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Alice and the Fly
A spellbinding debut novel by an exceptional new young British talent.
This is a book about phobias and obsessions, isolation and dark corners. It's about families, friendships, and carefully preserved secrets. But above everything else it's about love. Finding love - in any of its forms - and nurturing it.
Miss Hayes has a new theory. She thinks my condition's caused by some traumatic incident from my past I keep deep-rooted in my mind. As soon as I come clean I'll flood out all these tears and it'll all be ok and I won't be scared of Them anymore. The truth is I can't think of any single traumatic childhood incident to tell her. I mean, there are plenty of bad memories - Herb's death, or the time I bit the hole in my tongue, or Finners Island, out on the boat with Sarah - but none of these are what caused the phobia. I've always had it. It's Them. I'm just scared of Them. It's that simple.
This is a book about phobias and obsessions, isolation and dark corners. It's about families, friendships, and carefully preserved secrets. But above everything else it's about love. Finding love - in any of its forms - and nurturing it.
Miss Hayes has a new theory. She thinks my condition's caused by some traumatic incident from my past I keep deep-rooted in my mind. As soon as I come clean I'll flood out all these tears and it'll all be ok and I won't be scared of Them anymore. The truth is I can't think of any single traumatic childhood incident to tell her. I mean, there are plenty of bad memories - Herb's death, or the time I bit the hole in my tongue, or Finners Island, out on the boat with Sarah - but none of these are what caused the phobia. I've always had it. It's Them. I'm just scared of Them. It's that simple.
323 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2015
91 people are currently reading
4816 people want to read
About the author
James Rice
1 book34 followersAuthor of 'Alice and the Fly', Hodder and Stoughton (2015). Also semi-functioning human being.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 434 reviews
March 31, 2021
⭐8/10⭐
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April 18, 2017
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Greg doesn’t have a problem remembering good things about his childhood. He knows he was happy living with Nan and Herb. His family took an amazing vacation to Finner’s Island. Even when he was seeing THEM Nan was right there with him – stocked with packing tape to seal THEM out. Those days are long gone, however. Herb died and Nan had to move into a nursing home and nobody in the family wants to talk about what happened at Finner’s Island. Nowadays Greg has to be satisfied making it through a day of high school. A place where . . . .
“I’d like it if someone just called me “Greg.” “Psycho is a hard nickname to live down.”
Greg’s teacher, Ms. Hayes, thinks she might be able to help with that. And why not? She seems to really know what she’s talking about . . . .
“Do you have any prior training in this field?”
“Psychiatry?”
“Are you qualified in any way?”
“I studied psychology.”
“Where?”
“High school.”
With the encouragement of Ms. Hayes, Greg begins writing a journal, but with a twist – he writes in his journal to a fellow student named Alice . . . .
“I think writing to nobody’s pretty stupid. That’s why I’ve decided to keep writing to you. I hope you don’t mind. You just seem like a good way of getting the words on the page. I know you don’t know me, but nobody knows me, and by knowing that you now kind of know me better than anyone. My name’s Greg, by the way.”
I discovered this book thanks to the Bookish Buzz’s 13 Underrated Novels You Must Read Immediately. I’ve now read six of the thirteen and while I can’t say they have all been what I would consider “underrated” I can say they’ve all been completely unique. Alice and the Fly is definitely not going to be a book for everyone. The entire thing is spent in the head of a mentally ill person AND aside from a couple of interview snippets with a handful of other characters it’s all in journal form. That means you’re literally reading things like what Greg had for breakfast. It’s obvious the story is building up to something, but that something doesn’t come until 90+% so if you’re not invested in Greg, you will struggle. This is also shelved as YA, but I would consider it a very mature YA. Although the bad stuff is either alluded to or written fade-to-black style, pretty much ALL the bad stuff you could think of happens. It should go without saying at this point, but this is definitely not a sunshine and unicorn farts selection. However, if you’re like Mitchell and me you already believe that . . . .
So maybe you’ll be mesmerized by it too.
Greg doesn’t have a problem remembering good things about his childhood. He knows he was happy living with Nan and Herb. His family took an amazing vacation to Finner’s Island. Even when he was seeing THEM Nan was right there with him – stocked with packing tape to seal THEM out. Those days are long gone, however. Herb died and Nan had to move into a nursing home and nobody in the family wants to talk about what happened at Finner’s Island. Nowadays Greg has to be satisfied making it through a day of high school. A place where . . . .
“I’d like it if someone just called me “Greg.” “Psycho is a hard nickname to live down.”
Greg’s teacher, Ms. Hayes, thinks she might be able to help with that. And why not? She seems to really know what she’s talking about . . . .
“Do you have any prior training in this field?”
“Psychiatry?”
“Are you qualified in any way?”
“I studied psychology.”
“Where?”
“High school.”
With the encouragement of Ms. Hayes, Greg begins writing a journal, but with a twist – he writes in his journal to a fellow student named Alice . . . .
“I think writing to nobody’s pretty stupid. That’s why I’ve decided to keep writing to you. I hope you don’t mind. You just seem like a good way of getting the words on the page. I know you don’t know me, but nobody knows me, and by knowing that you now kind of know me better than anyone. My name’s Greg, by the way.”
I discovered this book thanks to the Bookish Buzz’s 13 Underrated Novels You Must Read Immediately. I’ve now read six of the thirteen and while I can’t say they have all been what I would consider “underrated” I can say they’ve all been completely unique. Alice and the Fly is definitely not going to be a book for everyone. The entire thing is spent in the head of a mentally ill person AND aside from a couple of interview snippets with a handful of other characters it’s all in journal form. That means you’re literally reading things like what Greg had for breakfast. It’s obvious the story is building up to something, but that something doesn’t come until 90+% so if you’re not invested in Greg, you will struggle. This is also shelved as YA, but I would consider it a very mature YA. Although the bad stuff is either alluded to or written fade-to-black style, pretty much ALL the bad stuff you could think of happens. It should go without saying at this point, but this is definitely not a sunshine and unicorn farts selection. However, if you’re like Mitchell and me you already believe that . . . .
So maybe you’ll be mesmerized by it too.
February 15, 2021
Actual rating : 2.5 stars
"Then she turned to me and said, "Just promise me, if she sees us, just promise me you'll try and be normal."
I didn't reply to that because I didn't know how to reply. I didn't know how I could promise something I had failed to do my whole life."
Once again, I find myself wondering why so many books lose their rhythm around 50%. I swear, book, could you not be crappy from the beginning? To let me dnf the fuck out of you and call it a day? No. You have to be really good at first. To excite my expectations. To give me hope. And then BIM. BORING.
I’m not thanking you, book.
Let me say something first: when I met him I loved Greg’s voice, which I found so refreshing and funny in its matter-of-fact way. Indeed Greg shows us the world with a completely different insight, sometimes harsh, sometimes a little heartbreaking. I must admit that every time he related a moment he was bullied my heart broke a little more, especially because no matter how detached he seemed to be, the emotions, the humiliation stayed painfully clear.
