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Alice #14
Simply Alice
It isn't Alice and Patrick anymore; it's simply Alice, and much to her surprise, Alice is finding that's okay. In fact, working on the school play and becoming increasingly involved in the newspaper have Alice so busy she doesn't have much time for her best friends Pamela and Elizabeth—and they resent it. And if Alice ever needed friends, she needs them now. She's got a secret e-mail admirer she's not sure how to handle. Her brother, Lester, is plunging headlong into a risky romance with a professor. And her new friend, Faith, seems unable to break free of an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. It's not simple being simply Alice.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2002
18 people are currently reading
567 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
246 books1,037 followersPhyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
February 4, 2016
Do you ever wonder how someones friendship is like ? If yes, this is the kind of book for you. The genre of this book is realistic fiction. In my opinion this book is really good because it gives you some advice and it is very interesting.
The setting of this book is at a high school.It affects the story because that is where the conflict and conclusion happens.The conflict of the book is that Alice does not want to tell her friends a secret about a guy online but then Alice makes her choice and tells her friends about him. This type of conflict is person vs self because Alice was stressed out of making a decision. The theme of this book is friendship because the story is mostly about Alice and her friends.
The 1st person point of view affects the story because the main character is telling the story and she gives a lot of detail.Also because Alice expresses her feelings and emotions. Another theme that recurs throughout the book is confusion. This theme can be seen when Alice was confused on how to tell her friends the secret about the online guy. A major event that changed the character is when she told her friends her secret because she felt confident.
My favorite part was when the online guy message Alice because I imagine how Alice's expression was. Simply Alice is a good title for this book because it describes Alice. Also because Alice is just being herself and not being another person around her friends.
I rate this book 5 stars because I really liked this book. Also because I like how the book explains the story very well and I hope the author makes more books like this. I recommend this book to anyone that likes to read books about friendships because it can be very interesting. If you ever wonder how someones friendship is like? If yes, you should totally read Simply Alice.
The setting of this book is at a high school.It affects the story because that is where the conflict and conclusion happens.The conflict of the book is that Alice does not want to tell her friends a secret about a guy online but then Alice makes her choice and tells her friends about him. This type of conflict is person vs self because Alice was stressed out of making a decision. The theme of this book is friendship because the story is mostly about Alice and her friends.
The 1st person point of view affects the story because the main character is telling the story and she gives a lot of detail.Also because Alice expresses her feelings and emotions. Another theme that recurs throughout the book is confusion. This theme can be seen when Alice was confused on how to tell her friends the secret about the online guy. A major event that changed the character is when she told her friends her secret because she felt confident.
My favorite part was when the online guy message Alice because I imagine how Alice's expression was. Simply Alice is a good title for this book because it describes Alice. Also because Alice is just being herself and not being another person around her friends.
I rate this book 5 stars because I really liked this book. Also because I like how the book explains the story very well and I hope the author makes more books like this. I recommend this book to anyone that likes to read books about friendships because it can be very interesting. If you ever wonder how someones friendship is like? If yes, you should totally read Simply Alice.
November 22, 2008
Slight improvement over the previous installment. Nonetheless, I hold the same misgivings in regards to the sexual content. Moreover, the characters remain flat, no longer leaping from the page as in earlier editions. My hunch is this is due to Naylor writing based on what she has read and observed about the current teen population rather than her actual experience. What results is an Alice without heart, a textbook sketch of how a teen might respond or feel. This also applies to the adults in the story. How unlikely that her father always manages to properly communicate with his daughter. Even if he did his job well a teenage girl is more than capable of twisting his words around!
November 9, 2018
9th grade isn't as easy as it seems. At least, for Alice it's not.
But, being Alice there are a lot of things you have to deal with, whether you like it, or not.
Join Alice on an adventure through friendship, breakups, emotions, and courage. This book is a good book for kids ages 10 and up to read.
It is very upsetting to me that many of the reviews on Goodreads actually rate this book poorly, and say not to read it because of it's challenging.
I know it may seem really scary and inappropriate to read some parts. However, Alice demonstrates a perfect example of what to do in dangerous events for children. The details that matter the most in this book are the actions Alice takes, not her friends. I think it's important for people to recognize that.
