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Ally's World #9
Mates, Mysteries and Pretty Weird Weirdness
Ally's not normally superstitious, but something freaky's happening in Crouch End. She knows her home is usually a complete madhouse, but lately it's even madder. Ally's got to get to the bottom of it all.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
3 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Karen McCombie
181 books195 followersKaren McCombie is a bestselling author of children's and young adult novels, and has had more than 90 books published. She is the author of the much-loved series 'Ally's World' (early 2000s) and her most recent books include the Carnegie-nominated historical adventure 'Little Bird Flies' (2019) and it's newly published partner novel 'Little Bird Lands' (2020, Nosy Crow Books), plus the 'St Grizzle's School' series for younger readers (Stripes). She has several books publishing in 2021.
Originally from Scotland, Karen lives in London with her husband, her teenage daughter and beautiful but bitey cat Dizzy.
Originally from Scotland, Karen lives in London with her husband, her teenage daughter and beautiful but bitey cat Dizzy.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 30, 2019
Number nine in the series! I cannot believe there are so many books (apparently they don’t stop at 10, there are more I just don’t own them), I also cannot believe that I made the decision to review them all individually instead of as a series (there’s only so much you can say about 10 books about the same family when each book is less than 300 pages). However I am committed and so apologies for me dragging these reviews out but I have made my decision and intend on sticking to it throughout the entire series!
In this book we follow Ally and family as there are some spooky happenings going on. Milk is turning green, gnomes are going missing etc. are there really spooky forces at work?
So once again I love this book, 9 books in and they continue to be fun and entertaining. Each book follows a different story but still revolves around the Love family. As I mentioned above this one does get a little bit spooky as there are some weird happenings in the house and although it is aimed at children you can definitely get the spooky feeling no matter what age you are!
This is definitely aimed for young teens therefore anyone over that age maybe wouldn’t get the same out of it however I don’t think they are particularly boring. It was fun to read about the goings on and trying to figure out whether or not it is a ghost.
Ultimately everything is resolved in the end, we get to the bottom of the mystery (which isn’t really that big of a mystery as you can call it pretty early on but still), I really enjoyed it, it definitely wont be a top 10 books of all time however still a 5* as it is entertaining, it is a short cosy read (perfect for readathons) while still providing an interesting story about a family that you come to love
I would recommend this book, however start at the first book in the series, you will definitely be confused if you try and pick it up at this point and so you wont get the best out of it. If you are willing to sit through the whole series (I think there are 15(?) books) then try this one out. They are only short and can easily be read in one or two sittings as they are aimed for younger children. However I don’t think you will be disappointed if you pick this up at a later age. Try the first one and give it a go – you might be impressed!
In this book we follow Ally and family as there are some spooky happenings going on. Milk is turning green, gnomes are going missing etc. are there really spooky forces at work?
So once again I love this book, 9 books in and they continue to be fun and entertaining. Each book follows a different story but still revolves around the Love family. As I mentioned above this one does get a little bit spooky as there are some weird happenings in the house and although it is aimed at children you can definitely get the spooky feeling no matter what age you are!
This is definitely aimed for young teens therefore anyone over that age maybe wouldn’t get the same out of it however I don’t think they are particularly boring. It was fun to read about the goings on and trying to figure out whether or not it is a ghost.
Ultimately everything is resolved in the end, we get to the bottom of the mystery (which isn’t really that big of a mystery as you can call it pretty early on but still), I really enjoyed it, it definitely wont be a top 10 books of all time however still a 5* as it is entertaining, it is a short cosy read (perfect for readathons) while still providing an interesting story about a family that you come to love
I would recommend this book, however start at the first book in the series, you will definitely be confused if you try and pick it up at this point and so you wont get the best out of it. If you are willing to sit through the whole series (I think there are 15(?) books) then try this one out. They are only short and can easily be read in one or two sittings as they are aimed for younger children. However I don’t think you will be disappointed if you pick this up at a later age. Try the first one and give it a go – you might be impressed!
