plain vulgar.
The novel may appeal to young adults of divorced families, but I’m sure there are better options out there. This novel just didn’t do it for me.
August 9, 2015
More than meets the eye
This is gonna be a slightly different review than what I normally write. So here goes....
I almost gave up on this book. If I'm being honest here, it started off really slow and boring. I thought it was going to end up being a rant about the wrongness of men and love. I worried it was too cynical and that it was trying to steer me away from love. Yet, that is completely the opposite of what this book is talking about. It's not about avoiding love, but rather the wrong kind. It's about distinguishing between what is real and what you wish was real. This is a story about the misconception of love. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to everyone. It's a wonderful perspective on relationships, both familial and romantic. It takes a while to get into it, but once you do it's totally worth it.
This is gonna be a slightly different review than what I normally write. So here goes....
I almost gave up on this book. If I'm being honest here, it started off really slow and boring. I thought it was going to end up being a rant about the wrongness of men and love. I worried it was too cynical and that it was trying to steer me away from love. Yet, that is completely the opposite of what this book is talking about. It's not about avoiding love, but rather the wrong kind. It's about distinguishing between what is real and what you wish was real. This is a story about the misconception of love. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to everyone. It's a wonderful perspective on relationships, both familial and romantic. It takes a while to get into it, but once you do it's totally worth it.
October 13, 2014
Great advice, great interesting characters, and a unique story. After finishing the book I smiled, so that's got to say something. At first I was a bit iffy about the cover. I even saw another book with this same cover at the book story so I was a bit peeved to see how little work some put into the covers. But you shouldn't judge (or rate) a book by its cover right? And the book deserves 5 stars.
I really like the characters. Quinn is exceedingly nice and polite which you don't see a lot in books. Usually the character that is nice is usually the secondary character that everyone just rolls their eyes at, so that was a nice change. I liked her sister a lot too. Sprout is funny and high spirited. Frances Lee is definitely a strong, independent person. You discover Barry's true colors and see how a bad relationship is not just limited to boy and girl but father and daughter.
All the woman that they talk to on their trip are very different but you see the similarities that they hold too. Each gives there own very straight forward advice. Actually the book is full of advice. It may seem like the women are just bashing on the men but they aren't. They do mention how some men should just be avoided but it's mostly about how the woman just stuck around in a wrong relationship. And the woman are sometimes the jerks too, not just the victims.
There is a lot more to say but you'll just have to read the book.
I really like the characters. Quinn is exceedingly nice and polite which you don't see a lot in books. Usually the character that is nice is usually the secondary character that everyone just rolls their eyes at, so that was a nice change. I liked her sister a lot too. Sprout is funny and high spirited. Frances Lee is definitely a strong, independent person. You discover Barry's true colors and see how a bad relationship is not just limited to boy and girl but father and daughter.
All the woman that they talk to on their trip are very different but you see the similarities that they hold too. Each gives there own very straight forward advice. Actually the book is full of advice. It may seem like the women are just bashing on the men but they aren't. They do mention how some men should just be avoided but it's mostly about how the woman just stuck around in a wrong relationship. And the woman are sometimes the jerks too, not just the victims.
There is a lot more to say but you'll just have to read the book.
January 5, 2012
So many people had recommended this one to me, so I was super excited to start it.
I had a really hard time getting into the flow of this book. I hated all the italic sections from the various women in Barry's life. It would just be getting interesting and BAM, here comes this random writing from some random woman. Blek. I also had a hard time just getting into this story period. But, when Frances Lee came into the picture and the road trip began- I was hooked. I adored the latter half of the book. Sprout, Fraces and Quinn were an awkard, weird, fun bunch. I can't help but like them and feel sorry that they have such a douche of a dad. Holy Cow, he sucks as a person.
Alas, I'm just beginning to think I'm not that big of a Caletti fan. While I did enjoy this more than say,
, I think I might have liked
more. Everything I've read of hers just doesn't wow me the way I want it to. The books aren't bad, they just aren't great in my opinion.