If you have read this book, and really don't like it because of the controversial parts, please consider rethinking your thoughts. Remember when Alice tripped down the stairs and had an accident? Well, she lived, she learned, and it was over. Compare that to when she was "abused". Do you notice anything different in her reaction?
This book is amazing, and an inspiration for kids and young adults. Hands down a definite recommend!
- October 2018
But, being Alice there are a lot of things you have to deal with, whether you like it, or not.
Join Alice on an adventure through friendship, breakups, emotions, and courage. This book is a good book for kids ages 10 and up to read.
It is very upsetting to me that many of the reviews on Goodreads actually rate this book poorly, and say not to read it because of it's challenging.
I know it may seem really scary and inappropriate to read some parts. However, Alice demonstrates a perfect example of what to do in dangerous events for children. The details that matter the most in this book are the actions Alice takes, not her friends. I think it's important for people to recognize that.
If you have read this book, and really don't like it because of the controversial parts, please consider rethinking your thoughts. Remember when Alice tripped down the stairs and had an accident? Well, she lived, she learned, and it was over. Compare that to when she was "abused". Do you notice anything different in her reaction?
This book is amazing, and an inspiration for kids and young adults. Hands down a definite recommend!
- October 2018
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2021
Another one out of the park. These books seriously cover every issue! I so wish I'd had these when I was Alice's age!
April 28, 2011
So I read the next one. It was actually better. Despite the book being written by a female about teenage girls, there were still scenarios where gender could've been reversed and I found myself relating to stuff, despite having graduated from high school 9 years ago. (Has it been that long!?!)
This book picked up right where the previous one left off at the start of the second semester of Alice's freshman year of high school. Two major things happened, there was a build up to her step-mom to be coming back from a one year teaching job in England, and the other, which was really compelling was her developing crush on a boy who stutters but they both know he's moving away at the end of the school year.
The whole step-mom saga seemed a little fake. Maybe since I started with the 13th "Alice" book, I didn't get the whole back story but when I got a step mom 6 years ago, I was nowhere close to excited as everyone in the book seemed to be. That just seemed weird. Not saying I hate my step mom, she's great, but Alice in particular is squealing with delight every time her step-mom's name is mentioned.
The other storyline is about Eric, the stuttering boy, and is gravitating because like me, he has an obvious difference about him. And it's very different to read about a girl who likes a boy with a problem despite and how she responds to it. There was one line that struck me so much that I took it out of the book and posted it on my facebook page.
"To a person who stutters, though, I suppose he thinks we only focus on the stutter." - Alice
And to hear an author, a female author, write something like that which is how I think on a daily basis, is just mind blowing. Because she's implying that no one really cares about your deficiencies once they get to know you. People have been telling me this for years, for as long as I can remember, but sometimes I think they're just being nice. How can you not notice?
Anyway, I liked this book a lot and will continue reading the series even though I'm not the author's target demographic.
This book picked up right where the previous one left off at the start of the second semester of Alice's freshman year of high school. Two major things happened, there was a build up to her step-mom to be coming back from a one year teaching job in England, and the other, which was really compelling was her developing crush on a boy who stutters but they both know he's moving away at the end of the school year.
The whole step-mom saga seemed a little fake. Maybe since I started with the 13th "Alice" book, I didn't get the whole back story but when I got a step mom 6 years ago, I was nowhere close to excited as everyone in the book seemed to be. That just seemed weird. Not saying I hate my step mom, she's great, but Alice in particular is squealing with delight every time her step-mom's name is mentioned.
The other storyline is about Eric, the stuttering boy, and is gravitating because like me, he has an obvious difference about him. And it's very different to read about a girl who likes a boy with a problem despite and how she responds to it. There was one line that struck me so much that I took it out of the book and posted it on my facebook page.
"To a person who stutters, though, I suppose he thinks we only focus on the stutter." - Alice
And to hear an author, a female author, write something like that which is how I think on a daily basis, is just mind blowing. Because she's implying that no one really cares about your deficiencies once they get to know you. People have been telling me this for years, for as long as I can remember, but sometimes I think they're just being nice. How can you not notice?
Anyway, I liked this book a lot and will continue reading the series even though I'm not the author's target demographic.
