Look, this isn't high-brow literature, but it’s the ultimate 'gateway drug' for getting teens to actually put down their phones and read.
It’s basically a soap opera set in a palace where the stakes are high but the content stays firmly in the 'safe for middle school' zone. The plot is a bit of a cliché—girl meets prince, girl is torn between prince and her secret hometown boyfriend—but Kiera Cass writes it with enough pace that you don't care.
It’s a great pick for kids who want something that feels sophisticated and romantic without you having to worry about them stumbling into anything too explicit. It’s fun, it’s dramatic, and honestly, it’s one of the few series that can actually compete with TikTok for a 13-year-old's attention span.