The Princess Diaries: The Graphic Novel: A Full-Color Adaptation of the Classic Middle Grade Novel about a Surprise Princess, For Kids

The Princess Diaries Graphic Novels #1

by Meg Cabot, Bethany Crandall (Illustrator)

#1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot's hilarious classic The Princess Diaries is back and better than ever in an all-new, full-color graphic novel adaptation!

Mia Thermopolis is pretty sure there's nothing worse than being a five-foot-nine frizzy-haired freshman, who also happens to be flunking algebra.

Is she ever in for a surprise.

First, her mom announces that she's dating Mia's algebra teacher. But her dad's announcement is even he is the crown prince of Genovia, and guess what that makes Mia?

A frizzy-haired freshman who is flunking algebra, and also happens to be a PRINCESS.

Mia might not be ready for the throne, but one thing totally #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot has adapted her classic The Princess Diaries into a royally hilarious graphic novel with art by Bethany Crandall!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Comics, Fiction, Contemporary, Graphic Novels Comics

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2026

About the author

Librarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).

Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.

She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.

Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.

Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.


Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator

Reviews

[Yusra ❥]

This is the third media rendition I have consumed of the first Princess Diaries story, and I am conflicted. On one hand, I think this is a very relatable and funny story for 12 to 15-year-olds. But at the same time, I know it is technically shelved as Middle grade, which I just don't agree with. I think YA needs to split in half and only cater to 15+ while we create something new for 12 to 15-year-old readers (a lot of books already exist in this realm but sometimes get imo, miscategorised as MG). Anyways, the art was beautiful, and if I'm ignoring the story, which I equally liked and disliked at points (I think this book would be very entertaining and comforting to younger readers, but atp in my life I was a bit bored or was left feeling old for portions). As an adaptation, I think the illustrator did a great job, and old and new fans will probably appreciate this new addition to their collection.

[Mehsi]

I received this book from the publisher on Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.


I was super hyped for this one, I really liked the OG series (well, up to a point at least, haha), and I was excited to see how the GN would be. Sadly.. it wasn’t meant to be.

🤔 This one is marketed as 8+ (since MG is 8-12) and while for most that works.. these girls also talk about virginity, kissing, Michael is clearly just walking around half-naked to flirt with Mia. I think it would be more age appropriate to say 12/14+.
🤔 Mia is vegetarian but apparently her favourite food is blackened sea bass from Nobu? That really confused me. She was so adamant against meat, but this is good? Um?
🤔 The story felt very choppy and at times more like random bits rather than one story. At times I would have to go back to earlier pages to check if I hadn’t missed anything. The OG book felt more connected/more one flow. Oh, and there was one point that had me scratching my head. After the whole Lana Weinberger incident Michael and Mia talk about it, cue to the next day and Michael once again compliments her about it to which Mia replied if Lily was talking about her, um, he said things the day before Mia? Also her listing what is wrong in her life, he knows all of those things. I don’t know if it was said in jest, but it didn’t translate if that was the case.
🤔 Didn’t get why Mia would fall for Josh this badly when even a blind pony can see that he was only giving her attention because she is famous. It really got on my nerves how she would just forget everything and everyone (even Michael who was so sweet) as soon as Josh just blinked his eye lashes. Girl, please.
🤔 Mia’s transformation just felt way too fast given how she was so against things. At first we saw she was against it, being unhappy about having to put on make-up. Getting angry over the haircut. But due to the choppiness of the story the next moment she is seemingly OK with it. She never once rebels. Instead she keeps her hair as it is. She wears make-up. She wears high heels. Maybe it is the money her dad is bribing her with, but then at least I would have liked a bit more struggle, or her just foregoing things when at school, at least a little bit. Plus, I remember from the OG that she was quite awkward and I really missed that from this one.
🤔 Didn’t enjoy how the dad was semi-jealous of his ex dating a new guy. It was just a bit weird.
🤔 Sorry, but Boris what. If someone doesn’t want to sign your petition you don’t have to go all on about how you come from Russia, talk about the secret police, and privilege. She said no. That is it. She is free to express her opinion, you cannot force her to sign something.

