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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
I think this is my first time reading about Alice in high school. Felt the book was missing a lot of Alice's early quirks and spunk. Sort of dry? Liked to see where the characters were presently, but at the same time surprised by the new friend Gwen and calling Elizabeth Liz all of a sudden. Hoping this is just a fluke in the series, and some of the others will redeem it. I know it's hard to keep up with a character for so long, especially as she grows up. But Alice seemed pretty one-dimensional here, even if I could relate to her stresses.
I have so enjoyed this series, but it has finally tipped over the edge for me. Every single book has become a Very Special Episode focusing on the Issue of the Week, and they are heavy-handed and preachy. The dialogue is stilted and unbelievable (particularly from the mouths of teenagers). The situations are contrived. If Alice's friends aren't directly involved in the Issue of the Week, they are practically invisible. We didn't even get much of Lester here, or.... anybody. Just Alice whining.
Dudes, I love Alice as much as the next person, but why hasn't Ben pulled her out of this school? It's like a tragedy farm (and neo nazis too? Yeesh)!
Nowhere is the awkwardness of Alice having started middle school in the 1980s and graduating high school in the 2010s more apparent than her disastrous college trip in this book. If she has access to 2010s technology, then for heaven's sake, let her use it like a real person.
I've been reading the Alice books since the late '80s; the first one was published in 1985. We're almost at the end -- maybe three more books? At this point, the 20 years (oh my god) I have invested in this series is the only thing that keeps me reading the new ones. It feels like Naylor is creatively done with these series, but since she's come this far, might as well finish the whole damn thing.
Naylor should get credit for tackling hard issues in her books, but my god, at this point, it's a frickin' laundry list. It's more like Degrassi Junior High, without the charming bad fashion and Canadian accents. There was one episode of this book I liked -- Alice and her older brother tour colleges -- and the rest of it was so boring and contrived.
Naylor should get credit for tackling hard issues in her books, but my god, at this point, it's a frickin' laundry list. It's more like Degrassi Junior High, without the charming bad fashion and Canadian accents. There was one episode of this book I liked -- Alice and her older brother tour colleges -- and the rest of it was so boring and contrived.
I call this one “I’m still reading it because I’m so close to the end but ugh.” There is a funny scene here or there, but I often struggle to connect to characters and plotlines. I think a lot of these issues should be handled in a better way and it remains pretty obvious that PRN is an older woman writing from the perspective of a teenager in a generation that she never lived through, so the slang and jokes are always a bit off-kilter.
just when i think there is nothing else PRN can throw at alice...and let me remind you that alice and her friends have experienced sexual assaults, divorced parents, homophobia, abusive relationships, leukemia, multiple deaths of loved ones, teen pregnancy, racism, alcohol related accidents, suicide, cruel pranks, and countless other teen problems...PRN brings in...
NEO-NAZIS!!!!!!!!
i'm sorry. i know that neo-nazis exist, and they must exist in high school too. and i know that i said this last june when the last alice book came out...but how many problems can one group of teens have?! the early books in the series seemed more lighthearted, just your everyday gaffes and misunderstandings, but every book since then has had One Big Serious Issue to consider.
the best thing about this book was when alice tries to go visit colleges for the weekend and everything goes wrong. this is so something that could have happened to me when i was her age, and it's these sorts of situations- not the heavy-duty ones- that keep me reading this series.
another thing i've mentioned in the past is how out-of-date PRN tends to sound, and it seems like she's doing a bit better. (with some exceptions.) then i checked her author profile and this chica is 77 years old. holy cats! no wonder she uses the word "slacks" for pants and says "funky" like it's a good thing. way to go, phyllis. i still like your books after all these years.
NEO-NAZIS!!!!!!!!
i'm sorry. i know that neo-nazis exist, and they must exist in high school too. and i know that i said this last june when the last alice book came out...but how many problems can one group of teens have?! the early books in the series seemed more lighthearted, just your everyday gaffes and misunderstandings, but every book since then has had One Big Serious Issue to consider.
the best thing about this book was when alice tries to go visit colleges for the weekend and everything goes wrong. this is so something that could have happened to me when i was her age, and it's these sorts of situations- not the heavy-duty ones- that keep me reading this series.
another thing i've mentioned in the past is how out-of-date PRN tends to sound, and it seems like she's doing a bit better. (with some exceptions.) then i checked her author profile and this chica is 77 years old. holy cats! no wonder she uses the word "slacks" for pants and says "funky" like it's a good thing. way to go, phyllis. i still like your books after all these years.
At this point, I'm reading these because I've read ALL OF THEM and have been doing so for more than half of my life. (Holy crap.) I've always loved the characters in these books but this one saw very little of the secondary characters and too much focus on the Big Issues. Which, fine, I appreciate that these books have become a way to bring up important issues, but that's not what I like about them.
I will keep reading these until they're done (which I think is in the next book or two) but they aren't quite as good as they used to be. Still, considering how long she's been writing these books and the fact that she's 77, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor still has her moments.
I will keep reading these until they're done (which I think is in the next book or two) but they aren't quite as good as they used to be. Still, considering how long she's been writing these books and the fact that she's 77, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor still has her moments.
I get that these books present a great role model for girls. And I appreciate that Phyllis Reynolds Naylor tackles a lot of subjects in them so that there’s a lot for people to relate to. I also appreciate that she has a lesbian couple present in several of her books. I’d like to see her do more with that, though. I feel like her portrayal of them right now is currently rather stereotypical. In this book, one of the girls talks about how she played with trucks as a kid and never wanted to wear dresses. I know that this is indeed the experience of many lesbians, but it’s also not the experience of many others, and you see a lot less of them in YA literature. I’d like to see more of them, and I think Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has the chops to do it.