3 stars
I had a really hard time getting into the flow of this book. I hated all the italic sections from the various women in Barry's life. It would just be getting interesting and BAM, here comes this random writing from some random woman. Blek. I also had a hard time just getting into this story period. But, when Frances Lee came into the picture and the road trip began- I was hooked. I adored the latter half of the book. Sprout, Fraces and Quinn were an awkard, weird, fun bunch. I can't help but like them and feel sorry that they have such a douche of a dad. Holy Cow, he sucks as a person.
Alas, I'm just beginning to think I'm not that big of a Caletti fan. While I did enjoy this more than say,
, I think I might have liked
more. Everything I've read of hers just doesn't wow me the way I want it to. The books aren't bad, they just aren't great in my opinion.3 stars
October 4, 2011
The Secret Life of Prince Charming is a fun and likeable book. I liked Quinn and her family, they were fun to read about and the story was entertaining and really good.
October 6, 2018
Rating: 2.5/5
Review to come!
Review to come!
November 21, 2022
First things first, I made a horrible, horrible mistake. I have had this book on my shelf since it first came out in April last year. I read around the first 50 pages and just lost interest and stopped reading it. I don’t know what made me want to read it again but I did and I am so grateful. I will admit this book does have a slow beginning –hence the loosing interest when I first read it—but it really was an amazing read. This was the first Deb Caletti book I have ever read and I am so excited to read her other novels. She is an absolutely amazing author. There are literally no words to explain how good she is.
This was just so…different to the point that I am having a hard time reviewing it. It was unlike any other young adult book I have ever read. Its “unique-ness” really made me fall in love with it. This novel is about Quinn (who’s name I adore by the way) who is surrounded by women who warn her in every way possible about guys from their life experiences. She is longing for a great relationship with her father who she just started to talk to again three years ago, but when she discovers a dark secret about him she doesn’t quite know what to do. It leads her to her step-sister who she has met once in her life, Frances Lee, and on a road trip her and her sister, Charlotte (aka Sprout) will never forget. Along the way Quinn discovers not all guys are bad especially not the hunkie guitar player Jake who isn’t the bad boy he seems to look like at first glance. Quinn also discovers what she was looking for; the truth.
From the beginning of the book till the last page you are on the journey with not only Quinn but other women throughout the novel that all have things in common. Another thing I adored about this novel was the fact that throughout it there were pages or two with the title of a certain woman’s name from the book and her thoughts on love and her past relationships. Each one has a story to tell and life lessons to share with the reader.
Like I always say: I loved this book. I so regret not reading it sooner and letting it collect dust on my shelf. It is not only a great read for teens but for adults as well. I would suggest it to anyone.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
This was just so…different to the point that I am having a hard time reviewing it. It was unlike any other young adult book I have ever read. Its “unique-ness” really made me fall in love with it. This novel is about Quinn (who’s name I adore by the way) who is surrounded by women who warn her in every way possible about guys from their life experiences. She is longing for a great relationship with her father who she just started to talk to again three years ago, but when she discovers a dark secret about him she doesn’t quite know what to do. It leads her to her step-sister who she has met once in her life, Frances Lee, and on a road trip her and her sister, Charlotte (aka Sprout) will never forget. Along the way Quinn discovers not all guys are bad especially not the hunkie guitar player Jake who isn’t the bad boy he seems to look like at first glance. Quinn also discovers what she was looking for; the truth.
From the beginning of the book till the last page you are on the journey with not only Quinn but other women throughout the novel that all have things in common. Another thing I adored about this novel was the fact that throughout it there were pages or two with the title of a certain woman’s name from the book and her thoughts on love and her past relationships. Each one has a story to tell and life lessons to share with the reader.