January 21, 2014
*SERIES REVIEW*
I have finally finished the series. All fourteen books, in a space of ten days. I read the first four books in the series when I was ten or eleven, and I adored them. This January, I really felt like revisiting them, as well as continuing with the rest of the books in the series that were still in the garage. I was scared that I wouldn't like them anymore in case I felt that they were too young for me...but I think I loved them even more this time round. IT WAS JUST...SO... PERFECT! *sobs* And I am now officially emotionally attached to this series.
The whole Ally's World series centers around thirteen year old Ally who lives in Crouch End in London, in her ramshackle house with her quirky family. Throughout the series we are introduced to her sweet, but dippy dad; her seventeen year old sister Linn, who is neat freak and is quite grouchy with the fact that she has to live in such a chaotic house; Rowan, who is fifteen years old and is away with the fairies, her room is completely overtaken by fairy-lights and her own misshapen art projects; last but not least is her seven year old brother Tor, who is an animal fanatic, with a bedroom that doubles as the equivalent of London zoo. The only person missing in this equation is there mom who left them four years ago, battling bad post-natal depression after having Tor, to go travel the world that she has always wanted to see.
I absolutely ADORE Ally's family. They are all so loveable and quirky and I just adore them! Linn is the super-sensible, neat-freak and the oldest one out of the siblings. She also thinks that she has actually been adopted and belongs to a royal family somewhere out there. I felt sorry for Linn, at times I wished she wouldn't be so grouchy, but I could understand the frustration that she felt. I completely adored Rowan, she was utterly adorable and so sweet! I loved how she wasn't afraid to be different and dress quirkily, as it really just made her such a fantastic character that was strong in her own way. Tor was utterly adorable, he is such a cute character, and I loved reading about all his endless pets. I also loved Ivy, who was such a sweet little thing, she is only introduced way later in the series though, so I won't say much else!
I love that Karen McCombie has shown us all these little things that the characters do and how different their personality traits are. She wrote the family aspect amazingly - capturing the chaotic, yet wonderful, every day life of being in a big family. The characters had their ups and downs, where they lent on each other for support when there were times as trouble and I could clearly see the strong bond they all had with each other. It was truly wonderful the way Karen McCombie wrote the life of the Love family.
Throughout Ally's World, we also become acquainted with Sandie, Ally's best friend who can win the award for being The Shyest Person in the Universe; Kyra (my name!), who, at first sights, is seen as rude and obnoxious...but there is more than meets the eye; Billy, Ally's boy best mate and her four other friends who we also begin to know, but not quite as well as the others, who are made up of Chloe, Jen, Salma and Kellie.
The characters in this series are fantastic!
Ally is such a phenomenal character! She is sarcastic, funny, kind and she tells her stories with such an authentic voice. Throughout the series it honestly feels like we have become best friends. I love the way she tells the stories of her everyday life and how she deals with certain situations. She is also a character that I can relate to, as we are both professional worriers.
Then there are Ally's three best friends: Sandie, who is such a sweet character that I immediately liked, although she did disappoint me later on in the story as she did something that she really shouldn't have done, but I suppose it did all workout in the end. Billy, I adored Billy! He is, as Ally calls him, such a berk. He's absolutely hilarious and I often found myself laughing at the ridiculous antics that he could get up to. Then there is Kyra...at first I was disappointed to share my name with her, as she was quite rude and obnoxious without a singular tactful bone in her body.
However, I soon learned about Kyra's troubled home life in book four and I felt sorry for her. Kyra, as a character, definitely improves throughout the series. She is still loud and obnoxious...but she is funny and sarcastic too, which is a good thing. I think.
This is a truly phenomenal series. I would love to say more, especially about books 10 to 14 in the series. Some truly shocking things happened and there were times where I wanted to cry, scream, hug the books and fling them across the room.
