Sunday, November 15, 2009

"Almost Alice" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor


In the book Almost Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Alice McKinley makes many accomplishments, learns some lessons, and seems to have a change in character. In the beginning of this novel Alice is having trouble figuring out who she is.

Alice is a normal junior in highschool who has always had a clear idea of what her future entailed. When her ex-boyfriend asks her to prom, her crush Scott agrees to go to the Sadie Hawkins Day Dance with her, and she discovers that one of her best friends, Pamela, is a little more into her boyfriend than she was letting on, she begins to wonder if she knows anything anymore. She isn't sure how she feels about Patrick and Scott, or how she feels about anything for that matter. So, she decides to invest her time in helping her friends instead of worrying about her own problems. She then begins to wonder if that is all she is, just another dependable friend who is always there. She yearns to understand life and find new adventures, and sometimes she'd just like a friend to be there to listen to her problems instead of the other way around.

When Pamela's actions lead to some unexpected consequences, Alice realizes her life is fine just the way it is. She may sill be dependable Alice, but sometimes just being a shoulder to lean on is more important than anything.

In the end everything works out to be all right. You are probably wondering 'what about Patrick and Scott'? Well, she ended up choosing one butwho is it, you're going to have to read to find out...

This novel is something that all teenage girls can relate to. There is also a lesson that is learned by Alice and hopefully anyone who reads this book; no one knows exactly who they are at this point in life, but there is still plenty of time to discover your real self.

1 comment:

The Librarian said...

My daughters really loved the Alice series, and have been telling me to read it for years. Really good review, HPfan!