June 19, 2011
Very engaging, if you're 14 and you have survived your first semester in high school and a break up with your boyfriend of two years. Alice is a really cool girl and you can learn a lot from her. This book is a stand alone but I read it in the I like him, he likes her bound edition which had 3 of these books. The books are written over the freshman school year and the summer afterwards. P.S. Even though 3 books are bound into one book, I'm counting them as 3 separate reads!!!!
September 19, 2012
Alice finally gets involved, but her busy schedule doesn't sit well with her best friends. The trio grows apart while Alice makes friends with a new crowd, the theater crowd. Lester falls for one of his professors which only gets him into trouble. My favorite part was Lester's birthday present to Alice in which they attend the theater production of Tony n' Tina. Funny and a picture of Alice growing into a bold, confident young woman. Recommended for girls grades 8 and up.
August 31, 2011
#17 Alice has become very busy at school with the drama club and the new play as well as working on the school newspaper and getting a new boyfriend, Eric. Her old friends feel abandoned while she makes new friends and for once Lester, her older brother, is the one to be dumped by a woman. She also has to deal with a hazing incidence and the controlling boyfriend of a new friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2013
This was my least favorite Alice book so far, I hope the series doesn't go downhill from here. Alice is still in 9th grade. She meets a new guy who has a stuttering problem, deals with a friend who has an abusive boyfriend, amongst many other social issues. Sometimes I feel as though Naylor deliberately tries to cover every single social issue known to man.
June 7, 2021
i'm not that close to either of my brothers....do people actually talk to their brother like this??
September 19, 2021
This is an okay Alice book. It marks the start of the books where so much is about Alice's extracurricular activities, replacing the fun family and friend interactions of the earlier books.
CAY: Alice has a secret admirer and meets a new boy she casually dates. Good to see her moving along from Patrick and a sign that she is a genuinely nice girl accepting of kids with differences.
Stage crew: I acted in school plays but hearing all the details of stage crew, performances, cast parties, etc. get a little boring. The hazing incident was horrifying and I'm glad the adults seem to take Alice's feelings seriously. The newspaper scenes also get tedious in later books but Alice starting an article on hazing that made a difference in policy was interesting.
It's natural to grow apart from friends in high school and I liked the storyline of Liz and Pam feeling resentful of Alice's new friends. The Tiddly Winks consultant job seems so stupid and sort of like a pyramid scheme? The tried to target the girls in middle school and again in high school though thankfully aren't brought up in later books.
Les is up to his usual dating hijinks, dating a professor and the girls bailing him out is definitely exciting.
CAY: Alice has a secret admirer and meets a new boy she casually dates. Good to see her moving along from Patrick and a sign that she is a genuinely nice girl accepting of kids with differences.
Stage crew: I acted in school plays but hearing all the details of stage crew, performances, cast parties, etc. get a little boring. The hazing incident was horrifying and I'm glad the adults seem to take Alice's feelings seriously. The newspaper scenes also get tedious in later books but Alice starting an article on hazing that made a difference in policy was interesting.
It's natural to grow apart from friends in high school and I liked the storyline of Liz and Pam feeling resentful of Alice's new friends. The Tiddly Winks consultant job seems so stupid and sort of like a pyramid scheme? The tried to target the girls in middle school and again in high school though thankfully aren't brought up in later books.
Les is up to his usual dating hijinks, dating a professor and the girls bailing him out is definitely exciting.
July 24, 2017
High school! Aw - Alice is growing up so fast, but I like how she's getting closer to my age. One year to go by the end of this book. Ah, I remember being a little freshman, but I'm fortunate not to have experienced any hazing like the kind going on at Alice's school. I like how Alice is so honest and often bold with her words and actions. I liked the immersion into high school life - Alice's extracurriculars are the newspaper and the school musical.
Clearly, the author meant to include moral lessons about unhealthy/abusive relationships and people who stutter, but I don't mind at all because it was executed well.
I loved the part about Tina and Tony's wedding. That seems so fun and I'd like to go to something like that someday.
Alice's dad and brother are always great.
Alice is really branching out and it's nice. Not just Pam and Liz and the old crew (I still need to get used to those nicknames. Why, even?)
I like the inclusion of the poem "Daffodils", by William Wordsworth (not for the first time either), which I memorized in third grade and still remember the words to.
Clearly, the author meant to include moral lessons about unhealthy/abusive relationships and people who stutter, but I don't mind at all because it was executed well.