Like I always say: I loved this book. I so regret not reading it sooner and letting it collect dust on my shelf. It is not only a great read for teens but for adults as well. I would suggest it to anyone.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
August 27, 2009
This book was published for YAs, but I don't think middle schoolers will have the patience - or interest to stick with it, and often as I read it, I wondered if Deb Caletti was feeling equivocal about whether she intended her audience to be teens or middle aged women. Quinn and her younger sister Sprout (Charlotte) join up with a half-sister they hardly know on a quest to return sentimentally valuable items their father has stolen from former girlfriends and wives to their rightful owners. Along the way, they hope to uncover some kind of truth about their father - and themselves. The book is slow starting and (perhaps unnecessarily) weighted down with little essays on healthy and unhealthy relationships by the many women in the book who have been involved in unhappy relationships (Quinn and Sprout's mother, grandmother and Aunt Annie, Frances Lee - their half sister, all of the ex-wives and girlfriends). When the sisters, accompanied by Frances Lee's boyfriend's younger brother, Jake, who's along for a ride to a gig, start visiting the women and returning the stolen items, the book moves more quickly and becomes a bit more interesting as we learn more about the characters.
January 28, 2020
Whenever I come across an author that relies on "God" or "Jesus" as a valid way to begin lots and lots of sentences and who can't seem to get through a page without a four letter word (and usually when there are lots, including some made up variations of those words), the thing that always strikes me is how lazy and lacking in any real talent that author is. I mean, at least try to sound intelligent.
I couldn't even begin to get into this story and at this point, I really couldn't care less what it's about.
I picked up one of Caletti's other books and put it right back down after about 4 pages due to how crude and outright offensive the writing was. Then I skimmed through the other four that I (regrettably) owned and found that they were just as bad.
On the up side, my shelves are getting cleared off. I'm just sorry I wasted my money and shelf space on this trash for so long.
I couldn't even begin to get into this story and at this point, I really couldn't care less what it's about.
I picked up one of Caletti's other books and put it right back down after about 4 pages due to how crude and outright offensive the writing was. Then I skimmed through the other four that I (regrettably) owned and found that they were just as bad.
On the up side, my shelves are getting cleared off. I'm just sorry I wasted my money and shelf space on this trash for so long.
January 30, 2009
I reviewed this for Booklist. It's a romance, a road trip, and a coming of age story all of which are fun and will please fans of Caletti's other work and newcomers who enjoy Dessen and others like her. It has an intriguing chorus of older female voices sharing their past history with men and what they've learned. The advice is solid and hard won, and delivered in a way that doesn't seem didactic, just lovingly shared. I'd love to have my teen daughters read it. Maybe I can get them to if it is out on audio. And, how can you not love a road trip book that involves hauling around a 10 foot tall Bob statue (he of Big Boy red and white checkered pants holding a cheeseburger above his head fame) in the back of a pick up truck? Priceless.
April 7, 2009
There's no doubt that Deb Caletti's writing is gorgeous, and her first and third novels, The Queen of Everything and Wild Roses, were outstanding young adult novels.
But I don't think Caletti is writing young adult novels any longer. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart was the first indication I had that she was writing books that were supposedly for teens but really explored themes they simply don't care about.
And now her plots are simply too slow moving and her romances are horribly flat, as if she's had to put them in there, and the themes she explores would be far more interesting to adults. I've loved all her books but my daughters won't read anything by her any longer ("She's boring!") and although she has a few fans at my library, all of them are my age.
But I don't think Caletti is writing young adult novels any longer. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart was the first indication I had that she was writing books that were supposedly for teens but really explored themes they simply don't care about.
And now her plots are simply too slow moving and her romances are horribly flat, as if she's had to put them in there, and the themes she explores would be far more interesting to adults. I've loved all her books but my daughters won't read anything by her any longer ("She's boring!") and although she has a few fans at my library, all of them are my age.
July 15, 2021
I read this for a Battle of the Books. It was OK. The title and cover are very deceiving. It seems like a romance novel,but it is NOT. I feel like the publisher really should change the title and cover to better reflect what the story is about. It's about two sisters, along with their half sister, who decide to return objects their dad stole from women he's been with. Their dad is a real jerk, and the main character, Quinn, has a hard time coming to terms with who her father really is, but she grows on their journey to return the objects to their rightful homes. Overall, it's an easy read, it's not great or profound, but it's not horrible.
November 5, 2010
The book is called The Secret life of Prince Charming, it’s written by Deb Caletti. This book is fiction, if you like a tiny bit of mystery, along with talking about love then this book is for you.
