Customer Reviews

Almost Alice

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been reading the Alice series since I (and Alice) was twelve. I'm now 25 and Alice is just 16, but I still rush out to the bookstore as soon as a new book is released to find out what Alice and her friends and family are up to.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. The first half to three-quarters of the story is a bit slow-moving. To me, it has the same problem that some of the other recent Alice releases have had - it reads like a recital of somewhat mundane everyday events that don't add much substance to the theme of the book or move any of the characters' storylines forward very much. I have found many (though not all) of the books released in the last several years lacking in the same humor, wit, and warmth that I enjoyed so much in the books about Alice's middle school years, and this book unfortunately did not recapture that magic for me.

The story does pick up near the end with a shocking event that had me reading as fast as I could and dying to see what would happen (I will refrain from giving away significant details here, but read on with caution if you don't want to know anything at all). While this portion of the book was very exciting, I ended up feeling a little let down by the resolution of this storyline. I felt the author took the easy way out by having a character's decision essentially made for her. I really would have liked to see that character have to deal with the situation more and have to figure things out for herself instead of having it wrapped up so quickly. It was a decision that really could have carried over to the next book and been more of an ongoing plotline, but by resolving it so quickly it feels more like the author is just issuing a convenient "warning" against certain behaviors without taking the opportunity to delve more deeply into the character and what the situation might mean for her.

I was also disappointed by the minimal interaction shown between Alice and her family in this book. Scenes between Alice, her father, and Lester have always been the heart of the Alice books for me, and this installment was really lacking in this regard. I am especially disappointed by Alice's lack of interaction with her stepmother, Sylvia. Throughout the majority of the series, Alice longed for a stepmother and tried pretty hard to get Sylvia and her dad together. It seems that ever since they finally did get married, Alice rarely has any meaningful moments with the stepmother she longed for so much. The book just before this one, "Dangerously Alice," at least included some conflict between Alice and Sylvia, and I was hoping this book would continue to develop their relationship. But sadly, there isn't much of anything between the two in this book. Alice's dad appears perhaps even less, and Lester only pops up a few times. I really miss the funny conversations that used to be held so often at the McKinley dinner table.

All in all, the book was decent and I enjoyed reading the newest chapter of Alice's life. There are some funny moments and situations as well as some exciting and shocking ones, but I feel like a lot more could have been done here. I don't want an Alice book to be just a recital of quickly wrapped up events; I want more deep characterization and more meaningful plots that will be carried on to later books. "Dangerously Alice" was a step in that direction, I felt, but this newest installment wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

I must say that I was terribly disappointed by this book. The Alice books have always been one of my favorite series. I love Naylor's witty writing and honest outlook. Although I think the series has been going downhill since Simply Alice (the last book of Alice's freshman year), I was willing to give this book a shot. However, Alice readers beware: the first three quarters of the book were even a bit tedious to get through, and it recalled a lot of conversations rather than being set in the present. I was impressed when Naylor introduced a believable predicament and subjected her character to the consequences, but was then infuriated when Naylor suddenly solved the problem in a completely unlikely way. And for those readers (like I) who were looking forward to the story of the prom with Alice and Patrick, that didn't live up to my expectations either... However, this book had its good points, and if you're a faithful Alice reader, you should probably read it. But you might end up more disappointed than you think.

I didn't grow up with these books, as I somehow missed them when they first came out, but I did discover them in library school. I read the first 20 books in about 3 months a couple of years ago, and I was completely hooked. The early books were funny, realistic, touching, and well-rounded with great characters. Naylor seemed to really have an ear for preteen and young teen dialog and situations. I was so impressed with the series that I quickly caught up with its publication and have spent the last 2 years eagerly awaiting the publication of the two newest titles.