😡 Grandmere can just fall of a cliff, what a horrendous character. She not only forces her granddaughter in impossible situations or outs her, but also forces her to eat meat. She has no care who Mia is, she just wants the princess. Sure, at times I could see a better grandmere, but for most? Nah.
😡 Lily was just horrendous and I don’t want her in the story. She constantly had something to say which isn’t bad if she actually would listen to the person on the other side. She doesn’t give a poop about someone’s opinions, hers is the number one and that is the one that counts 100%. She is toxic. And at times it also feels like she is just reciting things from the internet to feel good and more superior. Look at me knowing all these things. These fancy words (that seriously no 8-11 year will know). And let’s not begin to talk about how fucking horrible she is towards her boyfriend who I hope gains a backbone and just says NO for once, instead of whimpering in the fucking closet. Or how hard she ditched Mia and didn’t even care to listen to her.

What I think for me enhanced the dislike for these characters is because we can now actually see them, sure I am a visual reader but a graphic novel brings a whole new layer. We see Grandmere, we see Josh, we see Lily. We see their expressions. We see them move.

Now for some likes!

😍 I really liked the art! It was such a fun style, lots of colours, expressions, and it brought people and the story to life.
😍 Michael x Mia forever.
😍 Tina was such a sweetheart, I love how she was there for Mia and how quickly they became friends.
😍 I did love that Mia had such a strong personality. And that she wasn’t going to let a girl like Lana walk over her. I was actually rooting for her to just get her back.
😍 Fat Louie is such a cutie!
😍 I love the addition of the diary pages!

But all in all, this was a disappointment for me.

Review also posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Amber Kestner]

I've read Princess Diaries the whole Series multiple times in my life. I've watched both movies more times than I can count. I didn't expect the Author to get connection to make a graphic novel, now that blew my mind when I heard about it. Yes, the graphic novel is different from both the original series and the movies but it will always be my favorite.

I will not spoil anything but if you love Mia then you must pick it up. It's worth a quick read.

[Stephanie P (Because My Mother Read)]

I received a free copy of this book for review.

I am a bit conflicted on this one! Parts I loved and parts didn’t feel like they worked as well.

I adored this movie growing up but I was always scared to read the books because I was afraid they would be super different. But when this graphic novel adaption came out I thought it would be a fun and quick way to explore the original story a little more. Some parts were extremely close to the movie while others very different. The movie definitely Disney-fied the grandmother and the father (surprise to me that he was alive in this version!) and it was harder to read them as characters I don’t like much when I loved the grandma in the movie.

This graphic novel seems to be marketed towards the middle grade audience but I would categorize it as YA. It feels more like a teen story and while there’s nothing explicit on page it definitely implies side (adult) characters having sex and the characters talk about losing virginity.

[Kim]

Meg Cabot is back with a graphic adaption of her Novel Princess Diaries.
I found this graphic so fun and nostalgic. I really appreciated that Cabot left in the late 90 and early 2000 cultural references from the original novel rather than updating them to fit current trends. It made the book feel like a blast from the past and like I was rereading the original for the first time.

[RaspberryRoses]

(ive never watched the movie or read the books, fwiw)

Art style is cute as a button, but the storytelling here really did not work for me - I can't tell you if it's a problem in adaptation or a problem with the source material. So many plot points just feel poorly executed - the Josh plotline in particualr was just awful.

[Bailey McBride]

I need the next one immediately

[Nadia]

Picked up this Graphic Novel purely out of nostalgia and my love for The Princess Diaries film.

I thought this was just going to be a really kid friendly book but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t shy away from alot of mature topics which was incredibly refreshing. You have the classic plot of the film that obviously plays out but we have a class of characters added in that we don’t see in the films and a different take to Clarisse. All in all such a fun, nostalgic read that I simply couldn’t put down till the end~!

I’m off to rewatch The Princess Diaries films AGAIN~! 💕

[JJ]

This was adorable! Definitely need to rewatch the movie now.

[Janine]

I’ve never read the original The Princess Diaries books, but am very familiar with the 2001 film adaptation directed by Garry Marshall, and aware of some of the changes (mainly the setting switch from NYC to San Francisco). So seeing a graphic novel accurate to the original novels was a treat and I ate up this graphic novel experience with great characters and plot, and lots of deep lessons.

To start with, I love that instead of setting the book in the 2020’s, they kept it to the original Y2K time period of the series, starting with 1997. Every choice adds to that feel of that era, from the art style, references to then-current events (like Princess Diana’s death) and early internet chatroom etiquette. If you were around for those times, you pick up on these things fast.

