Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot - Book Review

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot is a lighthearted story about Lizzie Nichols, who moves to England to live with a boy she knew for one day at college. Not surprisingly, he doesn’t turn out to be quite who she remembered, and she treks across Europe in search of other friends. The title refers to Lizzie’s tendency to babble, and she struggles to keep from telling other people too much. Queen of Babble is a quick and easy read, perfect for an afternoon at the beach.

Meg Cabot is best known for the Princess Diaries novels, but she also writes to an older audience, and Queen of Babble may be her best adult effort so far. Lizzie Nichols is a likable heroine, and her narration is noticeably babbling from the start. Fashion is a running theme throughout the book, and brief nuggets on fashion history separate the chapters. Cabot’s descriptions of vintage clothing will appeal to those in the know.

Unlike many chick lit heroines, she’s already wooed the cute British boy, lost the pounds she felt made her unattractive, and graduated from college. But the boy turns out to be a dud, and she learns that since she didn’t write a thesis she hasn’t graduated after all. The cast of characters she meets as she tries to pull her life together—a handsome, kind stranger, his manipulative girlfriend, and various others—provoke her to spill all sorts of secrets. Fans of Cabot’s books for younger readers should be aware that Queen of Babble features sexual descriptions.

The plot twists are hardly unpredictable, but Cabot still manages to create enough suspense to keep the reader turning the pages. If you’re looking for a light and enjoyable book, the kind that keeps you so engrossed you’re not aware of how long you’ve been reading, then Queen of Babble is right for you. Readers seeking more to sink their teeth into might not be as satisfied.