Personally I really liked this book. I didn’t love it because to me certain parts were boring and didn’t have enough details. I also didn’t love it because the ending left me with tons of questions. But overall it was very good! I really liked how she had details about people. And the surroundings were very detailed, to the point where it painted a picture in my mind. I also think I liked this book because it relates to my family in a way. My parents are also divorced like in the book, Sprout (Charlotte) and Quinns’ parents are also divorced. Also, my parents are much like Sprout and Quinns, they both live in different cities, and we have to travel to get to each house. My parents don’t talk to each other at all they talk through me. My mom always gives me tips about love just like Sprout and Quinns, because she has been heartbroken before.
In the beginning of the book, it talks about how Quinn and Sprout live with there mom, Aunt Annie and Grandma. Each one of them has been heartbroken but the mom is the one who has been hurt the most. There mom has big problems with love, she has been making a list of things on the fridge about relationships and what not to fall for. There mom and dad have a bad past because there dad cheated on there mom with a lady named Abigail Renfrew. Quinn is the type of girl who keeps to herself, and is a really bad liar, she confesses to everything! She is also trying to find “real love”. Since she found out that her boyfriend Daniel cheated on her with a new girl when she was at her dads house. Then as the book goes on Quinns dark side finally starts to show! And shockingly her and Sprout can keep a secret and sneak off. But are they really going to Disneyland with there dad or some other place? As Quinn is lying to her mother, she meets her step sister Frances Lee, and they go on an adventure of there own. When they are on this trip with Frances Lee her friend Jake comes along, because on there way they pass a place where he has a gig and he had no other ride. On this adventure, Quinn thought she was just going to give karma to somebody, but she ended up doing more than that. She fell deeply in love where sparks flew every time they touched! If this interests you then ready the book to find the little details out.
The author Deb Caletti, wrote this book because she made part of her life, but changed it to make it more exciting. For example, like her real parents are really divorced and it was hard for her. But mainly she wrote it to encourage younger people to read. I hope if you read this book you enjoy it.
Personally I really liked this book. I didn’t love it because to me certain parts were boring and didn’t have enough details. I also didn’t love it because the ending left me with tons of questions. But overall it was very good! I really liked how she had details about people. And the surroundings were very detailed, to the point where it painted a picture in my mind. I also think I liked this book because it relates to my family in a way. My parents are also divorced like in the book, Sprout (Charlotte) and Quinns’ parents are also divorced. Also, my parents are much like Sprout and Quinns, they both live in different cities, and we have to travel to get to each house. My parents don’t talk to each other at all they talk through me. My mom always gives me tips about love just like Sprout and Quinns, because she has been heartbroken before.
In the beginning of the book, it talks about how Quinn and Sprout live with there mom, Aunt Annie and Grandma. Each one of them has been heartbroken but the mom is the one who has been hurt the most. There mom has big problems with love, she has been making a list of things on the fridge about relationships and what not to fall for. There mom and dad have a bad past because there dad cheated on there mom with a lady named Abigail Renfrew. Quinn is the type of girl who keeps to herself, and is a really bad liar, she confesses to everything! She is also trying to find “real love”. Since she found out that her boyfriend Daniel cheated on her with a new girl when she was at her dads house. Then as the book goes on Quinns dark side finally starts to show! And shockingly her and Sprout can keep a secret and sneak off. But are they really going to Disneyland with there dad or some other place? As Quinn is lying to her mother, she meets her step sister Frances Lee, and they go on an adventure of there own. When they are on this trip with Frances Lee her friend Jake comes along, because on there way they pass a place where he has a gig and he had no other ride. On this adventure, Quinn thought she was just going to give karma to somebody, but she ended up doing more than that. She fell deeply in love where sparks flew every time they touched! If this interests you then ready the book to find the little details out.
The author Deb Caletti, wrote this book because she made part of her life, but changed it to make it more exciting. For example, like her real parents are really divorced and it was hard for her. But mainly she wrote it to encourage younger people to read. I hope if you read this book you enjoy it.