Whenever I started reading the next book in the series, I felt like I was being welcomed into my second home. It felt like I was literally living in the story, and partaking in the hustle of the Love household's every day life. I felt like part of the family. I know the characters' histories, I know their fears, their wants and I know each of them as they were my own sibling.
I think that's the truly amazing thing that Karen McCombie accomplished when she wrote the stories, is how she makes you feel like you're living in their world. She makes the characters seem so unbelievably real.
When you open another Ally's World book, you'll feel as if you are walking into your second home.
These books are absolutely perfect. The characters are loveable, the dialogue is fantastic and Karen McCombie has a way with words that will have you devouring every word on the page and constantly in hunger for more.
The last book was highly emotional, as I saw how far the characters had come, compared to where they were at in the first book. Laughs will be had, tears will be shed, hearts will broken, unexpected love lurks around the corner, families will fall and families will be completed. The last book was stunning and I was a highly emotional person after the final page had been read. A series that I will cherish. After reading this whole series, I can safely say Karen McCombie is now one of my favourite authors.
If you are to read these books, I'd recommend that you make sure you have all the books in the series at your fingertips, as you'll want to keep reading and drinking in the words and completely losing yourself in Ally's World.
I give it: 5/5 CUPCAKES!
I have finally finished the series. All fourteen books, in a space of ten days. I read the first four books in the series when I was ten or eleven, and I adored them. This January, I really felt like revisiting them, as well as continuing with the rest of the books in the series that were still in the garage. I was scared that I wouldn't like them anymore in case I felt that they were too young for me...but I think I loved them even more this time round. IT WAS JUST...SO... PERFECT! *sobs* And I am now officially emotionally attached to this series.
The whole Ally's World series centers around thirteen year old Ally who lives in Crouch End in London, in her ramshackle house with her quirky family. Throughout the series we are introduced to her sweet, but dippy dad; her seventeen year old sister Linn, who is neat freak and is quite grouchy with the fact that she has to live in such a chaotic house; Rowan, who is fifteen years old and is away with the fairies, her room is completely overtaken by fairy-lights and her own misshapen art projects; last but not least is her seven year old brother Tor, who is an animal fanatic, with a bedroom that doubles as the equivalent of London zoo. The only person missing in this equation is there mom who left them four years ago, battling bad post-natal depression after having Tor, to go travel the world that she has always wanted to see.
I absolutely ADORE Ally's family. They are all so loveable and quirky and I just adore them! Linn is the super-sensible, neat-freak and the oldest one out of the siblings. She also thinks that she has actually been adopted and belongs to a royal family somewhere out there. I felt sorry for Linn, at times I wished she wouldn't be so grouchy, but I could understand the frustration that she felt. I completely adored Rowan, she was utterly adorable and so sweet! I loved how she wasn't afraid to be different and dress quirkily, as it really just made her such a fantastic character that was strong in her own way. Tor was utterly adorable, he is such a cute character, and I loved reading about all his endless pets. I also loved Ivy, who was such a sweet little thing, she is only introduced way later in the series though, so I won't say much else!
I love that Karen McCombie has shown us all these little things that the characters do and how different their personality traits are. She wrote the family aspect amazingly - capturing the chaotic, yet wonderful, every day life of being in a big family. The characters had their ups and downs, where they lent on each other for support when there were times as trouble and I could clearly see the strong bond they all had with each other. It was truly wonderful the way Karen McCombie wrote the life of the Love family.
Throughout Ally's World, we also become acquainted with Sandie, Ally's best friend who can win the award for being The Shyest Person in the Universe; Kyra (my name!), who, at first sights, is seen as rude and obnoxious...but there is more than meets the eye; Billy, Ally's boy best mate and her four other friends who we also begin to know, but not quite as well as the others, who are made up of Chloe, Jen, Salma and Kellie.
The characters in this series are fantastic!