I loved the part about Tina and Tony's wedding. That seems so fun and I'd like to go to something like that someday.
Alice's dad and brother are always great.
Alice is really branching out and it's nice. Not just Pam and Liz and the old crew (I still need to get used to those nicknames. Why, even?)
I like the inclusion of the poem "Daffodils", by William Wordsworth (not for the first time either), which I memorized in third grade and still remember the words to.
August 24, 2025
3.5/5
cute story i like Alice‘s relationship with Lester in this book it‘s even more prominent. although sometimes a bit too close i did NOT find it normal how she was thinking about being her brother‘s girlfriend seriously what? i‘ll leave that aside.
however 1 star deduction for the absolutely unnecessary gross scene at the end caught me so of guard. also disagree with the normalization of letting a 14/15 year old go outside in skimpy clothing (or anyone for that matter) but i see how this is normal in america so i guess my criticism seems silly. all in all i love the alice series, i do see how parents could have deemed them inappropriate for teenagers/kids in the past i honestly also don‘t know if i‘d want my kids reading these🤣 some good values that Alice teaches is that she stays young and „childlike“ even as a teenager she doesn‘t try and grow up too fast (aside from the clothing and relationships), she spends time with her family, has fun and is caring of the people around her.
cute story i like Alice‘s relationship with Lester in this book it‘s even more prominent. although sometimes a bit too close i did NOT find it normal how she was thinking about being her brother‘s girlfriend seriously what? i‘ll leave that aside.
however 1 star deduction for the absolutely unnecessary gross scene at the end caught me so of guard. also disagree with the normalization of letting a 14/15 year old go outside in skimpy clothing (or anyone for that matter) but i see how this is normal in america so i guess my criticism seems silly. all in all i love the alice series, i do see how parents could have deemed them inappropriate for teenagers/kids in the past i honestly also don‘t know if i‘d want my kids reading these🤣 some good values that Alice teaches is that she stays young and „childlike“ even as a teenager she doesn‘t try and grow up too fast (aside from the clothing and relationships), she spends time with her family, has fun and is caring of the people around her.
April 29, 2021
4 Stars...
This is my 2nd "Alice" book and I did enjoy this one better than the last one. There is something about these books that draw me in and I find myself wanting to continue to read. It's not that the story itself is exciting or anything like that, but I just really like the writing and reading about Alice's little life. There were a few things here and there that I didn't like though, but obviously not enough to bring down my rating lower than 4. There were parts that did make me laugh and some that made me cringe. I did like the addition of Eric and how sweet and patient Alice was to him (come back Eric!).
Overall, this was an improvement and I look forward to reading the next book.
Content: mentions of sex, a hazing incident where Alice's pants and underwear are pulled down by 2 boys and stamped, some kissing
Language: no language
This is my 2nd "Alice" book and I did enjoy this one better than the last one. There is something about these books that draw me in and I find myself wanting to continue to read. It's not that the story itself is exciting or anything like that, but I just really like the writing and reading about Alice's little life. There were a few things here and there that I didn't like though, but obviously not enough to bring down my rating lower than 4. There were parts that did make me laugh and some that made me cringe. I did like the addition of Eric and how sweet and patient Alice was to him (come back Eric!).
Overall, this was an improvement and I look forward to reading the next book.
Content: mentions of sex, a hazing incident where Alice's pants and underwear are pulled down by 2 boys and stamped, some kissing
Language: no language
November 17, 2024
One of the best from Alice series. Plotnya sangat padat. Mulai dari menikmati masa remaja yang produktif meskipun jomlo, bertengkar dan menjauh dari sahabat karena berbeda kegiatan lalu berbaikan lagi, bagaimana seharusnya hubungan romansa yang sehat antara lelaki dengan perempuan, hingga melawan pelecehan seksual dalam sekolah dengan kekuatan koran sekolah.
Ada tokoh yang menarik di sini: Eric Fielding. Cowok gagap yang mendekati Alice dengan mengirim e-mail anonim pada awalnya. Dia lumayan manis. Sayangnya perannya langsung diakhiri karena dia dibuat pindah ke Dallas justru setelah Alice nyaman dengannya. Ufff....