Do not think that Greg’s perfect, though. Indeed he is a little creeper and judgmental at times, there’s no hiding around it. I won’t say much, but … Let’s say that questions about who he is arise pretty fast. Is he reliable? No.
Little by little, we peek through the veil and realize that we have to pay attention to the contradictions and distance between the events he relates and his interpretation of them. You'll have to weigh everything Greg tells you. Take nothing for granted. Because everything can change in a heartbeat.
How well do we know people around us? On the bus? At work? We often forget that every single person we talk to has thoughts, too. All the time. We forget because it's all very overwhelming, but trust me, Greg is going to make you think twice and reevaluate your perception of people around you.
During the first 35%, Greg fascinated me, letting me wide eyed. He goes out of every boxes, can't be limited, the boundaries between good and evil are blurred, and we only… follow him in his delusions.
A little word about the way schizophrenia is pictured, though. Is it accurate? I have no idea. There, I said it. Should I stay clear from everything mental illness related because my knowledge of them is closed to none? I don't think so. I won't accept romanticization of it if it’s painfully obvious, but is it accurate? Fuck if I know. I'm sure you'll find a review more interesting in that regard and I thank in advance all the reviewers who’ll share their knowledge.
Unfortunately every character except Greg was too stereotypical for my taste - perhaps it is due to Greg’s narration, but I admit that I had a hard time suspending my disbelief many times. Not to mention that every female teenager is called a vulture – which is a little unsettling, don’t you think? As for Alice, well, let’s be clear one second: I have no idea who she is. But the way I see it, that's the point. Despite his obsession, Greg never really gets to know Alice contrary to what he thinks.
As I said earlier, some reactions were a little hard to buy.
- Trust me, I don't want to believe that parents who decide to bury their heads in the sand are believable, but okay, let's say they are. Now, how can Greg be medicated without a proper diagnostic? How can a doctor prescribe him medications for YEARS without never making another test or checked-up? In case it was done, how can his parents leave him like this? With his half-mad grandma? I mean, this is pretty TERRIBLE. You realize that your son suffers from a mental illness therefore you just... send him away. Okay.
- About the teacher, am I the only one to find it weird that she decides on her own to counsel Greg despite the fact that - oh, she is not a psychologist. She never studied psychology except in high school. Look, I studied a curse in children psychology in College, yet by no means do I consider myself able to counsel a teenager suffering from a mental illness, especially if I am the only one doing it.
At first I thought that it was an interesting and thought-provoking little book – but that was before everything turned out… almost generic in its originality and failed to keep me engrossed. Suffering from its uneven pacing, my interest wavered.
Indeed it became pretty predictable in the second half. I mean, from the cops interviews we know something bad is coming and somehow guessing the truth isn't that hard. That's why the ending felt anticlimactic to me... and the way everything was wrapped up a little too convenient.
Can we talk about the boredom? Yeah? Let me state this first: I was hooked from page one until... around 35%. It was refreshing, intriguing, and I really thought that this book would be a winner. No such luck. Greg started to ramble way too much and the action just never kicked in - it seems that I waited forever to get somewhere and I lost sight of what I loved in the beginning, sadly.
My last complaint lies in the fact that Greg failed to move me once the second half was started - and that's a shame really because given his condition I SHOULD have felt something. Anger. Sadness. Despair. I don't fucking know. But something. I did at first - how couldn't I, while he is so lonely? But my heart dried out, unfortunately.
Before I let you go, I wanted to talk about a scene that I'm not sure I read correctly - because it's difficult to know with Greg's POV sometimes - but if it is what I think, it was poorly handled. There is a girl - Angela - in a bed with 2 guys who are pouring beer on her while she is almost unconscious and full of vomit and from what Greg says, they might be (sexually) abusing her. I didn't like the fact that I'm not sure. I didn't like the fact that I had to rely on Greg's POV on this because if she was abused I WOULD WANT FOR THE AUTHOR TO DEAL WITH IT, not only mention it in passing. Perhaps I'm imagining things, but the truth is, I have no way of knowing. It was useless in my opinion to include such a scene.
Sigh. Perhaps I'm being unfair, but really, I just want to forget it. Clear enough, right?
CREDIT LEAVES (in my picture on the top): http://roys-art.deviantart.com/art/Sc...
*arc kindly provided by Quercus (US) through Netgalley. It did not, in any case, influence my opinion*
June 14, 2016
Weon, usted NO LEA RESEÑAS de este libro, NO SE SPOILEE. Por favor, tomen un salto de fé conmigo ... vaya, descarguelo o comprelo. Pero léanlo, people, este libro es increíble. No es tanto lo que te cuenta, sino lo que queda en el tintero.
December 14, 2014
Another book that stunned me into silence (and believe me that is not the easiest thing to achieve) Alice and the Fly really is a most amazing read – immediately addictive, haunting, terribly authentic and with some beautifully written prose and an almost creepy, unsettling ambience this will draw you in and hold you there throughout.
Told mostly by Greg through his “diary” he paints a picture of an isolated life – Greg has issues, he is the loner, the “strange” one – his peers refer to him as “psycho” and his parents tend to ignore him as much as possible. The world seen through Greg’s eyes is a strange, unbalanced one, yet often unknowingly insightful when it comes to the people around him, his way of describing things will leave you feeling off kilter but entirely fascinated.
It is a difficult one to review, mainly because I’m loathe to tell you anything much about the plot – I quite honestly think the less known about anything here the better it will be for the reading experience. It is the tale of a boy on the edge and touches on many themes, all of them important and relevant, given a true, resounding and emotional voice through young Greg, a character you will be utterly utterly engaged and enchanted by.
I’m aware from the blurb that came with the copy that the author has used some of his own experiences to colour the narrative and this shines through in the absolutely realistic feeling that you get from the story, you really could be reading a real account from a real person, facing real problems and emotions. The last few chapters had me gulping in air as I waited on tenterhooks to see what the outcome would be, where Greg would end up, what would happen to him and to others, it was impossible at this stage to put it down even for a moment.
I’ll be honest and say I’m not really sure what I was feeling at the end. Slightly heart broken, definitely a bit teary eyed, and a pure mix of other emotions that won’t come out in words. A beautifully written, haunting, evocative and immensely accomplished tale which I THINK is mostly about perception and love but who am I to put a label on it? Unbelievable for a debut, this is a novel that demands that you make people read it – James Rice is one to watch. No doubt in my mind. Don’t miss it.
Highly Recommended. 5 bright shiny stars and some kittens for this one.
Told mostly by Greg through his “diary” he paints a picture of an isolated life – Greg has issues, he is the loner, the “strange” one – his peers refer to him as “psycho” and his parents tend to ignore him as much as possible. The world seen through Greg’s eyes is a strange, unbalanced one, yet often unknowingly insightful when it comes to the people around him, his way of describing things will leave you feeling off kilter but entirely fascinated.
It is a difficult one to review, mainly because I’m loathe to tell you anything much about the plot – I quite honestly think the less known about anything here the better it will be for the reading experience. It is the tale of a boy on the edge and touches on many themes, all of them important and relevant, given a true, resounding and emotional voice through young Greg, a character you will be utterly utterly engaged and enchanted by.