May 5, 2010
It's amazing really, what some people will fall for. Mr. Sensitive, the competitive jerk, the control freak, or the "dirty, rotten, liar" in the words of Dorothy Hoffman, Quinn's grandmother. Sometimes though, you never know about your mistake until you really get to know that person. In The Secret Life of Prince Charming, Quinn explores the world of not-so-perfect men, choices, and the complications of, well, someone who is NOT prince charming and someone who is.
This is my first Caletti book. I know, there must always be a "first" for everything, but I'm very sorry I didn't read one sooner. No, wait. If I had, I wouldn't have enjoyed this one so much! It was fun, had a creative plot, and a colorful set of characters––especially Quinn–– that made me really loved reading this book. It was a breath of fresh air from me to read a novel for teens that had some sort of maturity, a guideline, or a message told to you by someone with experience on this subject. And in a way, it was.
I really liked the way Caletti presented the story. Many people would dramatize it by making the adults shallow as possible, thrown in all kinds of so-called "average teenage stuff", and pull the normal "this is how a love story is" plot. Because of this, I am very hesitant when picking up books about "love stories" among teenagers because everything has gotten to be too cliche. Not so in Prince Charming; every bit of it was original, and even though you might suspect a few things to happen with Quinn, it was exciting to watch her discovery and her adventure unfold all while knowing that there is a good chance of a happy ending.
Another key concept to Caletti's writing with Prince Charming (and maybe in her other books as well) is humor. Realistic, everyday, family humor. Love that. It really makes the characters personalities go far. While showing you characters you could only wish you knew (like Quinn), you also meet some characters that make you cringe, like Berry, Quinn's father, the exotic, smooth-talking casanova that many women (too many) have fallen for. Again, very neat set of characters.
Overall, The Secret Life of Prince Charming was a fantastic story that teen girls would enjoy and appreciate the message of finding a real Prince Charming Caletti. Highly recommend to teens ages fourteen and up.
|Age Group: YA, ages 14+|Buy/Borrow?| Buy|
|Content: Some language and family drama;
will be more appealing to older teens|
|Recommend?| Yes
Courtesy of Books and Literature for Teens (booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com)
This is my first Caletti book. I know, there must always be a "first" for everything, but I'm very sorry I didn't read one sooner. No, wait. If I had, I wouldn't have enjoyed this one so much! It was fun, had a creative plot, and a colorful set of characters––especially Quinn–– that made me really loved reading this book. It was a breath of fresh air from me to read a novel for teens that had some sort of maturity, a guideline, or a message told to you by someone with experience on this subject. And in a way, it was.
I really liked the way Caletti presented the story. Many people would dramatize it by making the adults shallow as possible, thrown in all kinds of so-called "average teenage stuff", and pull the normal "this is how a love story is" plot. Because of this, I am very hesitant when picking up books about "love stories" among teenagers because everything has gotten to be too cliche. Not so in Prince Charming; every bit of it was original, and even though you might suspect a few things to happen with Quinn, it was exciting to watch her discovery and her adventure unfold all while knowing that there is a good chance of a happy ending.
Another key concept to Caletti's writing with Prince Charming (and maybe in her other books as well) is humor. Realistic, everyday, family humor. Love that. It really makes the characters personalities go far. While showing you characters you could only wish you knew (like Quinn), you also meet some characters that make you cringe, like Berry, Quinn's father, the exotic, smooth-talking casanova that many women (too many) have fallen for. Again, very neat set of characters.
Overall, The Secret Life of Prince Charming was a fantastic story that teen girls would enjoy and appreciate the message of finding a real Prince Charming Caletti. Highly recommend to teens ages fourteen and up.
|Age Group: YA, ages 14+|Buy/Borrow?| Buy|
|Content: Some language and family drama;
will be more appealing to older teens|
|Recommend?| Yes
Courtesy of Books and Literature for Teens (booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com)
July 13, 2015
I originally DNF this book a year or two ago, but something made me hold onto this book even after that. And I am not regretting that now because I really enjoyed this novel. It was a really interesting read and I managed to finish it in two days!