Lester kena batunya. Dia dipermainkan oleh dosennya sendiri, Lauren. Cewek itu memanfaatkan Lester untuk mengantarnya ke mana-mana. Lalu memutuskannya dengan alasan profesionalisme di tempat kerja dan langsung pacaran dengan dosen Fisika. Hmm....
Ada tokoh yang menarik di sini: Eric Fielding. Cowok gagap yang mendekati Alice dengan mengirim e-mail anonim pada awalnya. Dia lumayan manis. Sayangnya perannya langsung diakhiri karena dia dibuat pindah ke Dallas justru setelah Alice nyaman dengannya. Ufff....
Lester kena batunya. Dia dipermainkan oleh dosennya sendiri, Lauren. Cewek itu memanfaatkan Lester untuk mengantarnya ke mana-mana. Lalu memutuskannya dengan alasan profesionalisme di tempat kerja dan langsung pacaran dengan dosen Fisika. Hmm....
January 12, 2022
Alice is growing up! 😭 I feel a bit like a proud mama watching her adventures as she’s coming into her adolescence. This is such a unique series, where we get to follow one character from grade school clear through high school.
In this book, Alice finished her freshman year. She deals with some very heavy topics: . It’s cool seeing how Alice is maturing and thinking more deeply about things. She’s got a good heart but is still a realistically flawed character.
In this book, Alice finished her freshman year. She deals with some very heavy topics: . It’s cool seeing how Alice is maturing and thinking more deeply about things. She’s got a good heart but is still a realistically flawed character.
April 3, 2018
I enjoyed this one! It was fun watching Alice be on her own and discover new hobbies and make new friends. Kind of reminded me and my friends growing up, like how I hated when one of my friends was spending time with someone else, and vice-versa. I sort of wish the whole Faith storyline with her abusive boyfriend could have been explored a little more. It mostly just touched on the subject and then it was over. But I guess a book can only be so long!
September 28, 2018
You know, sometimes kids like to read books that answer their questions. You and I might think that the series gets awfully didactic, but it fills a need. I sure do wish I had them growing up.
Now if we could just get her school's administration to ban PDAs. And getting Valentine's Day bouquets delivered to the office, for the lucky among the girls to go get? So very wrong!
Now if we could just get her school's administration to ban PDAs. And getting Valentine's Day bouquets delivered to the office, for the lucky among the girls to go get? So very wrong!
February 1, 2020
I re-read this book as I have only read in German about 10 years ago before the translation was discontinued. Therefore I now what to read the rest of the series in English and decided to freshen up my memory with reading this one. The book is still as funny as I remember and I cannot wait to pick up the next installments and finally finish the series.
July 18, 2020
Would a high school freshman in the early 2000s even know who Ann Landers is? Seems way too dated to me. Also, who names their kid Lester in the 1990s? That's just cruel. Makes him sound like a retired vacuum salesman whose one hip replacement away from the nursing home. This one was better than Alice Alone, but still too simplified for my tastes.
May 12, 2018
This is probably one of my favourite Alice books. She discovers what it's like to be her own person and not look for happiness in anyone else. It's such an empowering book and I think it'll impact a lot of teens in a very positive way.
January 17, 2021
Great books! I love the reality of it!
March 28, 2021
Good continuation of the series, and depiction of how friends can sometimes grow apart and come back together. Also enjoy how Alice is learning to be by herself, and taking the high road.
December 30, 2025
Not such a fan as I felt Reynolds Naylor’s writing style and tone changed. Less funny and more forced.
January 1, 2026
The nostalgia of this series ❤️
It’s great to see Alice as strong and independent during a very uncertain time of life - very helpful for girls her age!
It’s great to see Alice as strong and independent during a very uncertain time of life - very helpful for girls her age!
July 15, 2022
I loved this one! Such a realistic portrayal of a teenager. Even though this book is several decades old I didn’t find it too outdated.
October 3, 2023
September 2023 reread.
I would guess my high school had about a hundred kids in each class, and I’ve always gotten the impression that Alice goes to a larger school than that. Our high school newspaper was often riddled with typos, printing errors, and was rarely produced on any set schedule. And at Alice’s school kids she doesn’t know compliment her on her articles, and absolutely everyone reads the paper. And discusses it.