I’m aware from the blurb that came with the copy that the author has used some of his own experiences to colour the narrative and this shines through in the absolutely realistic feeling that you get from the story, you really could be reading a real account from a real person, facing real problems and emotions. The last few chapters had me gulping in air as I waited on tenterhooks to see what the outcome would be, where Greg would end up, what would happen to him and to others, it was impossible at this stage to put it down even for a moment.
I’ll be honest and say I’m not really sure what I was feeling at the end. Slightly heart broken, definitely a bit teary eyed, and a pure mix of other emotions that won’t come out in words. A beautifully written, haunting, evocative and immensely accomplished tale which I THINK is mostly about perception and love but who am I to put a label on it? Unbelievable for a debut, this is a novel that demands that you make people read it – James Rice is one to watch. No doubt in my mind. Don’t miss it.
Highly Recommended. 5 bright shiny stars and some kittens for this one.
April 4, 2016
I am the hugest fan of unreliable narrators and mindfuckery and not knowing what happens until the very end...this was confusing. So much so that I don't know how to properly review it.
What I liked: the format of letter writing/journaling, the insert of interviews, the vagueness of the overall story arc.
What I didn't like: the entire chapters that were just one sentence {although looking back, it was effective}, the shiteous family life that Greg had, the dog abuse, the maybe rape scene of an unconscious girl {I say maybe because Greg is horribly unreliable in reporting what he sees}, the lack of answers at the end.
I've finished the book and I legit have no idea what I just read. And from the reviews, I'm obviously in the minority.
**Huge thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
What I liked: the format of letter writing/journaling, the insert of interviews, the vagueness of the overall story arc.
What I didn't like: the entire chapters that were just one sentence {although looking back, it was effective}, the shiteous family life that Greg had, the dog abuse, the maybe rape scene of an unconscious girl {I say maybe because Greg is horribly unreliable in reporting what he sees}, the lack of answers at the end.
I've finished the book and I legit have no idea what I just read. And from the reviews, I'm obviously in the minority.
**Huge thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
March 28, 2018
3.5 stars
I have, personally, never read a story like Alice and the Fly before. Mysteries? Of course! Thrillers? Doubly yes, they're my favourite. A story this gritty, this psychological, this eerie and this gripping, though? Nope. I cannot say that I have.
Alice and the Fly was an undeniably a dark and disturbing read. While it was definitely thrilling, I loved that it focused on the protagonist more than anything else - his personality, his obsessions, his mental health. Greg was not a reliable narrator but his voice was unique, gripping and done in such a way that the story never felt like anything other than him. This was his story from his perspective. We knew it was a little warped but because we knew that (and knew a little of the overarching storyline because of the snippets of the police interview transcripts), we could really see understand the story from Greg's perspective.
Greg was such a memorable character. He was... different. Perplexing. I don't want to say too much because I think diving into this story relatively blind and discovering him by yourselves will be more rewarding, but there's so much to Greg's character that you'll not be bored. The second person perspective (which I have never read before, I don't think) was spot on. It added a layer of suspense, an extra chilling touch that was just perfect. It felt like we were acting out a part of the story, that we were there in the story. It was kind of eerie, but nonetheless engaging.
Why haven't I given this a thousand glowing stars then? I think, if I am being completely honest, it's kind of my fault. Like I said before, this story is unlike anything I've ever read - and that's not just because it is incredibly unique but because I rarely delve into this sort of genre. I don't have much experience with it. I think because I haven't read too many stories like this (focusing entirely on the physiological aspect of thrillers), I felt a little out of place at times. The story was engaging, gripping, but also a little dense, a little hard to swallow at times. It's dark, a little disturbing, and being in Greg's head at times was hard. I needed to put the book down just to take a deep breath to clear my head before getting back into the story. On a personal level, I found that a little too exhausting.
Also, there were a few pages and short chapters that didn't have any full stops, just Greg's rambling thoughts with a million ands joining together this long, long passage of thought. I understood the effect it gave and why the author did it. In fact, I'd be sad to see those passages edited out because they really were needed at those time but it also gave me headaches.
I would recommend this story in a heartbeat if you were the type of reader to enjoy messy psychological books that aren't afraid to throw blind punches and delve deep into the psyche of its protagonist. It's thrilling, gripping, heart-stopping and somehow moving at the same time. This isn't a story for the weak of heart. I am still blown away that this is actually the author's debut and I'll definitely be checking out whatever he puts out next.
I have, personally, never read a story like Alice and the Fly before. Mysteries? Of course! Thrillers? Doubly yes, they're my favourite. A story this gritty, this psychological, this eerie and this gripping, though? Nope. I cannot say that I have.
Alice and the Fly was an undeniably a dark and disturbing read. While it was definitely thrilling, I loved that it focused on the protagonist more than anything else - his personality, his obsessions, his mental health. Greg was not a reliable narrator but his voice was unique, gripping and done in such a way that the story never felt like anything other than him. This was his story from his perspective. We knew it was a little warped but because we knew that (and knew a little of the overarching storyline because of the snippets of the police interview transcripts), we could really see understand the story from Greg's perspective.
Greg was such a memorable character. He was... different. Perplexing. I don't want to say too much because I think diving into this story relatively blind and discovering him by yourselves will be more rewarding, but there's so much to Greg's character that you'll not be bored. The second person perspective (which I have never read before, I don't think) was spot on. It added a layer of suspense, an extra chilling touch that was just perfect. It felt like we were acting out a part of the story, that we were there in the story. It was kind of eerie, but nonetheless engaging.
Why haven't I given this a thousand glowing stars then? I think, if I am being completely honest, it's kind of my fault. Like I said before, this story is unlike anything I've ever read - and that's not just because it is incredibly unique but because I rarely delve into this sort of genre. I don't have much experience with it. I think because I haven't read too many stories like this (focusing entirely on the physiological aspect of thrillers), I felt a little out of place at times. The story was engaging, gripping, but also a little dense, a little hard to swallow at times. It's dark, a little disturbing, and being in Greg's head at times was hard. I needed to put the book down just to take a deep breath to clear my head before getting back into the story. On a personal level, I found that a little too exhausting.
Also, there were a few pages and short chapters that didn't have any full stops, just Greg's rambling thoughts with a million ands joining together this long, long passage of thought. I understood the effect it gave and why the author did it. In fact, I'd be sad to see those passages edited out because they really were needed at those time but it also gave me headaches.
I would recommend this story in a heartbeat if you were the type of reader to enjoy messy psychological books that aren't afraid to throw blind punches and delve deep into the psyche of its protagonist. It's thrilling, gripping, heart-stopping and somehow moving at the same time. This isn't a story for the weak of heart. I am still blown away that this is actually the author's debut and I'll definitely be checking out whatever he puts out next.
June 21, 2018
I received this book from NetGalley on a read to review basis. Thank you to the author, James Rice, and the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for this opportunity.