After Quinn discovers that her father has not only broken women's hearts but stolen pieces of them too, Quinn find the need to undo the wrongs that he's done. Along with Quinn's younger sister and half sister, they go on a roadtrip (yay for roadtrips!) to uncover the truth behind all the wrongs that their dad has done.
What I really appreciated about this novel is how nothing is sugar-coated. There was no cliché ideas about love, it was so down to earth and I almost felt like I was reading a self-help guide about love. As we follow Quinn, every so often, there are also narrations from other women in the novel: Quinn's mother, Aunt, Grandmother as well as her fathers past partners, all expressing their opinions about love. To their first love, what they looked for, what they should have seen, I felt like I was in a communal circle and it was a huge 'share our love disaster stories' with one another. But even with these fictional characters, I couldn't help but be baffled with the way that they spoke and how I related with them! How they have the same mindset as me. This was really what stood out the most for me when comparing it to other romance novels I've read.
I left the novel feeling really good about myself. I can't pinpoint why but the advice that fills this book is so reassuring and there are some awesome snippets of text throughout this book that I kept having to bookmark.
With this huge female empowerment, there was a lack of male characters and those who were there were either evil or was the love interest. By the end of the novel, if you don't want to slap Quinn's dad in the face, I think you've been reading a completely different novel. There is something creepy about the way that he functions, especially about the whole stealing business.
All in all, I found this book reassuring more than anything and the plot seemed to melt away as I focused myself on the advice the characters had to say with their personal choices. I wish the plot was a bit stronger so that I could rate this book higher.
I can't wait to pick up my next Caletti novel!
After Quinn discovers that her father has not only broken women's hearts but stolen pieces of them too, Quinn find the need to undo the wrongs that he's done. Along with Quinn's younger sister and half sister, they go on a roadtrip (yay for roadtrips!) to uncover the truth behind all the wrongs that their dad has done.
What I really appreciated about this novel is how nothing is sugar-coated. There was no cliché ideas about love, it was so down to earth and I almost felt like I was reading a self-help guide about love. As we follow Quinn, every so often, there are also narrations from other women in the novel: Quinn's mother, Aunt, Grandmother as well as her fathers past partners, all expressing their opinions about love. To their first love, what they looked for, what they should have seen, I felt like I was in a communal circle and it was a huge 'share our love disaster stories' with one another. But even with these fictional characters, I couldn't help but be baffled with the way that they spoke and how I related with them! How they have the same mindset as me. This was really what stood out the most for me when comparing it to other romance novels I've read.
I left the novel feeling really good about myself. I can't pinpoint why but the advice that fills this book is so reassuring and there are some awesome snippets of text throughout this book that I kept having to bookmark.
With this huge female empowerment, there was a lack of male characters and those who were there were either evil or was the love interest. By the end of the novel, if you don't want to slap Quinn's dad in the face, I think you've been reading a completely different novel. There is something creepy about the way that he functions, especially about the whole stealing business.
All in all, I found this book reassuring more than anything and the plot seemed to melt away as I focused myself on the advice the characters had to say with their personal choices. I wish the plot was a bit stronger so that I could rate this book higher.
I can't wait to pick up my next Caletti novel!
May 17, 2009
I've only read a few pages, but this book is really good so far. The author's writing style is different from all the others I've read, and yet it always makes sense. I read some of the funny parts out loud to my little sister last night, and she said she'd have to read it. I'm loving the idea that all of these women live in the same household together, and Gram is really funny. Sprout is cute. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this book! *UPDATE* I LOVE this book! I'm definitely reading all of the others book this author has written, I've never read any before. Frances Lee is my favorite character, she's really spunky, my favorite type of person. I love reading all of the lessons from the women in this, they're always so brilliant! Quinn annoys me a little. She puts so many restrictions on herself and the people around her, and she's really prejudiced against Jake. KARMIC QUESTS ROCK! I'm really excited for the last 100 pages! *UPDATE* I just went to Borders, and I got more books by this author! While it was a little hard to believe all of the characters would have such a deep understaning about the nature of love, that doesn't take away any of the enjoyment you'll get from this book! I especially loved the ending, it was PERFECT, especially the mention of the sunflower seeds and sea shells!
January 5, 2012
Cute story idea and well written, but it only got 3 stars from me because the author went too overboard on all the descriptions and lead-ins. The quest is what the book is all about, and it just took too long to get to it, which would've been fine if it the before part was filled with really great stuff, but it just wasn't.
The essays were cool, and surprisingly I didn't find it to be male-bashing... it was more like: know who you are first and beware of certain types of guys. Nothing wrong with that.
The characters were really great, quirky/funny/insightful... except the main character Quinn. Just being really overly nice isn't a good enough description for me... plus the book never really described what she looked like, I was having a hard time picturing her.
I found the romance in the book to be sweet and loved all the relationships the girls had with each other. Loved the message, just didn't really love all the rambling Quinn seemed to do in her head. I guess I really didn't realize there was so many ways to say men that hurt and take advantage of women are evil.
(...Bob of Big Boy riding in the back, LOVED THAT!)
It's not a book I would recommend, but if I wouldn't tell someone interested not to read it either.
The essays were cool, and surprisingly I didn't find it to be male-bashing... it was more like: know who you are first and beware of certain types of guys. Nothing wrong with that.
The characters were really great, quirky/funny/insightful... except the main character Quinn. Just being really overly nice isn't a good enough description for me... plus the book never really described what she looked like, I was having a hard time picturing her.
I found the romance in the book to be sweet and loved all the relationships the girls had with each other. Loved the message, just didn't really love all the rambling Quinn seemed to do in her head. I guess I really didn't realize there was so many ways to say men that hurt and take advantage of women are evil.
(...Bob of Big Boy riding in the back, LOVED THAT!)
It's not a book I would recommend, but if I wouldn't tell someone interested not to read it either.
February 28, 2009
“Where there is love, there is pain.” - Spanish Proverb. The ever practical good girl Quinn grew up in a household surround by women with broken hearts. Almost daily, she’s told cautionary tales by her grandmother, mother and aunt so she decides to play it safe. Her boyfriend is a nice boy - a good boy. Till she gets dump and wonders if there are no good men in the world. When she visits her father - a self-centered womanizer, she discovers that hearts are not the only thing he’s stealing. So she teams up with her half-sister, Frances Lee, and her younger sister on a journey to fix the damage her father wrought. To sum it up, a journey about love, family and sisterhood.
Another great story by Deb Caletti. It’s funny, whimsical and touching. Quinn’s family is hilarious to read about, especially her grandmother’s Internet obsession. The short stories interjected about the past loves of characters were fun to read and filled with love advice. I don’t what else to say except it is a wonderful read and Deb Caletti does not disappoint.
Another great story by Deb Caletti. It’s funny, whimsical and touching. Quinn’s family is hilarious to read about, especially her grandmother’s Internet obsession. The short stories interjected about the past loves of characters were fun to read and filled with love advice. I don’t what else to say except it is a wonderful read and Deb Caletti does not disappoint.
May 25, 2009
This is both an epic story and a lesson:
Quinn's father embodies Prince Charming. He's magnetic, electric, selfish, lazy, eccentric, egotistical, and clever. But what does Prince Charming do after he's stolen hearts?
He steals one object from each of the women he's been with, and tapes their name to the bottom. Quinn discovers this and goes on a karmic mission with her younger sister "Sprout" and the half sister she hardly knows, Frances, to right her father's wrongs. Along the way, she learns that if he doesn't treat you right, you end it. If you're wondering if it's right, it's not, because if it is, you're not hesitant. A refreshing message in this world of pair up pair up pair up and "Ladies, Put A Ring On It": to make sure he's worthwhile. To trust your intuition and not settle for second-best, to 55% like him or even 85% like him- to get that 100%
Quinn's father embodies Prince Charming. He's magnetic, electric, selfish, lazy, eccentric, egotistical, and clever. But what does Prince Charming do after he's stolen hearts?