Unfortunately, as with Dangerously Alice, and as other reviewers have said here, I was disappointed with Almost Alice. There was hardly any conflict at all (except for the last 50 pages, which, as others have mentioned, was tied up a bit too easily), and Naylor seems to have lost her ear and eye for teen situations. While the earlier Alice books were lively and believable, this one dragged and did not ring true. At all. I have a hard time imagining an entire high school of kids in 2008 becoming totally obsessed with the culture of Li'l Abner. It's almost as if Naylor is starting to actively tone down her edginess as Alice ages - when she should be doing the opposite. I also am irritated and mystified by the lack of interaction portrayed between Alice and her stepmother Sylvia. This seems like it should be the crux of the series at this point. But instead, Sylvia is relegated to a background character. And Alice's relationship with Lester, while always cute and heartfelt, felt silly and ridiculous here. What high school junior and her friends are going to decide it would be funny to decorate her own BROTHER'S car with love notes on Valentine's Day to take his mind off his studies? This isn't 1955.

Teens look up to Naylor. I've seen her website. She responds to their email questions, and her answers are usually smart, to the point, and tell it like it is. I only wish that side of her came out more in the latest Alice titles. It almost seems like she's letting a very conservative editor wield a red pen a little too freely. I will keep on reading this series, but it really needs to improve.

(SPOILERS MENTIONED) I'm thirty years old and have loved Alice dearly since I was ten. Each early summer now brings a great sense of anticipation for the new Alice book. Every time the new one comes in the mail I sit down and read it all the way through. The past couple of years though, I put the book down when I'm finished and think, "that's it?"
So many of us have long awaited the Patrick and Alice reunion. What a flop. He asks her to the prom six months in advance, they hang out at the after prom, he gives her a smooch and reminds her again how he's leaving for college in a few weeks. BO-RING. Alice was quick to get physical with people like Tony and Sam, but Patrick, who she has known since she was 11, has barely made it past a chaste kiss.
How could Pamela be having sex and not even tell her two best friends? They've been upset with each other in the past for not telling every intimate detail, and now she's the first to go all the way and doesn't even mention it. Instead we throw in a suprise pregnancy that ends quite conveniently, all wrapped up in a nice little package.
I hate to see Alice always being such a goody goody. She never seems to have a snide thing to say. Even regarding Amy Sheldon, who has embarrassed her numerous times. Is anyone really that tolerant? The closest she ever came to sounding "real" in the past four-five books is trying to get back at Penny for stealing Patrick by not inviting Penny to her dad's wedding? Sheesh. The Alice I grew up with was a lot more opinionated.
One last thing.....where the heck is Lester?! I understand he's older and has moved out but we could do more than throw him a few token lines. He's been in college since the Agony of Alice, its time to move on!

I'm a big fan of the Alice series and reread my favorites often. Almost Alice is one I won't go back to.

The writing is vague and often summarizes events instead of letting you feel you're really there. Here's an example: "The funniest act, though, was the one the three directors-- Mr. Ellis, Mr. Gage, and Miss Ortega-- put on. The two men played guitars, and Miss Ortega wore a long silky tunic and a blond wig with bangs. They pretended to be the folksinger trio Peter, Paul, and Mary, popular back in the sixties. They sang 'Puff, the Magic Dragon' but completely overacted, which made us howl with laughter."

Reading this, there's nothing to make me howl with laughter, or even crack a smile, because I'm just told that they "completely overacted."

This is also an example of the non-contemporary or out-of-touch feel of this book, especially compared to earlier books in the series. High school kids getting into Li'l Abner? Or get this-- the prom after-party is back at school, run by parents, and the music is A HONKY-TONK PIANO PLAYING RAGTIME, but it's "the place to be" after prom shuts down? Dream on.

The author seems to be running from real conflict or drama. The school has a Gay-Straight Alliance, but there's no reaction to Alice's involvement except a couple of smirks. Most stupidly, a character gets pregnant at seventeen and there is almost no discussion of abortion. After Alice and her friends have talked about all sorts of sex matters, this was unbelievable and just plain cowardly.

If the rest of the series is going to be like this, I'd just as soon we didn't follow Alice through the rest of her high school career. My interest in the characters from past books carried me through, and that's why this review is two stars instead of one. But the author needs to focus on real situations and see-it-happen detail, instead of narrating a conflict-free, dreamy summary of a nice girl's nice time in her nice life.

