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weweresotired's review against another edition
3.0
So, story time.
I hate running. HATE IT. I mean, I do it anyway, even though my shins hurt and I start to wheeze and my hips are like "lady you are too old for this". I quit my regular gym and joined one of those super-intense CrossFit gyms instead, once I realized how much I hated running but liked other kinds of working out. And despite feeling totally out of my league (on the first day of training, we went around the room and everyone said what their previous athletic/sport experience was; everyone else said totally normal things like football, swimming, baseball. I said marching band.) I slowly fell in love with wacky things like rowing and being able to deadlift close to my body weight and most of all LIMITED AMOUNTS OF RUNNING.
While I never fell into that zen place that Alice does with her running, I definitely identify with the "my body feels like crying but this is also changing my life" thought process that you see Alice go through.
I really connected with Alice on that, and I identified with her in other ways, too -- being a perfectionist (who cried when she got her first B? this girl), being kind of a weirdo loner, being completely unprepared for failure. So there was a lot that I liked and found familiar about Alice.
There was a lot that made her completely insufferable, too. She's completely self-absorbed, though she'd never admit it, because it's not in the stuck-up, snotty way you think of. No, she's so wrapped up in her own problems and angst so much that she doesn't see when other people are hurting, or when other people are trying to help her. The journey to self awareness is the whole point of the book, but, man, did it make for hard reading when I just wanted to reach through the pages and shake Alice to make her see how, honestly, horrible of a person she's being.
So while I liked this book, I liked it despite Alice and her terrible attitude. I enjoyed it for the lessons she learned, for the way she slowly opened herself up to new experiences, for the way she had to learn the hard way to let herself be vulnerable and flawed and imperfect.
The book's not always an easy ride, but the journey's an interesting one anyway, as long as you can be patient for the payoff in Alice's growth at the end.
I hate running. HATE IT. I mean, I do it anyway, even though my shins hurt and I start to wheeze and my hips are like "lady you are too old for this". I quit my regular gym and joined one of those super-intense CrossFit gyms instead, once I realized how much I hated running but liked other kinds of working out. And despite feeling totally out of my league (on the first day of training, we went around the room and everyone said what their previous athletic/sport experience was; everyone else said totally normal things like football, swimming, baseball. I said marching band.) I slowly fell in love with wacky things like rowing and being able to deadlift close to my body weight and most of all LIMITED AMOUNTS OF RUNNING.
While I never fell into that zen place that Alice does with her running, I definitely identify with the "my body feels like crying but this is also changing my life" thought process that you see Alice go through.
I really connected with Alice on that, and I identified with her in other ways, too -- being a perfectionist (who cried when she got her first B? this girl), being kind of a weirdo loner, being completely unprepared for failure. So there was a lot that I liked and found familiar about Alice.
There was a lot that made her completely insufferable, too. She's completely self-absorbed, though she'd never admit it, because it's not in the stuck-up, snotty way you think of. No, she's so wrapped up in her own problems and angst so much that she doesn't see when other people are hurting, or when other people are trying to help her. The journey to self awareness is the whole point of the book, but, man, did it make for hard reading when I just wanted to reach through the pages and shake Alice to make her see how, honestly, horrible of a person she's being.
So while I liked this book, I liked it despite Alice and her terrible attitude. I enjoyed it for the lessons she learned, for the way she slowly opened herself up to new experiences, for the way she had to learn the hard way to let herself be vulnerable and flawed and imperfect.
The book's not always an easy ride, but the journey's an interesting one anyway, as long as you can be patient for the payoff in Alice's growth at the end.
tobyyy's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh. I wanted to like this book, I really did. The premise is fairly unique (at least — not something I’ve seen done very often): that of a girl learning how to run in order to cope with life’s difficulties. Sounds like me, especially with her desire to want to like running although she finds it boring/difficult at the beginning.
But.
BUT.
Alice is insufferable. She’s rich and privileged, and so freakin’ whiny. Boo hoo, she didn’t get accepted to Yale, her life has ended, cue Suicide jokes (and then she gets upset when her mom is worried about leaving her alone/unsupervised???!).
Also.
If I wanted to read a rat keeper’s handbook, I would’ve gotten one. I’m all for loving animals and integrating that love into books. Yes PLEASE. But spare us the preachiness of why rats are better than any other rodent (it’s fine if that’s the character’s opinion but DON’T PREACH). As a mom of four guinea pigs, being told that “they’re stupid, sorry not sorry” does not endear me to you as a narrator, and also doesn’t do jack to convince me of how amazing rats are. (Side note, I almost adopted rats instead of guinea pigs. But each rodent has their positives and negatives. Just gonna leave it at that.)
And spare us all of the scientific facts. It’s somewhat telling that this author also wrote the book “Misunderstood: Why the Humble Rat May Be Your Best Pet Ever”; it feels like she copy-pasted sections of that book into this one. NGL.
AND.
Don’t use “big words” and then include their definitions in the middle of your paragraphs. It’s awkward. Example:
“They parry (“to wave off a weapon or blow”) compliments the way that Captain Jack Sparrow brandishes (“to wave or shake”) a sword.” (p. 40)
I had to read that three times to actually be able to parse the sentence correctly. SO UNNECESSARILY CLUNKY.
