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yarnmouse's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Good character focused book. Not a ton of plot but still very fun. Was pretty relatable but I was raised around the time period this took place.
lamlab's review against another edition
3.0
"a remarkable combination of obsessive busywork and near-catatonic sloth."
Well, that neatly sums up my life.
Well, that neatly sums up my life.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very funny book. Alice has been traumatized by her hippie/homeschooled upbringing, but remains objective and believes the future may be better. She has a younger brother who is smart and normal and fits in, but she is ever the outsider as she negotiates all the obstacles every adolescent faces while growing up. Her comments on life and culture are hilarious and not restricted to others. Alice has a checklist of "life goals" that she works at and sees her visits to her counselor as a way to boost his self esteem.
The reader of the playaway version does a terrific job with pacing and inflection and Alice is never boring.
The reader of the playaway version does a terrific job with pacing and inflection and Alice is never boring.
yabetsy's review against another edition
4.0
When Alice was an imaginative little girl enamored of The Hobbit, her well-meaning but inept New Age parents allowed her to start school dressed in full Hobbit regalia, complete with a peaked green cap. NOT the smart thing to do. The years of homeschooling and therapy didn’t help that much. Now that Alice is 15, she has just managed to give one counselor a breakdown and has acquired a new one (Death Lord Bob) who has some new ideas for her. She’s now going to start Public High School, try for a job, a new haircut, and all this with mom (still in her granola phase) and dad (trying to write bodice rippers.)
This book received mostly 4 and 5 stars out of 5 from my teen reviewers (including people from Smithers and homeschooled teens.) Can't we all use more funny books? Check out the 2004 BBYA reviews on seeme4books.com for the reviews.
This book received mostly 4 and 5 stars out of 5 from my teen reviewers (including people from Smithers and homeschooled teens.) Can't we all use more funny books? Check out the 2004 BBYA reviews on seeme4books.com for the reviews.
lilyevangeline's review against another edition
4.0
I actually laughed out loud multiple times. That's what gets it to 4 stars for me in the end.
As a book about a girl who was homeschooled, I just knew I had to read it. Granted, hippie homeschooling is pretty different from conservative religious homeschooling, but the one thing they have in common is producing children who are chronically slightly out of step with the rest of culture. Alice's anxieties, goals, perspectives, and insights into the people around her were wry and hilarious, sometimes cynical, but not mean-spirited like many journal-type YA novels are. And at the end of the day, she's just trying to find a place for herself in the world, like all the rest of us are.
There is basically no plot. It's unclear if any great breakthrough is ever reached. But you end the book feeling like you've got a truly wonderful glimpse into Alice and her family and the various odd-balls who populate Smithers. Entirely too much fun.
As a book about a girl who was homeschooled, I just knew I had to read it. Granted, hippie homeschooling is pretty different from conservative religious homeschooling, but the one thing they have in common is producing children who are chronically slightly out of step with the rest of culture. Alice's anxieties, goals, perspectives, and insights into the people around her were wry and hilarious, sometimes cynical, but not mean-spirited like many journal-type YA novels are. And at the end of the day, she's just trying to find a place for herself in the world, like all the rest of us are.
There is basically no plot. It's unclear if any great breakthrough is ever reached. But you end the book feeling like you've got a truly wonderful glimpse into Alice and her family and the various odd-balls who populate Smithers. Entirely too much fun.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
2.0
the book was okay. she seemed a bit neurotic ~ more than a usual teen. I tried to chalk it up to her lack of social experience ~ but does every girl meet a strange guy and instantly start thinking about her co-dependency and whether or not she just accepted a request for marriage by saying he could call her.
There were some genuinely funny parts, and for that it was an okay read.
There were some genuinely funny parts, and for that it was an okay read.
readingtheskyline's review against another edition
1.0
Honestly, I really disliked this book. The synopsis sounded so interesting to me but by page 30 I became extremely bored. The only reason I finished the book was because I was trying to finish a Readathon. I don't like having to muscle through my books to finish them and that's all this book was to me.
The only thing I liked about it was that sometimes Alice's writing sounded like my 13 year old self who used to write in diaries. I'm excited to spend my time reading other books that are more worth my time, though I liked the idea of this book it just didn't go in the direction that I was expecting.
The only thing I liked about it was that sometimes Alice's writing sounded like my 13 year old self who used to write in diaries. I'm excited to spend my time reading other books that are more worth my time, though I liked the idea of this book it just didn't go in the direction that I was expecting.
jodiegervais's review against another edition
3.0
An easy, interesting read about a 15-year old girl named Alice. Some parts were laugh out loud funny. The reason I did not rate the book higher is because I felt like the ending left me wanting more answers.
marisamoo's review against another edition
2.0
I feel bad giving it two stars but to me it was just ok.
I was hoping for a cute self discovery story bc thats what it sounded like. A homeschooled sheltered girl. Great, right?
Nah.
I couldn't relate to it at all so while I'm sure some people will love it I didn't
I was hoping for a cute self discovery story bc thats what it sounded like. A homeschooled sheltered girl. Great, right?
Nah.
I couldn't relate to it at all so while I'm sure some people will love it I didn't
cjsjellybean's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not quite sure why I picked this book up. I saw it in the front of the library and only once I got home did I realize it was a young adult book. I decided to go ahead and read it anyways.
It was alright, but nothing amazing. It seemed pretty straight forward and I thought the ending was awful. It just sort of...ended. Kind of weird.
It was alright, but nothing amazing. It seemed pretty straight forward and I thought the ending was awful. It just sort of...ended. Kind of weird.