Whenever Patrick’s accelerated schedule is described they mention that he doesn’t have a lunch period, he has to “grab a sandwich” between classes. Regardless of school size, I think they are legally obligated to assign each student a lunch period. That always rang false to me.
This book introduces Faith as a member of the stage crew and new friend to Alice. This is also the return of Charlene Verona, who Alice refers to as “the girl we love to hate.” But, really? In her only appearances in The Agony of Alice, she and Elizabeth are always in a contest to to one-up each other about their teacher’s good qualities. That’s it. Hardly a good at everything, perfect and show-offy character that she is now. Not sure why she was re-introduced that way.
Alice meets and has a few dates with Eric Fielding before he moves to Texas and Lester’s relationship with Lauren begins and ends in this book.
October 2019 reread.
Alice Alone and Simply Alice are where the shift for me occurs with the Alice books. There are still laugh out loud funny moments and touching family scenes. This is still a great series. It's just ... not the same series that followed Alice through Junior High.
And let it be known that I HATE these covers! I did when they came out, and I still do. The cover model looks like she's entering Junior High, not High School. I actually own the omnibus editions of the books covering Alice's high school years, which have a better cover image if a goofy title for each collection.
It's good to see Alice "come into her own" and develop her own hobbies outside of Elizabeth and Pamela (or "Liz" and "Pam" as they suddenly discover nicknames after three years of friendship), and learn to be okay with life without a boyfriend. The friendship dramatics felt realistic. I also enjoyed reading about her adventures on stage crew and writing for the school paper, even if some of it did feel idealized. It's fiction and that's what I'm here for.
I would guess my high school had about a hundred kids in each class, and I’ve always gotten the impression that Alice goes to a larger school than that. Our high school newspaper was often riddled with typos, printing errors, and was rarely produced on any set schedule. And at Alice’s school kids she doesn’t know compliment her on her articles, and absolutely everyone reads the paper. And discusses it.
Whenever Patrick’s accelerated schedule is described they mention that he doesn’t have a lunch period, he has to “grab a sandwich” between classes. Regardless of school size, I think they are legally obligated to assign each student a lunch period. That always rang false to me.
This book introduces Faith as a member of the stage crew and new friend to Alice. This is also the return of Charlene Verona, who Alice refers to as “the girl we love to hate.” But, really? In her only appearances in The Agony of Alice, she and Elizabeth are always in a contest to to one-up each other about their teacher’s good qualities. That’s it. Hardly a good at everything, perfect and show-offy character that she is now. Not sure why she was re-introduced that way.
Alice meets and has a few dates with Eric Fielding before he moves to Texas and Lester’s relationship with Lauren begins and ends in this book.
October 2019 reread.
Alice Alone and Simply Alice are where the shift for me occurs with the Alice books. There are still laugh out loud funny moments and touching family scenes. This is still a great series. It's just ... not the same series that followed Alice through Junior High.
And let it be known that I HATE these covers! I did when they came out, and I still do. The cover model looks like she's entering Junior High, not High School. I actually own the omnibus editions of the books covering Alice's high school years, which have a better cover image if a goofy title for each collection.
It's good to see Alice "come into her own" and develop her own hobbies outside of Elizabeth and Pamela (or "Liz" and "Pam" as they suddenly discover nicknames after three years of friendship), and learn to be okay with life without a boyfriend. The friendship dramatics felt realistic. I also enjoyed reading about her adventures on stage crew and writing for the school paper, even if some of it did feel idealized. It's fiction and that's what I'm here for.
April 12, 2016
Alice #14 -- in which a ton of things happen, but nothing really happens.
This is the problem with some of the later Alice books - they don't have an overarching story. While Alice Alone dealt with the buildup and fallout of Alice and Patrick's breakup, Simply Alice reads like a semester-long diary with lots of smaller subplots in the absence of any larger theme.
Alice joins the drama club and gets hazed. She gets the journalism club to write an article about hazing on campus and inspires the principal to create school rules around what kind of initiation is acceptable and what isn't. I guess this is interesting, and everyone (especially PRN) has read the horror stories about fraternity hazings gone wrong. But the story doesn't really go anywhere. It's just a story that lasts two to three chapters and isn't ever mentioned again.