Not to mention, I know all the words used — it’s not like “pristine,” “parry,” “juxtapose,” and “delineate” are THAT impressive. It clutters up the narrative and makes me feel like I’m reading an SAT handbook instead of a novel. Please just stop.
Ughhhhhhhh.
But.
BUT.
Alice is insufferable. She’s rich and privileged, and so freakin’ whiny. Boo hoo, she didn’t get accepted to Yale, her life has ended, cue Suicide jokes (and then she gets upset when her mom is worried about leaving her alone/unsupervised???!).
Also.
If I wanted to read a rat keeper’s handbook, I would’ve gotten one. I’m all for loving animals and integrating that love into books. Yes PLEASE. But spare us the preachiness of why rats are better than any other rodent (it’s fine if that’s the character’s opinion but DON’T PREACH). As a mom of four guinea pigs, being told that “they’re stupid, sorry not sorry” does not endear me to you as a narrator, and also doesn’t do jack to convince me of how amazing rats are. (Side note, I almost adopted rats instead of guinea pigs. But each rodent has their positives and negatives. Just gonna leave it at that.)
And spare us all of the scientific facts. It’s somewhat telling that this author also wrote the book “Misunderstood: Why the Humble Rat May Be Your Best Pet Ever”; it feels like she copy-pasted sections of that book into this one. NGL.
AND.
Don’t use “big words” and then include their definitions in the middle of your paragraphs. It’s awkward. Example:
“They parry (“to wave off a weapon or blow”) compliments the way that Captain Jack Sparrow brandishes (“to wave or shake”) a sword.” (p. 40)
I had to read that three times to actually be able to parse the sentence correctly. SO UNNECESSARILY CLUNKY.
Not to mention, I know all the words used — it’s not like “pristine,” “parry,” “juxtapose,” and “delineate” are THAT impressive. It clutters up the narrative and makes me feel like I’m reading an SAT handbook instead of a novel. Please just stop.
Ughhhhhhhh.
hmonkeyreads's review against another edition
3.0
Read this after hearing Rachel Toor on Another Mother Runner podcast and about her again through a favorite company of mine, Skirt Sports. She sounded like a cool lady and I wanted to read her book.
I enjoyed her writing about the experience of learning how to run. I found some of the exposition about running tedious but that's because I've been running for a dozen years, non-runners would need to exposition, I think.
The information about Walter the Rat was both interesting and strange. I understand how it contributed to the story of Alice but I still found it a bit irritating. Must be my anti-rat bias!
The lessons about learning to be wrong and choosing a college wisely are good lessons as is the one about paying more attention to the people you love although delivered in a somewhat heavy handed manner.
Overall it was enjoyable but not spectacular. I might share it with my friend's daughter who recently started to run cross country in high school.
I enjoyed her writing about the experience of learning how to run. I found some of the exposition about running tedious but that's because I've been running for a dozen years, non-runners would need to exposition, I think.
The information about Walter the Rat was both interesting and strange. I understand how it contributed to the story of Alice but I still found it a bit irritating. Must be my anti-rat bias!
The lessons about learning to be wrong and choosing a college wisely are good lessons as is the one about paying more attention to the people you love although delivered in a somewhat heavy handed manner.
Overall it was enjoyable but not spectacular. I might share it with my friend's daughter who recently started to run cross country in high school.
hereisenough's review against another edition
eeeh couldn't finish. got to bored and sick of the whining.
lexiww's review against another edition
3.0
Alice hasn’t ever felt obliterated by rejection before. That is, not before the letter came from Yale saying that, despite her stellar GPA, the university wasn’t accepting her to be part of its freshman class. Just like that, her lifelong dream is trampled. After much wallowing in pity—to her parents; her best friend; her pet rat, named Walter—unathletic Alice takes what for her is a truly uncharacteristic step: she starts running. At first, the pain of getting started compounds Alice’s self-doubt and makes her pine for an Easy-Mac date with Walter. But with time, seriously strained muscles, and a cute local racer cheering her on, she starts to hit her stride until a series of painful bumps in the road help her realize how resilient she really is. In Alice’s cheeky first-person narrative, Toor explores how easy it can be to simply sprint away from defeat and what might go undiscovered if we do. This sweet coming-of-age story is a fun, swift read—not just for runners but for anyone who has had to unwillingly redirect his or her course. — Lexi Walters Wright, First published June 12, 2014 (Booklist Online).
taylormoore6's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A story about a teenager who doesn’t get into Yale and is devastated. She picks up running as she figures out what to do next. The main character is unlikeable, a bit judgmental and selfish, but I actually found her relatable at points in that her attitudes and actions came from inexperience/youth. At other points, I was annoyed with her obvious privilege and inability to be a decent friend. I loved the parts about running and also her evolution of her relationship with her mother. Overall this book made me want to run more, which is basically the only reason I read it.
msethna's review against another edition
4.0
Check out my review at: https://msethnablog.wordpress.com/2015/12/27/book-review-on-the-road-to-find-out-by-rachel-toor/
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
The author has previously written nonfiction about [b:college admissions|107548|Admissions Confidential An Insider's Account of the Elite College Selection Process|Rachel Toor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311988029s/107548.jpg|3627307], [b:running|3309597|Personal Record A Love Affair with Running|Rachel Toor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328820993s/3309597.jpg|3346813], and [b:pets|31297|The Pig and I|Rachel Toor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309282505s/31297.jpg|31598]. So naturally her first foray into fiction involves the aftermath of the admissions process, a protagonist who cares more about her pet rat than she does about her family and friend, and a lesson about how running is a way of life.
