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The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale

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Editorial note: My wife is the reviewer for this one.

 Brief synopsis (no spoilers)
A young girl, ready to go home after a year in the main city of the kingdom is called away to be tutor for some "cousins" of the king for a year.

 Category
YA fiction (adventure, coming of age)
(setting: fictional world but like the 1600s in lifestyle/technology; that's my estimate - I'm terrible at history, so that could be off a couple hundred years)

 Why I chose this book
I read the first two books in the Princess Academy series by Shannon Hale

 My personal opinion (the review)
I loved it. I wasn't sure since sometimes follow up books don't impress me, but like other well-loved series, this one finished the previous 2 with a well-paced story with all my favorite elements, including a happy and good ending.

 Warnings
Language: none
Violence: some mild, but nothing my 11 year old shouldn't read
"Adult" situations: none
Death: only an unnamed character and characters previous to the book beginning

 Movie rating equivalent
PG

 Protagonist description
Miri - small, but strong in spirit, thoughtful and clever

 Point of view of story
3rd person 

 Book length
medium

 Story flow
well moving, not too fast to keep up with, but no lulls. Even calm times of book were filled with interesting description and desired information.

 Grammar and spelling issues
one duplicated word near the end

 Character connection (no spoilers)
I don't feel I'm "like" any of them, but I love Miri because of her determination. I also grew to love Sus (Susanna) for her see-right-through-the-situation and speak truth and wisdom.
For series:
Independent or integral (stand-alone or back story dependent)
It really does need the previous two to really get all the pieces.

 Series review as a whole
I loved the entire series. Each book added onto the previous, not taking away from the previous or overshadowing them.

 If you only have time for one, read: (which one)
Probably the first since these wouldn't have the same impact without the back story.

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