This was such an incredibly sad and poignant novel and I can't really begin to recount how this book has affected me. Anything that deals with mental health is going to be a poignant read, but the grace and knowledge that James Rice used to tackle this complex and heart-wrenching topic was phenomenal. This book was a dark insight into the darker world that many inhabit in their day-to-day lives and he handled it with sensitivity, and yet was unafraid to dwell on uncomfortable and nebulous topics.
This book struck a deeper chord with me as I have recently been diagnosed with my own mild mental health issue (this is also a huge step for me to admit here so please no negativity). I do not mean to demean the protagonist's illness or align myself with the severity of his in any way. I only wish to mention it as I believe it gave me a greater empathy towards the protagonist's predicament, highlights the far-reaching spectrum this book can appeal to and draws a parallel towards the protagonist's individual fictional world and the far bigger reality this books alludes to.
The writing of this book is beautiful in its simplicity. I gathered a good sense of the unfortunate soul behind the words and the simplicity only serves to highlights the sadness that overshadows his whole life and has become a part of who he is: he does not dwell on his sadness, he is is sadness.
The book is overshadowed by segments from police transcripts dealing with a dark and unknown event in our protagonist, Greg's, life; leading this to become almost a thriller/mystery novel as the reader attempts to puzzle out what is being alluded to. It is also through these segments that we discover that our protagonist is a rather unreliable one. We learn to read between the lines and see the world not through Greg's eyes, but our own. We get the rather unique perspective of coming at this novel from a multitude of angles: Greg's, his family's, the inspector's, and our own; with our slowly gathered knowledge leading to a final omniscient perspective.
Greg's incessant bullying at school, his continual shunning by his non-communicative family and his isolated and friendless state led me to become a fierce and protective advocate for this poor soul. It absolutely broke my heart that he was just one of thousands in a similar position in the real world. He represents an often segregated, misunderstood and overlooked group of people that also often lack the voice to express their own trials and needs. This book offers an insight into their world and I believe it is an important novel that should be read by everyone. I felt I learnt and I grew as the novel progressed and I finished it with a fresh insight, a better knowledge and more sensitive and discerning understanding into the world of invisible illnesses. Thank you James Rice, you have created a masterpiece and touched my soul with your words.
This was such an incredibly sad and poignant novel and I can't really begin to recount how this book has affected me. Anything that deals with mental health is going to be a poignant read, but the grace and knowledge that James Rice used to tackle this complex and heart-wrenching topic was phenomenal. This book was a dark insight into the darker world that many inhabit in their day-to-day lives and he handled it with sensitivity, and yet was unafraid to dwell on uncomfortable and nebulous topics.
This book struck a deeper chord with me as I have recently been diagnosed with my own mild mental health issue (this is also a huge step for me to admit here so please no negativity). I do not mean to demean the protagonist's illness or align myself with the severity of his in any way. I only wish to mention it as I believe it gave me a greater empathy towards the protagonist's predicament, highlights the far-reaching spectrum this book can appeal to and draws a parallel towards the protagonist's individual fictional world and the far bigger reality this books alludes to.
The writing of this book is beautiful in its simplicity. I gathered a good sense of the unfortunate soul behind the words and the simplicity only serves to highlights the sadness that overshadows his whole life and has become a part of who he is: he does not dwell on his sadness, he is is sadness.
The book is overshadowed by segments from police transcripts dealing with a dark and unknown event in our protagonist, Greg's, life; leading this to become almost a thriller/mystery novel as the reader attempts to puzzle out what is being alluded to. It is also through these segments that we discover that our protagonist is a rather unreliable one. We learn to read between the lines and see the world not through Greg's eyes, but our own. We get the rather unique perspective of coming at this novel from a multitude of angles: Greg's, his family's, the inspector's, and our own; with our slowly gathered knowledge leading to a final omniscient perspective.
Greg's incessant bullying at school, his continual shunning by his non-communicative family and his isolated and friendless state led me to become a fierce and protective advocate for this poor soul. It absolutely broke my heart that he was just one of thousands in a similar position in the real world. He represents an often segregated, misunderstood and overlooked group of people that also often lack the voice to express their own trials and needs. This book offers an insight into their world and I believe it is an important novel that should be read by everyone. I felt I learnt and I grew as the novel progressed and I finished it with a fresh insight, a better knowledge and more sensitive and discerning understanding into the world of invisible illnesses. Thank you James Rice, you have created a masterpiece and touched my soul with your words.
April 23, 2020
Es tan bueno! Y yo no esperaba nada de él! Y me sorprendió tanto! Greeeg por queeeeeee!?
January 22, 2021
Breve y fuerte novela
Ser solitario es una cosa, el nivel de fobia de Greg es otra; Afecta a su vida y lo imposibilita a abrirse socialmente.
En lo personal fue difícil leer cuando "ellas" aparecían ya que tampoco me simpatizan en mi mente eran escenas de terror, nunca me había topado con un personaje tan consumido por una fobia.
Novela que nos invita a ser concientes de la diversidad de seres y la empatía ante algo que no se puede controlar.
Ser solitario es una cosa, el nivel de fobia de Greg es otra; Afecta a su vida y lo imposibilita a abrirse socialmente.
En lo personal fue difícil leer cuando "ellas" aparecían ya que tampoco me simpatizan en mi mente eran escenas de terror, nunca me había topado con un personaje tan consumido por una fobia.
Novela que nos invita a ser concientes de la diversidad de seres y la empatía ante algo que no se puede controlar.
May 2, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I really enjoyed this one. I liked that we got to see schizophrenia in this manner because it felt so real. I also really liked the inclusion of the police transcripts in between. I thought they added clarity to the narrative. I liked that we got it from Greg's point of view rather than from the outside. I think it would have been difficult to connect with Greg if we hadn't been so deep inside his head. The hardest part for me to get through were the "Date Unknown" sections because of the way they were written. I mean, it was necessary for the book and to understand Greg's mind, but those bits took me double the amount of time to read.
I have read some of the other reviews that say the ending is left open but I didn't think so? I'm going to put my thoughts on the ending under spoiler, but reading will spoil the entire book for you so don't do it.
My only real complaint is that I felt like some of the storylines were headed in one direction and then tapered off. Like the Lucy one and the Mrs. Hayes one. It seemed like they were going to be more important to the story than what they actually were. I was anticipating there to be a bit more about them in the future, but really it was just something to throw us off the scent or to show that life was still happening in the background even when Greg was living in his own mind.
I highly recommend this one. It was one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. And I think once you get used to the writing style, you will be enthralled by this novel. As well, it is just really good. Like REALLY GOOD .
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"It's amazing how much damage we did just by leaving, just by not being there."
I really enjoyed this one. I liked that we got to see schizophrenia in this manner because it felt so real. I also really liked the inclusion of the police transcripts in between. I thought they added clarity to the narrative. I liked that we got it from Greg's point of view rather than from the outside. I think it would have been difficult to connect with Greg if we hadn't been so deep inside his head. The hardest part for me to get through were the "Date Unknown" sections because of the way they were written. I mean, it was necessary for the book and to understand Greg's mind, but those bits took me double the amount of time to read.
