Just the Way You Are by Allison M Boot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a lovely modern day fairytale with a difference, in that the main character, the princess Misty Miles has a disability. Misty is the the princess of a faraway land known as Starryton and for twenty one years she has been in a tower and her disability and her wheelchair have been hidden from the kingdom. Her parents are worried that the monarchy will look weak and even though her parents have hidden her away to protect her it has left Misty feeling that she is unable to do anything. Misty’s Prince Charming, Derrick Denison is the prince of the neighbouring kingdom of Mooncrest and he’s a gifted dancer. Misty and Derrick have not actually ever met. To make things more complicated there has been a long running feud between Misty and Derrick’s families. The conflict caused the once beloved kingdom of Starrycrest to break apart into two separate kingdoms. Having realised that she must take matters into her own hands Misty visits a troll,
Trovella who is rumoured to grant wishes for a price. This wish sends the princess off on an exciting and dangerous adventure and in the process she battles her own self doubt and learns that she is far more capable than she ever imagined. As well as dealing with feuding families, a disability, and ensuring no harm comes to her or Derrick’s kingdoms, along the way Misty encounters a little girl with her own disability who is in need of a forever family of her own.
This is a fairly quick read but the author has packed so much into the pages of this young adult story and as an older adult I was absolutely hooked from page one. I found it both a lovely romantic story with plenty of action and also an inspiring read. The fact that the main character has a disability is sadly a rare thing in a book and this in itself makes Allison M. Boot’s novel unique. The author has written about the disability with such sensitivity and honesty that she has bought disability awareness to the reader along with a wonderful storyline and likeable, realistic characters. I was very impressed with this novel and I hope it makes other readers feel as empowered as the princess becomes in the story and educates young readers that disabilities do not need to hold a person back from fulfilling their potential.