Ally is such a phenomenal character! She is sarcastic, funny, kind and she tells her stories with such an authentic voice. Throughout the series it honestly feels like we have become best friends. I love the way she tells the stories of her everyday life and how she deals with certain situations. She is also a character that I can relate to, as we are both professional worriers.
Then there are Ally's three best friends: Sandie, who is such a sweet character that I immediately liked, although she did disappoint me later on in the story as she did something that she really shouldn't have done, but I suppose it did all workout in the end. Billy, I adored Billy! He is, as Ally calls him, such a berk. He's absolutely hilarious and I often found myself laughing at the ridiculous antics that he could get up to. Then there is Kyra...at first I was disappointed to share my name with her, as she was quite rude and obnoxious without a singular tactful bone in her body.
However, I soon learned about Kyra's troubled home life in book four and I felt sorry for her. Kyra, as a character, definitely improves throughout the series. She is still loud and obnoxious...but she is funny and sarcastic too, which is a good thing. I think.
This is a truly phenomenal series. I would love to say more, especially about books 10 to 14 in the series. Some truly shocking things happened and there were times where I wanted to cry, scream, hug the books and fling them across the room.
Whenever I started reading the next book in the series, I felt like I was being welcomed into my second home. It felt like I was literally living in the story, and partaking in the hustle of the Love household's every day life. I felt like part of the family. I know the characters' histories, I know their fears, their wants and I know each of them as they were my own sibling.
I think that's the truly amazing thing that Karen McCombie accomplished when she wrote the stories, is how she makes you feel like you're living in their world. She makes the characters seem so unbelievably real.
When you open another Ally's World book, you'll feel as if you are walking into your second home.
These books are absolutely perfect. The characters are loveable, the dialogue is fantastic and Karen McCombie has a way with words that will have you devouring every word on the page and constantly in hunger for more.
The last book was highly emotional, as I saw how far the characters had come, compared to where they were at in the first book. Laughs will be had, tears will be shed, hearts will broken, unexpected love lurks around the corner, families will fall and families will be completed. The last book was stunning and I was a highly emotional person after the final page had been read. A series that I will cherish. After reading this whole series, I can safely say Karen McCombie is now one of my favourite authors.
If you are to read these books, I'd recommend that you make sure you have all the books in the series at your fingertips, as you'll want to keep reading and drinking in the words and completely losing yourself in Ally's World.
I give it: 5/5 CUPCAKES!
April 22, 2025
Už mi pomalu dochází slova, které ještě můžu k této sérii dodat. Jelikož už jsem u devátého dílu, pravděpodobně budu nadále zmiňovat jen novinky a věci, jež u dílu oceňuji.
Do děje se zamíchalo trochu nadpřirozena a líbilo se mi, že se nejednalo o klišé. Až do konce jsem si nebyla jistá, kdo za tím vším stojí, a malé drobky, které autorka házela v průběhu, vás úspěšně svedou na scestí.
Konečně jsme se dočkali objetí u Alfieho a Alice, jakkoliv bylo náhodné a nepodstatné! Nebudu lhát, jestli se ti dva dají dohromady, budu se culit jako u knihy od S. J. Maas.
Stále zastávám názor, že kdybych Kyru znala osobně, asi bych ji pořádně propleskla.
Do děje se zamíchalo trochu nadpřirozena a líbilo se mi, že se nejednalo o klišé. Až do konce jsem si nebyla jistá, kdo za tím vším stojí, a malé drobky, které autorka házela v průběhu, vás úspěšně svedou na scestí.
Konečně jsme se dočkali objetí u Alfieho a Alice, jakkoliv bylo náhodné a nepodstatné! Nebudu lhát, jestli se ti dva dají dohromady, budu se culit jako u knihy od S. J. Maas.
Stále zastávám názor, že kdybych Kyru znala osobně, asi bych ji pořádně propleskla.