He steals one object from each of the women he's been with, and tapes their name to the bottom. Quinn discovers this and goes on a karmic mission with her younger sister "Sprout" and the half sister she hardly knows, Frances, to right her father's wrongs. Along the way, she learns that if he doesn't treat you right, you end it. If you're wondering if it's right, it's not, because if it is, you're not hesitant. A refreshing message in this world of pair up pair up pair up and "Ladies, Put A Ring On It": to make sure he's worthwhile. To trust your intuition and not settle for second-best, to 55% like him or even 85% like him- to get that 100%
May 25, 2014
So out of all the books I have been reading this is the first one I will officially claim as DNF, I got to chapter 13 and just did not care to find out anymore, which I hate! I really wanted to like this book because as someone coming from a broken family, with a divorce that was terrible, and parents that still can not stand each other I wanted to love this book. First it took so long for me to get into the story, the author has such a beautiful way with words but that actually got in the way sometimes. I felt there was too much description of scenes and not enough actually dialogue. I did like some of the wisdom coming from the different women. It reminded me of the movie He's Just Not That Into You were the story is broken up by different people giving real life stories. I read some spoiler reviews and got enough i needed to know about how the book ends. =)
June 28, 2010
I must admit, I didn't really read the last 25 or so pages of the book, I only skimmed them. It was clear where the book was headed and I didn't feel like taking the time to read something I already knew. Perhaps, I'm trying to make up for lost time. I also liked The Six Rules of Maybe much better than this. In an attempt to learn more about her (mostly absent) father, Quinn embarks on a pilgrimage of sorts to give back items that he has taken from every woman in his life. If you like Sarah Dessen and other works by Deb Caletti, I suspect you will like this fairly well-written, yet predictable book.
April 3, 2014
In The Secret Life of Prince Charming Deb Caletti tells us the unique story of a girl who finds out a secret about her ambitious and self-centered father where she winds up on a road trip with her sister, half sister, and her half-sister's boyfriends brother, who, she might just have the hots for. Her journey teaches her lots of lessons, and though she didn't even really know what the trip was about to begin with, she came out a whole new person, and she understood what she really wanted. She also learned some things about her dad and the person close to her.
July 22, 2017
John Mayer quote aside I love her writing style so far. Not sure it is a YA topic really. more for adult women who can relate, looking back on being a teenager.
started out fine but became an endless misandrist (man hating) rant. I liked the two children but all the other characters were not likable. the whiny, disappointed women would have been unhappy with anyone. no one would have pleased any of them ever no matter what. the chapters about the two sisters were interspersed with the adult rants, which soon took over the story so I quit a few chapters in.
started out fine but became an endless misandrist (man hating) rant. I liked the two children but all the other characters were not likable. the whiny, disappointed women would have been unhappy with anyone. no one would have pleased any of them ever no matter what. the chapters about the two sisters were interspersed with the adult rants, which soon took over the story so I quit a few chapters in.
May 28, 2009
The story of a 17 year Quinn who is searching for the real story of the father she thinks she knows. Her father has left a trial of good women behind him and Quinn wants to know why.
She finds the family she was looking for closer than she thought. The women in the book give tips about life and men, some worth writing down.
I love Deb Caletti and recommend her to any teen wanting to read something more than angst novels.
She finds the family she was looking for closer than she thought. The women in the book give tips about life and men, some worth writing down.
I love Deb Caletti and recommend her to any teen wanting to read something more than angst novels.
May 14, 2010
This YA author tends to have great reviews and she's appealing to teen girls looking for a romantic title. This one, however, was overkill. The plot was slow and the ultimate message - being yourself, not choosing a relationship for a number of bad reasons - was overdone. I was groaning by the end the lesson was hammered home so intensely.
July 29, 2018
Couldn't even stomach finishing this. Too slow paced and couldn't relate to what the MC was going through. Wasn't even written well enough for me to sorta feel what the MC was going through. Also, didn't appreciate all the jabs towards the Christian community, not subtle at all. I was there for a good story (which didn't exist), not your bitter portrayal of people with a religion.
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