I have read some of the other reviews that say the ending is left open but I didn't think so? I'm going to put my thoughts on the ending under spoiler, but reading will spoil the entire book for you so don't do it.
My only real complaint is that I felt like some of the storylines were headed in one direction and then tapered off. Like the Lucy one and the Mrs. Hayes one. It seemed like they were going to be more important to the story than what they actually were. I was anticipating there to be a bit more about them in the future, but really it was just something to throw us off the scent or to show that life was still happening in the background even when Greg was living in his own mind.
I highly recommend this one. It was one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. And I think once you get used to the writing style, you will be enthralled by this novel. As well, it is just really good. Like REALLY GOOD .
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
May 5, 2018
In my view it doesn't cost anything to be friendly to people.
Alice The Fly broke my heart. Gregory Hall didn't have any friends at school. Bless Greg's heart he suffered from not being able to say his S's properly.All the wicked boys in his class torment him calling him all sorts of horrible names like psycho and nuts. The boys don't like anything about him the way he walks, the way Greg watches, his scratching and his mumbling and they don't like his staring at the girls.
Miss Hayes Grewg's school teacher has a new theory that if Greg was to write down all his thought that it may help him.
What upset me even more is that his mother doesn't give Greg any love or attention.
This story is about phobia and obsessions, isolation and dark corners. It is about families, friendship, and carefully preserved secrets. But above everything else it is about love. Finding love in any of its forms and nurturing it.
Alice The Fly comes out 15th January 2105. I am very sure that Alice The Fly will be a huge sucess. I can most certainly see Alice The Fly by James Rice being at the top of the reading list in shops with being one of the most talked about books by readers in 2105.
James Rice tells us why he wrote Alice and the Fly.
The book is, at least partly, autobiographical. I was chronically shy as a child. On one occasion I had Tango poured over my head. I had all the hallmarks of the weird kid in class. But in my mind it wasn't weird to want to isolate myself to want to distance myself from school, from that whole experience. To have a keep your head down and get through it attitude. I found it weirder that people would want to participate in school life. I wanted to write something from the point of view from a schoolboy, that felt real - real to the experience I had at school. And I wanted it to be a story about love and hope.
Alice The Fly broke my heart. Gregory Hall didn't have any friends at school. Bless Greg's heart he suffered from not being able to say his S's properly.All the wicked boys in his class torment him calling him all sorts of horrible names like psycho and nuts. The boys don't like anything about him the way he walks, the way Greg watches, his scratching and his mumbling and they don't like his staring at the girls.
Miss Hayes Grewg's school teacher has a new theory that if Greg was to write down all his thought that it may help him.
What upset me even more is that his mother doesn't give Greg any love or attention.
This story is about phobia and obsessions, isolation and dark corners. It is about families, friendship, and carefully preserved secrets. But above everything else it is about love. Finding love in any of its forms and nurturing it.
Alice The Fly comes out 15th January 2105. I am very sure that Alice The Fly will be a huge sucess. I can most certainly see Alice The Fly by James Rice being at the top of the reading list in shops with being one of the most talked about books by readers in 2105.
James Rice tells us why he wrote Alice and the Fly.
The book is, at least partly, autobiographical. I was chronically shy as a child. On one occasion I had Tango poured over my head. I had all the hallmarks of the weird kid in class. But in my mind it wasn't weird to want to isolate myself to want to distance myself from school, from that whole experience. To have a keep your head down and get through it attitude. I found it weirder that people would want to participate in school life. I wanted to write something from the point of view from a schoolboy, that felt real - real to the experience I had at school. And I wanted it to be a story about love and hope.
November 3, 2014
Greg is a lonely, isolated, strange boy. He lives a life surrounded by people, but he feels totally alone. His mind works in a different way to those around him, he wants to be invisible, but his lisp, his scratching, his fits make him stand out. These are the things that make the other kids call him 'psycho', and point and laugh at him.
Miss Hayes is Greg's English teacher. Miss Hayes thinks that if Greg writes things down in a journal, then maybe things could get better. Greg's journal becomes a letter to Alice, the girl on the bus, the girl with the long red curls who wears sunglasses and is prettier than Audrey Hepburn. Greg has never spoken directly to Alice, but he is a little obsessed by her .... but not as obsessed by the thought of coming across one of Them.
Alice and the Fly is a disaster story. In his journal, Greg pours out his innermost feelings, about his Mother, who spends all day every day redesigning their already perfect home; his Father, the 'breast man' plastic surgeon who sometimes doesn't come for days; his sister, obsessively rehearsing for the Christmas Dance Fantastical, not eating, comparing herself with the other Vultures (Greg's word for her friends and classmates). The disaster that is coming is so obvious to the reader, for it is the reader who is allowed into Greg's mind, who wants to understand him. Those around him are more concerned about their own lives than the odd boy who likes to watch old Hollywood movies and uses parcel tape to ensure that his room is not invaded by Them.
Every once in a while I start a new book and almost immediately, the hairs on the back of my neck prickle and I know, I just know, that this book is going to be one that I will be talking about for years. Alice and the Fly is one of those books, just as Matthew Crow's In Bloom and Nathan Filer's The Shock of the Fall are too.
James Rice says that Alice and the Fly is semi-autobiographical and the authenticity and realism of his writing is absolutely heartbreakingly wonderful. His ability to get into the troubled mind of a teenage boy who is suffering so much is startling. Rice does not hold back, his portrayal of the cruelty of some people towards those that they don't understand is so well done. The portrait of a modern, dysfunctional family; on the outside wealthy, shiny and happy, but underneath, decaying, hiding and denying is frightening real.
I am delighted and honoured to have to have had the opportunity to read Alice and the Fly pre-publication, and I am certain that this is going to be a smash hit in 2015, and that James Rice has a very successful writing future ahead of him.
Miss Hayes is Greg's English teacher. Miss Hayes thinks that if Greg writes things down in a journal, then maybe things could get better. Greg's journal becomes a letter to Alice, the girl on the bus, the girl with the long red curls who wears sunglasses and is prettier than Audrey Hepburn. Greg has never spoken directly to Alice, but he is a little obsessed by her .... but not as obsessed by the thought of coming across one of Them.
Alice and the Fly is a disaster story. In his journal, Greg pours out his innermost feelings, about his Mother, who spends all day every day redesigning their already perfect home; his Father, the 'breast man' plastic surgeon who sometimes doesn't come for days; his sister, obsessively rehearsing for the Christmas Dance Fantastical, not eating, comparing herself with the other Vultures (Greg's word for her friends and classmates). The disaster that is coming is so obvious to the reader, for it is the reader who is allowed into Greg's mind, who wants to understand him. Those around him are more concerned about their own lives than the odd boy who likes to watch old Hollywood movies and uses parcel tape to ensure that his room is not invaded by Them.
Every once in a while I start a new book and almost immediately, the hairs on the back of my neck prickle and I know, I just know, that this book is going to be one that I will be talking about for years. Alice and the Fly is one of those books, just as Matthew Crow's In Bloom and Nathan Filer's The Shock of the Fall are too.
James Rice says that Alice and the Fly is semi-autobiographical and the authenticity and realism of his writing is absolutely heartbreakingly wonderful. His ability to get into the troubled mind of a teenage boy who is suffering so much is startling. Rice does not hold back, his portrayal of the cruelty of some people towards those that they don't understand is so well done. The portrait of a modern, dysfunctional family; on the outside wealthy, shiny and happy, but underneath, decaying, hiding and denying is frightening real.
I am delighted and honoured to have to have had the opportunity to read Alice and the Fly pre-publication, and I am certain that this is going to be a smash hit in 2015, and that James Rice has a very successful writing future ahead of him.
November 4, 2014
More reviews at http://losttobooks.blogspot.com
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read a proof so far in advance
This was a strange read for me and not what I was expecting. It both had me wanting to read on, while at the same time something just didn't connect with me.
I liked the start, it was intriguing and I found myself flying through the pages rapidly. As well as that I liked the mystery that was created from the transcripts. I thought they were used cleverly so that the reader got an insight into what the other characters' thoughts and feelings were, which you otherwise wouldn't have seen. It was also the main reason for me getting to the end--I wanted to know what Greg had done.
However, saying that, even though the start intrigued me, I did find myself getting bored of the writing style. It was fresh and different at the start, but as the book progressed I started to feel disconnected. For me there wasn't enough speech and character development outside of Greg--something which was hard to do because it is written like a journal. Also, the fact that I didn't connect with Greg also hindered my reading. I can understand his issues but I thought more would have been made of his fears/episodes, and overall I just felt very distance from the book--there wasn't enough tension for me as it all seemed a bit monotone.
Overall, I'm not really sure what I make of this read. There's something weirdly intriguing about it even though I found it hard to engage with. I'm still not quite sure what went on at the end, and parts did feel a little disjointed or not fully tied up to give a satisfying end, but it does make you think. It wouldn't be top of my list to recommend, but I definitely wouldn't discourage anyone from giving it a go.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read a proof so far in advance
This was a strange read for me and not what I was expecting. It both had me wanting to read on, while at the same time something just didn't connect with me.
I liked the start, it was intriguing and I found myself flying through the pages rapidly. As well as that I liked the mystery that was created from the transcripts. I thought they were used cleverly so that the reader got an insight into what the other characters' thoughts and feelings were, which you otherwise wouldn't have seen. It was also the main reason for me getting to the end--I wanted to know what Greg had done.
However, saying that, even though the start intrigued me, I did find myself getting bored of the writing style. It was fresh and different at the start, but as the book progressed I started to feel disconnected. For me there wasn't enough speech and character development outside of Greg--something which was hard to do because it is written like a journal. Also, the fact that I didn't connect with Greg also hindered my reading. I can understand his issues but I thought more would have been made of his fears/episodes, and overall I just felt very distance from the book--there wasn't enough tension for me as it all seemed a bit monotone.
Overall, I'm not really sure what I make of this read. There's something weirdly intriguing about it even though I found it hard to engage with. I'm still not quite sure what went on at the end, and parts did feel a little disjointed or not fully tied up to give a satisfying end, but it does make you think. It wouldn't be top of my list to recommend, but I definitely wouldn't discourage anyone from giving it a go.
April 28, 2017
I’m not really sure how to review “Alice and the Fly.” It wasn’t a bad characterization of mental illness, though it did lack any real answers for the reader. I feel like I just didn’t connect to the main character the way I wish I could. Overall, I can neither recommend nor not recommend it.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
January 5, 2015
Full review at http://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress... (January 16)
I received a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Greg journals about his unhappy life and the one person who he thinks could be a friend.
I had high hopes for this book, but I was disappointed.
The best thing about this book is its interesting format. As well as excerpts from Greg’s journal (which makes up the bulk of the narrative), the reader is privy to police interviews with a variety of Greg’s relatives and peers interspersed throughout the book. These are welcome intrusions into Greg’s monologuing and also serve the purpose of giving the reader a few glimpses of the entire puzzle before the incident described at the end of the book.
There were a number of things that didn’t work for me in Alice and the Fly. The first is the fact that there is a LOT of monologuing in this book. It’s a personal preference, but I prefer my monolouing in moderation.
The thing that particularly annoyed me about this book is that there were quite a few things that just didn’t ring true while reading. Greg’s father is a surgeon. Greg, it appears, has some unspecified mental illness (loosely labelled schizophrenia), as well as at least one crippling phobia, that require him to be on serious medication (one would presume these to be antipsychotics). I simply could not believe that a doctor who has a child with a serious, rare (in young children – Greg was supposedly diagnosed at 6) and debilitating mental illness, coupled with obvious social and emotional problems could be so detached from his son’s care and treatment. Particularly after a violent incident that required Greg to be separated from the family many years previously.
That just didn’t work for me. Nor did the fact that Greg’s problems were obvious to and identified by pretty much every adult in his life, yet he received no real therapy for his issues, aside from that provided by his well-meaning teacher. I got the sense by the end that Greg was really just being portrayed, despite efforts to provide Greg’s side of the story through his narration, as the stereotypical dangerous, violent loony, which just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall, not the book for me.
I received a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Greg journals about his unhappy life and the one person who he thinks could be a friend.
I had high hopes for this book, but I was disappointed.
The best thing about this book is its interesting format. As well as excerpts from Greg’s journal (which makes up the bulk of the narrative), the reader is privy to police interviews with a variety of Greg’s relatives and peers interspersed throughout the book. These are welcome intrusions into Greg’s monologuing and also serve the purpose of giving the reader a few glimpses of the entire puzzle before the incident described at the end of the book.
There were a number of things that didn’t work for me in Alice and the Fly. The first is the fact that there is a LOT of monologuing in this book. It’s a personal preference, but I prefer my monolouing in moderation.
The thing that particularly annoyed me about this book is that there were quite a few things that just didn’t ring true while reading. Greg’s father is a surgeon. Greg, it appears, has some unspecified mental illness (loosely labelled schizophrenia), as well as at least one crippling phobia, that require him to be on serious medication (one would presume these to be antipsychotics). I simply could not believe that a doctor who has a child with a serious, rare (in young children – Greg was supposedly diagnosed at 6) and debilitating mental illness, coupled with obvious social and emotional problems could be so detached from his son’s care and treatment. Particularly after a violent incident that required Greg to be separated from the family many years previously.
That just didn’t work for me. Nor did the fact that Greg’s problems were obvious to and identified by pretty much every adult in his life, yet he received no real therapy for his issues, aside from that provided by his well-meaning teacher. I got the sense by the end that Greg was really just being portrayed, despite efforts to provide Greg’s side of the story through his narration, as the stereotypical dangerous, violent loony, which just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall, not the book for me.
January 14, 2015
‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!’ – Sir Walter Scott.
There is a lot of deception in James Rice’s incredible debut. There’s the middle class family hiding their tracks from the wrong end of town; the school cliques with their catch-all labels (prepare to meet “Psycho”) that choke out individualism; the teacher, self-deluding in her capability to counsel a troubled mind… and caught at the centre of this web is Greg, our ‘Fly’, (no place for a schizophrenic teen with debilitating arachnophobia). This is a book of false smiles. This is a book of the consequences of the most dangerous self-deception: choosing not to see.
The clever part is that it is narrated from a position of raw honesty. You are reading from the perspective of a boy at the mercy of his compulsions and obsessions, including the most debilitating of all teenage obsessions: love. We know that all cannot end well, (surely?), but by the time you reach the first police interview transcript, Rice has already pulled you down the rabbit-hole…
I can’t easily express just how stunning this book is. The voice is incredibly authentic. ‘Alice and the Fly’ is both haunting and heart-breaking in equal measures. Read it as a cautionary tale, read it as one of the greatest debuts of the year, but, please… make sure you read it.
There is a lot of deception in James Rice’s incredible debut. There’s the middle class family hiding their tracks from the wrong end of town; the school cliques with their catch-all labels (prepare to meet “Psycho”) that choke out individualism; the teacher, self-deluding in her capability to counsel a troubled mind… and caught at the centre of this web is Greg, our ‘Fly’, (no place for a schizophrenic teen with debilitating arachnophobia). This is a book of false smiles. This is a book of the consequences of the most dangerous self-deception: choosing not to see.
The clever part is that it is narrated from a position of raw honesty. You are reading from the perspective of a boy at the mercy of his compulsions and obsessions, including the most debilitating of all teenage obsessions: love. We know that all cannot end well, (surely?), but by the time you reach the first police interview transcript, Rice has already pulled you down the rabbit-hole…
I can’t easily express just how stunning this book is. The voice is incredibly authentic. ‘Alice and the Fly’ is both haunting and heart-breaking in equal measures. Read it as a cautionary tale, read it as one of the greatest debuts of the year, but, please… make sure you read it.
July 19, 2019
Qué terrible, quedé con sentimientos encontrados :(
Me lo recomendaron mucho y quería amarlo, pero la flor no floreció. Parecía que por un momento íbamos por buen camino en esta relación, me gustó caleta la forma en que está narrado, iba intercalando narración en estilo diario de vida con transcripciones de interrogación de la policia, así que eso me generaba mucha tensión, quería llegar al final y saber cuál había sido el crimen, pero al final la desilusión, pensé que podríamos ser un gran amor, pero no fue tan wow como yo esperaba...
Tuvo cosas muy bakanes, o sea, el protagonista es diferente y muy interesante, me atrajo caleta cómo funcionaba su mente, los personajes secundarios me daban mucha rabia y quería que se pusiera en modo psycho y los matara a todos, pero al final sentí que solo me prometió mucho y me generó poco 3
Me lo recomendaron mucho y quería amarlo, pero la flor no floreció. Parecía que por un momento íbamos por buen camino en esta relación, me gustó caleta la forma en que está narrado, iba intercalando narración en estilo diario de vida con transcripciones de interrogación de la policia, así que eso me generaba mucha tensión, quería llegar al final y saber cuál había sido el crimen, pero al final la desilusión, pensé que podríamos ser un gran amor, pero no fue tan wow como yo esperaba...
Tuvo cosas muy bakanes, o sea, el protagonista es diferente y muy interesante, me atrajo caleta cómo funcionaba su mente, los personajes secundarios me daban mucha rabia y quería que se pusiera en modo psycho y los matara a todos, pero al final sentí que solo me prometió mucho y me generó poco 3
May 8, 2016
La verdad me siento un poco confundida, tenía grandes expectativas de este libro y es lo malo cuando esperas algo de algo y no ocurre terminas desilusionado. La verdad siento que la lectura no le conducía a ninguna parte, no siento qe tuviera un hilo la historia, todo era muy confuso y es casi hasta el final que medio empezó a tener sentido. La verdad no puedo decir que haya sido una historia que disfrute por qe no fue así. En fin le doy tres estrellas sólo por que las partes de las entrevistas me gustaron mucho y el personaje de Alice me gusto bastante pese a que realmente nunca la conocí. Siento que le faltó mucho desarrollo a los personajes y me faltó mucha más información o explicación sobre "ellas".
January 18, 2015
Meet Greg, a teenage boy with a phobia of spiders or THEM as he refers to them, a social outcast, or the psycho as his classmates call him who has a kindly English teacher who suggests that he keeps a journal. The story told in that journal is a sad one as it documents days where he has no meaningful contact with anyone, including his family. At times the journal refers to events in the past, Greg has an ideal place, Finner’s Island somewhere that contains happier memories for him, but from excerpts from police interviews it becomes apparent that something happened on Finner’s Island way back in the past when Greg was a small boy.
This isn’t a bad book but nor does it deliver on the promise of the author of love and hope because I didn’t get either of these elements. The love aspect is Greg’s fixation with a girl, Alice. Now Alice barely seems to notice him for the majority of the story but despite that Greg details her father’s actions, he works with him at a butchers, spends nights in her garden feeding her dog Scraps and goes on bus journeys just to see her. Alice, like Greg appears to have some issues including family ones so I completely bought into the fact he was obsessed with her but love, no this wasn’t a love story. That brings us onto hope, this book made me feel sad, a family whose life was taken over by mental illness, a young boy who has no real hopes and dreams and from his journal we can assume that he is on strong medication. His father absents himself with work and women and his mother distracts herself with social climbing and decorating and his younger sister Sarah dances her way away from the misery in the house.
The writing is captivating to begin with, I wanted to know more about Greg and we get a sense of how he manages his phobia, school life and his part-time job courtesy of his parent’s wealthy friends all of which was excellently portrayed. The journal is broken up with some excerpts from the police interviews with his peers, family and teachers, and these gave a different view of this boy who was consumed with his own thoughts. I’m not a big fan of monologues and the format chosen didn’t give the writer any other possibility, I’m sure that this in part added to the feeling of claustrophobia of Greg’s world and for the reader to become immersed in it, but if I’m honest all the description and disjointed thoughts began to get too much for me and I just wanted some of the adults around him to get him some help. The only form of therapy he had was the chats with his teacher! Surely someone who had been diagnosed with a mental illness and was being medicated would have slightly more medical support?
In the last section of the book the writer picked up the pace, the journal style works so much better when there are actions to describe rather than just thoughts and I was keen to know, and understand, what happened!
I’m sure that this will be a popular read, there are lots of good points and the writer is clearly talented and has used his experiences as the ‘weird kid’ to write some affecting prose which would make an excellent choice for a book club read.
I’d like to thank the publishers Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read a proof copy of this book which was published on 15 January 2015.