April 7, 2023
Série: Alice a ... .Tuto sérii jsem naprosto milovala.Alice je velmi vtipná a blázen.Oblíbila jsem si celou rodinu a mimo to i Alfieho.Rozhodně doporučuji sice je Alice 13 let,ale myslím,že knížku si můžou přečíst i starší. ;)
November 15, 2013
**GENERAL REVIEW FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES**
Aww, man....
I started reading these books when I was about nine years old. I don't think I even read them in order at first, just got whichever ones I could find out of my schools library. I loved them. LOVED.
Eventually I figured out the order and filled in the gaps. And then proceeded to read the entire series about five times over. Those were the times.
Ally was my spirit animal in those days. She was a little awkward, wasn't quite sure where she fit into her family, had a nice group of friends but only a special few that she considered best friends. She was unlucky in love, to say the least. That's not even mentioning all of the unbelievably embarrassing moments.
Coupled with a few other series, these books pretty much sum up my childhood reading. I think my heart sank a little when I realised I was reading the last one.
Aww, man....
I started reading these books when I was about nine years old. I don't think I even read them in order at first, just got whichever ones I could find out of my schools library. I loved them. LOVED.
Eventually I figured out the order and filled in the gaps. And then proceeded to read the entire series about five times over. Those were the times.
Ally was my spirit animal in those days. She was a little awkward, wasn't quite sure where she fit into her family, had a nice group of friends but only a special few that she considered best friends. She was unlucky in love, to say the least. That's not even mentioning all of the unbelievably embarrassing moments.
Coupled with a few other series, these books pretty much sum up my childhood reading. I think my heart sank a little when I realised I was reading the last one.
August 18, 2022
Byť tuto knihu hodnotím plným počtem hvězd, jde o 5 hvězd spíše slabších. Co je pořád stejné, je to, jak svižně a čtivě to je napsané. Ale oproti tomu předchozímu dílu, který byl pro mne silný svým tématem, mi téma této knihy připadalo trošinku slabší.
Ale zase musím uznat, že i když jede autorka pořád podle jedné šablony, snaží se vymýšlet nové zápletky, které jsou uvěřitelné, v nějaké míře se v životě člověku stát mohou. A to je tady zachované. I když aby se člověku v jeho mladičkém životě dělo všechno, co se děje Alici, může někomu připadat trochu přitažené za vlasy, tak mi zase přijde fajn, že spousta lidí si tu najde aspoň to své "něco" s čím se nějak může ztotožnit a najít se. A to kvituju.
Ale zase musím uznat, že i když jede autorka pořád podle jedné šablony, snaží se vymýšlet nové zápletky, které jsou uvěřitelné, v nějaké míře se v životě člověku stát mohou. A to je tady zachované. I když aby se člověku v jeho mladičkém životě dělo všechno, co se děje Alici, může někomu připadat trochu přitažené za vlasy, tak mi zase přijde fajn, že spousta lidí si tu najde aspoň to své "něco" s čím se nějak může ztotožnit a najít se. A to kvituju.
July 30, 2023
Late into the series, but before the major developments I know are coming, this one feels rather forced. A mystery/ghost-themed episode of a TV series may sometimes work well, but the books in this series haven't been episodic in quite that way, so the whole idea comes across as incongruous and weird (not to mention pointless and silly). Kyra is no longer at all likeable, and then the romance that's introduced in this story... well, I seem to remember it gets kind of annoying, and it isn't even going to last (but if it were, I would certainly prefer that to what I know is coming in the end!).
May 7, 2012
This book is all about how confusing growing up can be. Ally lives in a higgildy piggildy house with her mad family and tons of pets. It is a funny and happy story about a 13 year old girl growing up. I love this because it's so true to life and you can really relate to Ally and her friends. There are lot's of twists and turns and it is just an amazing book.
September 24, 2010
Love this book as always with ally!
July 27, 2013
I wouldn't recommend this - it was just so degrading. The speech was just so cringey and it just made my eyeballs sore reading it. The story line just didn't do anything for me either...
October 21, 2016
3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews