Young Adult Literature; Coming of Age; Romance
Young Adult Literature
Princess Academy is definitely the kind of story that is meant for younger audiences, especially because its protagonist is a scrappy fourteen-year-old girl. The story may presumably be about marriage, but most of the time we don't even see the prince—instead we see a bunch of young girls embracing knowledge and learning for the first time ever, and that's an awesome thing. The story is all about kids expanding their minds—just like you will when you read this book.
Coming of Age
As the main character, Miri definitely undergoes a transformation throughout the book. She starts off as a young girl who is frustrated by her size and the fact that she isn't allowed to go work in the quarries. As she goes through the academy and learns more about herself though, she comes to discover that her size doesn't matter and that she can still be a strong and contributing member of her community—just in a different way. She also discovers that she loves learning and doesn't want to be a quarry worker; she wants to devote her life to teaching others.
Romance
Since we're dealing with young teenagers, it's no wonder that any reference to romance is pretty awkward. Even though all of the girls are at the academy to win over Prince Steffan, they're all decidedly awkward when it comes to wooing and courtship; Britta—the only girl who has a history with Steffan—practically throws up whenever he's near. And Miri's relationship with Peder is filled with tension, misunderstandings, and missed opportunities. The two of them obviously like each other, but are afraid to show it until the very end.