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Reviewed by: Emily McFarlane, Elementary School Librarian Title: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich Author: Deya Muniz Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 9-12 Genre/Type of Book: Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Crossdressing/Trans main character, LGBTQIA+ representation Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: Recommended by Goodreads related to "Basil and Oregano" If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: Is cheese enough to stick these two together?
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Review:
All I can do is screech and smile and kick my feet over how cute this was.
Lady Camembert does NOT want to marry... a man, anyway. Her father is about to pass on and due to the inheritance laws, she cannot inherit his wealth or lands without a husband. Together, they concoct a scheme to set Lady Camembert up as Count Camembert in the capitol city, where Cam meets the Princess Brie after a splashy "No Furs" Ball. Instantly, they hit it off and start planning events together, along with Brie's friends Gorgonzola and Ricotta. When they develop feelings for each other, things get complicated. Will Cam be able to protect her secret and still be able to stay with Brie? Will Brie still like Cam even if she finds out?
This book is a 10/10 on the everything scale! Gorgeous art, beautiful colors, adorable story, great humor, and all the cheese jokes. I was invested immediately and it carried through the whole story. The third-act conflict felt EARNED and was resolved beautifully, with humor. I didn't find myself bored at any point in this story, and just wanted to see what happened next!
I love the art style. It's unique and each character really pops off the page. They all had distinct styles and color palettes which made it really easy to tell them apart. The main cast was mostly white characters, with one POC as Princess Brie's friend. I would have liked more diversity in the cast, but the gender issue/LGBTQIA+ rep was the focal point here. Also, the lead characters are heavily based on the author and her wife, so it was somewhat biographical! I actually squeaked at the end of the story because it was SO lovely. This was just such a delight to read.
I think graphic novel fans will definitely love this one, especially from the title and the cover. It was not obvious at first that both characters are AFAB, so even some regular rom-com/romance readers might scoop it up at first glance. It could be a great addition to the discussion around gender identity, as Cam seems to be on the gender fluid spectrum. She never identifies one way or the other explicitly, but wishes only to live a life where she can dress and live however she wants. Obviously both masculine and feminine pronouns are used to refer to Cam throughout the story, and Cam doesn't much mind one way or the other as long as she can be with Brie. At the end, there is a reveal that pushes my opinion of Cam's choice into one camp vs. the other, but it would still be a great book for gender nonconformity discussions. It would also be useful in discussions about changing the status quo, reforming government, and revolutionary ideas.
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For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website