In this installment of the long-running series, protagonist Alice McKinley is a high school junior, busy with all the usual concerns of a 16-year-old -- balancing school with a social life and finding time for family.

Those familiar with the character from earlier volumes will note a clear difference in Alice's maturity. While she's still the same fun-loving, sociable girl, at 16 Alice worries less about social gaffes and things beyond her control, choosing instead to focus on her future, the rebuilding of a relationship with her ex-boyfriend Patrick, and being supportive of her longtime best friends, Pamela, Elizabeth and Gwen.

While readers will no doubt be glad to learn more about Alice as she continues to navigate her way through high school, getting updates on everyone from her dad and new stepmother's marriage to Pamela's family issues to secondary characters such as Lori and Leslie, much of the depth of previous Alice books is missing here, as Naylor seems to almost be creating a laundry list of activities as if for Alice's college admissions. While it's certainly admirable to depict Alice as an independent young woman who enjoys being active in the world around her, there are many sections of the book which read as almost just a list of school extracurricular schedules, as opposed to a meatier storyline of some sort. There is almost no focus, for example, on Alice's relationship with her parents and older brother, who factored largely in other books, except to mention them in passing. This is rather disappointing.

I started reading the Alice series in middle school and have waited patiently for the new books in the last few years. I think that Alice has gotten a lot less real. She used to be a fun character who did embarrassing things, but lately she's just been the good foil for the trouble that other characters get into. Her escapades are mild and often solved by talking with her father. She makes mostly good decisions, in contrast with Pamela, who is the "wild girl." Alice is a great role model, but no longer a convincing character.

It's hard to say when the series started to take a dive downward, but this book is the most obvious proof that I have that the Alice series just isn't what it used to be. I have been reading the Alice series since I was in 5th grade. I am now about to graduate high school. I enjoyed growing up with Alice because I could relate with her, but now, I'm finding the stories bland. It's at the point now that I don't even bother to buy them. I just sit in the bookstore, skim through them, and leave. This book was no exception. I will continue to read them, but the Alice series is pretty much over for me now.

I love the Alice series because it is so true to how adolescents think and react to things. There are a few times in this book that did not seem to fit an adolescent mind, but over all I liked it. I agree with other reviewers that one part of the plot was resolved too easily (and I would have like more about prom).

Alice continues the second semester of her junior year. She looks forward to going to senior prom with her old friend (and boyfriend) Patrick. She has new opportunities in journalism class as her role for the newspaper changes. And she remains a good friend to Liz (who breaks out of her shy mold to do something new), to Molly (with leukemia) and to Pamela (who has a problem that is new to them all).

I have been reading the "Alice" series for as long as I can remember. I first began in seventh grade when I picked up one copy by accident and I have been hooked ever since. Each year, I look forward to a new addition and I can honestly say that despite what others have written, I loved it and was not let down by any means.

First, I loved how Naylor began by incorporating Patrick back into the mix. While he has always remained a character in all of her novels, he took on more of a role and I really appreciated that. Also, it showed Alice to be growing up because even though Patrick was back in the mix, Alice continued to keep her dating options open. (I don't want to give away too much information!)

Second, I loved how Naylor put a spin on both Pamela and Elizabeth. Both characters are fairly predictable and this novel showed that they can go against the norm, especially in the chapter, "Stupefyin' Jones". It is nice to see one character calming down, and one character breaking out of her shell. (I don't want to give away too much information!)

Finally, Naylor took a risk and included an issue that most teens never want to face, especially at their young age. And no, I don't think that Naylor used an easy way out to solve the problem. It is definitely something that can occur and I liked how Naylor handled it. I think that it sends kids a message that they need to be careful and not everyone will have the same result. (Again, I don't want to give away too much information!)

Overall, this was an amazing book and everyone needs to remember the age group that Naylor is gearing this novel towards teens. While I began reading this series when I was thirteen and am now twenty-six, I always remember that it is gears towards teens, and does not always have to make perfect sense to an adult like me. It is a great book and I think everyone should read the Alice series, including teens and adult together.

*** I also want to mention that I read the bulk of this novel in one night because I could not put it down! :-)