Elizabeth and Pamela get mad because Alice hasn't had enough time for them with all her new extracurriculars, but that story line kind of fizzles when Alice apologizes and all is forgiven. Alice gets appendicitis, but she gets it removed and that's the end of that. So many mini-events occur but nothing is really moving the characters forward in any tangible way.
I guess the most significant thing that happens is Alice dates a guy who stutters. She isn't bothered by his stutter, and no one else really is either, but it's a decent lesson in being kind to people who might be a little different. It's also a good experience for Alice to date someone other than Patrick, and she learns that it's okay to have more casual, undefined relationships.
Overall, if you're up for skipping books in a series, Simply Alice is one you can easily take a pass on. There are no big changes, no interesting developments and no running themes. Naylor is capable of much better.
Simply Alice sets up Patiently Alice, which I remember being one of my favorites the first time I read it. We'll see how it holds up a decade later.
This is the problem with some of the later Alice books - they don't have an overarching story. While Alice Alone dealt with the buildup and fallout of Alice and Patrick's breakup, Simply Alice reads like a semester-long diary with lots of smaller subplots in the absence of any larger theme.
Alice joins the drama club and gets hazed. She gets the journalism club to write an article about hazing on campus and inspires the principal to create school rules around what kind of initiation is acceptable and what isn't. I guess this is interesting, and everyone (especially PRN) has read the horror stories about fraternity hazings gone wrong. But the story doesn't really go anywhere. It's just a story that lasts two to three chapters and isn't ever mentioned again.
Elizabeth and Pamela get mad because Alice hasn't had enough time for them with all her new extracurriculars, but that story line kind of fizzles when Alice apologizes and all is forgiven. Alice gets appendicitis, but she gets it removed and that's the end of that. So many mini-events occur but nothing is really moving the characters forward in any tangible way.
I guess the most significant thing that happens is Alice dates a guy who stutters. She isn't bothered by his stutter, and no one else really is either, but it's a decent lesson in being kind to people who might be a little different. It's also a good experience for Alice to date someone other than Patrick, and she learns that it's okay to have more casual, undefined relationships.
Overall, if you're up for skipping books in a series, Simply Alice is one you can easily take a pass on. There are no big changes, no interesting developments and no running themes. Naylor is capable of much better.
Simply Alice sets up Patiently Alice, which I remember being one of my favorites the first time I read it. We'll see how it holds up a decade later.
July 30, 2014
Alice learns how to be by herself again after surviving her first breakup. In the meantime, she packs her days with more work at the school newspaper, stage crew in drama, and working weekends. She makes new friends (punk Molly, goth Faith). She celebrates her 15th birthday.
Book takes place: Spring semester of 9th grade.
Alice's life lessons: You can be yourself and be by yourself and learn to be stronger as an individual.
Best Alice moment(s): CAY; Greek mask tattoo; "no hard feelings, luv"; Alice gets email; Lester gets in trouble; Sylvia comes home
Book takes place: Spring semester of 9th grade.
Alice's life lessons: You can be yourself and be by yourself and learn to be stronger as an individual.
Best Alice moment(s): CAY; Greek mask tattoo; "no hard feelings, luv"; Alice gets email; Lester gets in trouble; Sylvia comes home
August 30, 2017
Child me: 5 stars
Adult me: 4 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
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Another Alice book with more topics Phyllis wrote wonderfully that I think everyone should read about, or least know about. I like that Alice figured out she did not need to be part of a couple to be happy.
I'm on the fence how I feel about the whole Alice/Patrick/Penny thing. I know they are children and it wasn't like a married couple cheating on each other, but still, it left a squirmy feeling in my stomach. Cheating is something I can not ever agree with, even if it was just a kiss or emotional cheating. They are kids and they are learning and growing, of course. It is a confusing time for them, romance and everything is really new.
Adult me: 4 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
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Another Alice book with more topics Phyllis wrote wonderfully that I think everyone should read about, or least know about. I like that Alice figured out she did not need to be part of a couple to be happy.
I'm on the fence how I feel about the whole Alice/Patrick/Penny thing. I know they are children and it wasn't like a married couple cheating on each other, but still, it left a squirmy feeling in my stomach. Cheating is something I can not ever agree with, even if it was just a kiss or emotional cheating. They are kids and they are learning and growing, of course. It is a confusing time for them, romance and everything is really new.
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