It's a better book than I'm making it sound -- I appreciated, for one thing, that the romance (while obvious) wasn't the be all and end all of the book; it was one part of Alice's journey, and not the most important one. Alice is a reasonably complex character, with flaws aplenty, and it takes her most of the book to gain a bit of self-awareness (not to mention awareness of the people around her). She's never terribly likable (spoiled and thinks it's okay to be a brat because she doesn't care that much about some of the specific things that make her spoiled), but she's realistic.
Walter: Walter, and rats in general, is a big enough deal in this book that I almost shelved it as 'animals' (I didn't largely because Alice's preference for Walter over just about every human in the book drove me nuts). Don't have much more to say about him.
Alice and the Tao of running: It's funny -- I haven't actually read that many YA books with protagonists who run (and in which running is a big part of the story). There are some out there, of course, but I'd like to read more. It gets a little preachy here at times, but it's nice to see Alice improve gradually, over the course of the book, and not be into it for competition or better times or weight loss. Really nice to see that, actually. Although Alice is way more negative about her appearance than I think it warranted for someone who disses other girls for self-deprecating comments, little is made of her appearance throughout the book, which is less common to YA lit than I wish it were -- her journey's more internal than external.
I would have liked more surprises to the book, but that's often true of YA for me. So I'll leave it with this: sounds like Alice's factoid about the Vanderbilt room may be inaccurate?
It's a better book than I'm making it sound -- I appreciated, for one thing, that the romance (while obvious) wasn't the be all and end all of the book; it was one part of Alice's journey, and not the most important one. Alice is a reasonably complex character, with flaws aplenty, and it takes her most of the book to gain a bit of self-awareness (not to mention awareness of the people around her). She's never terribly likable (spoiled and thinks it's okay to be a brat because she doesn't care that much about some of the specific things that make her spoiled), but she's realistic.
Walter: Walter, and rats in general, is a big enough deal in this book that I almost shelved it as 'animals' (I didn't largely because Alice's preference for Walter over just about every human in the book drove me nuts). Don't have much more to say about him.
Alice and the Tao of running: It's funny -- I haven't actually read that many YA books with protagonists who run (and in which running is a big part of the story). There are some out there, of course, but I'd like to read more. It gets a little preachy here at times, but it's nice to see Alice improve gradually, over the course of the book, and not be into it for competition or better times or weight loss. Really nice to see that, actually. Although Alice is way more negative about her appearance than I think it warranted for someone who disses other girls for self-deprecating comments, little is made of her appearance throughout the book, which is less common to YA lit than I wish it were -- her journey's more internal than external.
I would have liked more surprises to the book, but that's often true of YA for me. So I'll leave it with this: sounds like Alice's factoid about the Vanderbilt room may be inaccurate?
jshettel's review against another edition
3.0
Toor brings her personal knowledge of rats, running, and college admissions into this debut YA novel. Overall I didn't love Alice - she was self-absorbed, spoiled, ungrateful, and really really awful to her mother. I was a teenager and I have two teenagers and I can say with first-hand knowledge that not all teenage girls hate their mothers for no good reason. If my own daughter ever acts that horrendously toward me, I certainly won't stand by and allow it to happen.
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Alice Davis goes on a run on January 1st. Her very first fun. It's terrible and embarrassing, but so was the fact that the one college she cares about rejected her application. Alice is aware that she has to stop moaning about how useless she is to her best friend Jenni and her pet mouse Walter. She doesn't realize, however, that by taking those first steps outside, she is beginning a journey full of new difficulties, such as painful side stitches, chafing in inappropriate places, and a fast-paced first love, and fortifying herself to endure when the going suddenly becomes harder than she could have ever imagined.
Although I admire the book's goal, I'm not a great fan. It did a great job of handling loss, rejection, and denial. Thus, this book begins with Alice being turned down by Yale, her top dream school. She owned a rodent by the name of Walter. Walter has been there for Alice through good times and bad. It is certainly not a good combination to get denied from your dream school while yearning for academic praise. We lack optimism, light, enthusiasm, and hope.
Despite the fact that Alice had just recently begun running, we watched her progress with it, and she showed signs of development, she wasn't the runner others had made her out to be. The characters didn't seem to be as likeable to me. except for Joan, that is. I cherished Joan. Alice was very conceited and unappreciative. And for some reason, I don't like Miles. Their romance was not it and was lacking chemistry.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death