Mia Thermopolis is a high school freshman and wears her activism on her sleeve. Her mom gives her a diary to write her thoughts in. Which makes her perfect for the bombshell that she’s a princess of a small country, which on the surface, clashes with her ideas. Mia was a great character choice to wind up as a princess, as she’s forced to learn that being a princess is much more than it seems, and it’s about standing up for one self and being able to change the world in her own way. She’s easy to root for as she realizes several things about her life and about friendships and early stages of romance.

The rest of the cast was really great, each with their own quirks and personalities, and I enjoyed Grandmere, and I liked Tina (who wasn’t in the movie). It made the world of NYC in the late 90’s whole.

The plot itself is rather simple: girl becomes princess, gets princess lessons and navigates life as a princess, along with high school.The pacing’s great and doesn’t just sit on one thing for too long. The themes were well done, with the whole coming of age self discovery, toxic friendships, and standing up for one’s self, all important for teens and adults.

I love the art style, it’s very expressive and has a manga-esque feel to it, especially feeling like it could have come out in that Y2K period. I especially liked the full page of Mia’s makeover, where it was much more fitting than in the movie (no curly hair to tame). It’s colorful and just perfect for my eyes.

If you haven’t experienced the series, and even if you have, please pick this up! This was a grand experience, and I can’t wait to read more!

*I received an ARC from Netgalley and HarperAlley. All opinions are my own.*

[Kerry Goodwin]

Publishers shouldn't market a book as ages 8+ when it talks about sex and losing your virginity. I am a librarian in a state that allows librarians and booksellers to face criminal misdemeanor or felony charges and potential jail time for distributing materials deemed harmful to minors, so I think publishers should be more honest about the material in the book. Luckily, I preread it before putting it on the shelf.

[Ann]

As a huge Meg Cabot Stan for like 23+ years I obviously had to read this as ASAP as possible. This book adapted SO WELL into a graphic novel and I’m so impressed by it!

Since the book is told in Mia’s journal entries it naturally goes into graphic format well when we see Mia’s listicles and such.

Most importantly so much of the nuance of the hilarity of the book is transferred over. We see the manhattan Mia grew up with complete with creepy guy who pretends to be blind so women will help him cross the street, we see grandmeres cup over following with sidecars, we see the underlying theme of a 14 year old trying to self-actualize.

I already preordered my copy and my nieces copies, Thanks for the galley!

[Calley]

NOT for kids. Terrible marketing this for children. This is a teen book not grade school as it’s clearly marketed for. Super disappointed in the publisher and for it being categorized as 8 and up at most online retailers. Ridiculous.

[Kayla]

This was okay- way different from the movie, which I wasn't expecting! The art was spectacular, plot plot felt chopped up in places. Dare I say I like the changes they made in the movie?

[Sam]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

As someone who grew up with The Princess Diaries movie, this graphic novel adaptation was a fun dose of nostalgia. The story still centers around Mia discovering who she is and learning to embrace the person she is meant to become, even when life suddenly becomes much more complicated than she expected. While I can’t compare it directly to the original novel, it felt true to the spirit of the story I remembered.

The artwork was absolutely beautiful and was one of the biggest highlights for me. The illustrations had a style that felt almost Japanese-inspired, with expressive characters, bright colors, and plenty of personality. The graphic novel format made the story incredibly approachable, and honestly, I don’t think I would have finished it as quickly in a traditional novel format. I read the entire book in a single sitting.

One thing I would note for parents is that this is firmly a teen YA story despite the cute art style and princess-themed cover. The illustrations may look younger, but the book includes discussions about dating, relationships, sex, and growing up. My least favorite character was Mia’s best friend, while I found Tina much easier to connect with. Overall, this was an enjoyable adaptation that balanced humor, heart, and nostalgia.

Who Should Read This? Fans of The Princess Diaries, readers looking for a nostalgic YA graphic novel, and teens who enjoy coming-of-age stories with friendship, romance, and plenty of awkward moments. Adults who grew up with the movie will likely enjoy revisiting Mia’s story in this format as well.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews]

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Alley for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Whoa whoa whoa! As someone who was an adult when the original Princess Diaries book came out, my only familiarity with it is the Garry Marshall-directed movie starring Dame Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway. My mind was blown by how different the book and movie were. (I know, I know, books are almost always better.)

I absolutely loved the illustrations. They pop and convey a lot, much like the graphic novel versions of The Babysitters Club. Slightly Japanese-inspired, yet slightly “normal” graphics, too. I loved the color palette that drew my eyes in to notice fun little details in the drawings.

For those that read The Princess Diaries when they were tweens (because the book is definitely YA material for its discussion of dating and sex), this is a nostalgic look back at a book series that has captured several generations of fans.

[emily grace🪽]

I went into this fully expecting a "family friendly", disney-esque version of the princess diaries, so I would like to take a moment to formerly apologize to the publisher and everyone involved for not giving them enough credit!

This is such a fantastic graphic novel adaption. They don't impress me often but this one did. If you loved the original book, pick this up ASAP! Everything to love about the princess diaries is in here and it was so fun to revisit it in a new way. The drawings of these characters (and their pets) made me so happy, they're all so cute! And the humor is there, which was probably the most important thing for me. Even some of the more mature topics are present as well, which really surprised me (in the good way!)

I love that this will introduce a whole new group of young readers to Mia and the princess diaries series. 🤍
I am now praying they continue to adapt the series. This was all around delightful.

[Rachel]

Ugh, this was not meant for me, a 33-year-old. Know that before I wind up.

This was a pretty faithful adaptation of the novel with manga-influenced art. The candy color palette and the overly simple and overly spacious interiors took me out of the realism and out of New York City, and the boys looked so Bieber-y!

I don’t feel like anything super scandalous was done with the characters or anything, but as a hardcore Princess Diaries reader, this was always going to be a tough sell. Having such a rich personal history with the novels, which are completely comprised of Mia’s inner thoughts, made this feel like a mouthful of cotton candy when I’m used to a steak: sweet and fun, but not nearly as satisfying.

[Hannah Burke]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’sBooks for an ARC of this book!

If you enjoyed The Princess Diaries novel by Meg Cabot, you will love this graphic novel! Sometimes graphic novels can remove too much out of the story, but I didn’t feel like that with this story. It added so much to the storyline and characters with great use of artwork, facial expressions, and kept to the original humor of the story. This book does have some advanced ideas and concepts that elementary or even middle grade girls won’t appreciate so it may be more geared for teenagers.

I really enjoyed Bethany Crandall’s illustrations and design work on the pages. They really came to life and this was the perfect book to adapt to a graphic novel. I am hoping they adapt more of Meg Cabot’s books and I’m looking forward to reading this with my daughter in the future!

[Tori DeFazio]

I didn’t think I could love the Princess Diaries more but the graphic novel version is just simply iconic. It’s the Princess Diaries story that I love filled with gorgeous artwork that just enhances it in every way. 5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Princess Diaries: The Graphic Novel.

[Dinnu Reads Books]

I love that this is solely based on the books and not the movies. Don't get me wrong, I love the movies but the books have a special place in my millennial heart! It wasn't 100% one-on-one adaptation but it had the heart and sweetness and it was mostly intact. The art was so cute and Grandmère was exactly as I pictured her (and soooo not the Julie Andrews kind of grandmother) 😅🥰

[Ashley Adams]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers. I loved the original series and this being the graphic novel made it so fun to read! It was an easy read, very enjoyable. I hope there are more to come because I will definitely be reading them all.

[Leah Martin]

I loved this so much. It gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings that I had when I read the original book. They did a great job of making a diary entry book into a graphic novel. I really hope they do the full series this way. I loved every bit ❤️

[Kate Love]

I love the original and the movie more than this graphic novel. Not saying I didn't like it, just didn't love it. Only took me an hour or two to read through it. It deters from the original a bit so maybe that's why I didn't like it🤔😮‍💨🤷🏼‍♀️😅💖 Life is too short to keep reading books that don't catch your attention or just not liking😮‍💨😅💖

[rachel]

ok so i reached the end and didn’t even realize it so i fear i will be needing the rest of this series adapted into a graphic novel!!

[Whitney Gill]

The illustrations in this were just so charming. Such a fun bit of nostalgia. Can’t wait for the next one!

[Ellen]

This translated really well to the graphic novel format, but it lost a little of the book’s charm.

[BraeLee Shelton]

Was this for kids? Yes. Do I care? No! I’ve always loved the princess diaries series so I had to read this. I had some Y2K hits playing in the background while enjoying it too.

[Evan Whitlock]

I started with low expectations after some other disappointing adaptations, but this one did not disappoint!

[Jade Woods]

Loved the story, I've never read the full length novel and now I want too. I didn't love the art for Lily, but liked Mia's and Michael's. Gramma was crazy and I loved it.