This isn’t a bad book but nor does it deliver on the promise of the author of love and hope because I didn’t get either of these elements. The love aspect is Greg’s fixation with a girl, Alice. Now Alice barely seems to notice him for the majority of the story but despite that Greg details her father’s actions, he works with him at a butchers, spends nights in her garden feeding her dog Scraps and goes on bus journeys just to see her. Alice, like Greg appears to have some issues including family ones so I completely bought into the fact he was obsessed with her but love, no this wasn’t a love story. That brings us onto hope, this book made me feel sad, a family whose life was taken over by mental illness, a young boy who has no real hopes and dreams and from his journal we can assume that he is on strong medication. His father absents himself with work and women and his mother distracts herself with social climbing and decorating and his younger sister Sarah dances her way away from the misery in the house.
The writing is captivating to begin with, I wanted to know more about Greg and we get a sense of how he manages his phobia, school life and his part-time job courtesy of his parent’s wealthy friends all of which was excellently portrayed. The journal is broken up with some excerpts from the police interviews with his peers, family and teachers, and these gave a different view of this boy who was consumed with his own thoughts. I’m not a big fan of monologues and the format chosen didn’t give the writer any other possibility, I’m sure that this in part added to the feeling of claustrophobia of Greg’s world and for the reader to become immersed in it, but if I’m honest all the description and disjointed thoughts began to get too much for me and I just wanted some of the adults around him to get him some help. The only form of therapy he had was the chats with his teacher! Surely someone who had been diagnosed with a mental illness and was being medicated would have slightly more medical support?
In the last section of the book the writer picked up the pace, the journal style works so much better when there are actions to describe rather than just thoughts and I was keen to know, and understand, what happened!
I’m sure that this will be a popular read, there are lots of good points and the writer is clearly talented and has used his experiences as the ‘weird kid’ to write some affecting prose which would make an excellent choice for a book club read.
I’d like to thank the publishers Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read a proof copy of this book which was published on 15 January 2015.
January 9, 2019
No sabia bien como reseñar este libro ya que es un libro que no logro ponerlo en una sola categoría y creo que será mi lectura más extraña de este nuevo año.
"Alice y la mosca" nos presenta a Greg, este chico quien es muy tímido y tiene algunos problemas y fobias que muchas veces no puede controlar. Su familia no siempre lo entiende y rara vez aceptan que hay algo diferente en él. Greg esta un poco obsesionado con Alice, una chica a la que ve todos los días, pero que en raras ocasiones se hablan, pero ella es una gran ayuda para que él se sienta "normal".
El libro está relatado como un diario que escribe nuestro protagonista, Greg, pero, también está narrado como transcripciones policiales en algunas pequeñas partes en donde se muestran conversaciones entre un policía y algunas personas cercanas a Greg. Esto realmente me confundió en un principio porque, hablaban de un futuro cercano en el que parecía que pasa algo malo, lo que lleva a que te imagines que sucedio pero quieres saber como va a ocurrir ese suceso que de igual forma te va a impactar y que al final, hara que todo cobre sentido. Pasando al tema del diario, en el Greg escribe como si le estuviera hablando a Alice, una chica con la que solo intercambió una mirada en el bus y quedó enamorado de ella. En el libro siempre estamos metidos en la cabeza de Greg, pocas veces hay diálogos.
James Rice nos da un libro donde nos presenta a este protagonista especial, y en él trata problemas serios de una manera bien cuidada y si, hay veces que la lectura resulta un poco curiosa y podes perderte en ella mientras lees, a la vez necesitas seguir leyendo para saber que pasa con ellos y con esta historia. Con momentos inesperados que nos dejan con la boca abierta, y que nos hacen tener ganas de revolear el libro y después agarrarlo y volver a releer para entenderlo.
"Alice y la mosca" nos presenta a Greg, este chico quien es muy tímido y tiene algunos problemas y fobias que muchas veces no puede controlar. Su familia no siempre lo entiende y rara vez aceptan que hay algo diferente en él. Greg esta un poco obsesionado con Alice, una chica a la que ve todos los días, pero que en raras ocasiones se hablan, pero ella es una gran ayuda para que él se sienta "normal".
El libro está relatado como un diario que escribe nuestro protagonista, Greg, pero, también está narrado como transcripciones policiales en algunas pequeñas partes en donde se muestran conversaciones entre un policía y algunas personas cercanas a Greg. Esto realmente me confundió en un principio porque, hablaban de un futuro cercano en el que parecía que pasa algo malo, lo que lleva a que te imagines que sucedio pero quieres saber como va a ocurrir ese suceso que de igual forma te va a impactar y que al final, hara que todo cobre sentido. Pasando al tema del diario, en el Greg escribe como si le estuviera hablando a Alice, una chica con la que solo intercambió una mirada en el bus y quedó enamorado de ella. En el libro siempre estamos metidos en la cabeza de Greg, pocas veces hay diálogos.
James Rice nos da un libro donde nos presenta a este protagonista especial, y en él trata problemas serios de una manera bien cuidada y si, hay veces que la lectura resulta un poco curiosa y podes perderte en ella mientras lees, a la vez necesitas seguir leyendo para saber que pasa con ellos y con esta historia. Con momentos inesperados que nos dejan con la boca abierta, y que nos hacen tener ganas de revolear el libro y después agarrarlo y volver a releer para entenderlo.
June 11, 2016
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
I... have some mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, yes please to mental health representation. Greg's character was definitely well done, and I liked that we got to read the book through Greg's eyes, as he relayed the story to Alice. That aspect was quite unique, and I was a fan. I also liked the little bits of information that was provided from others, just to kind of keep the story flowing and in check.
As a reader, I couldn't help but feel compassion for Greg. He was looked at as the "psycho" in school (which is heartbreaking in itself), he has no friends, and frankly, his family isn't winning any awards either. It was clear that Greg's heart was always in the right place, and he just wanted a peaceful, non-isolated existence.
My real issue was that I knew pretty much completely where the story was headed from the start. I don't know why I knew or how, I just did. Which is weird, because I usually don't, and from everything I had heard about this book, most people didn't either. But knowing where the plot is headed in a book that is supposed to be unpredictable in nature kind of take a lot of the wind out of the proverbial sails while reading.
Bottom Line: This is likely a case of "it's not the book, it's me". This story is well written, and Greg is a great character. I just had a hard time being fully invested when I kept feeling like I knew what was coming.
**Copy provided for review
I... have some mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, yes please to mental health representation. Greg's character was definitely well done, and I liked that we got to read the book through Greg's eyes, as he relayed the story to Alice. That aspect was quite unique, and I was a fan. I also liked the little bits of information that was provided from others, just to kind of keep the story flowing and in check.
As a reader, I couldn't help but feel compassion for Greg. He was looked at as the "psycho" in school (which is heartbreaking in itself), he has no friends, and frankly, his family isn't winning any awards either. It was clear that Greg's heart was always in the right place, and he just wanted a peaceful, non-isolated existence.
My real issue was that I knew pretty much completely where the story was headed from the start. I don't know why I knew or how, I just did. Which is weird, because I usually don't, and from everything I had heard about this book, most people didn't either. But knowing where the plot is headed in a book that is supposed to be unpredictable in nature kind of take a lot of the wind out of the proverbial sails while reading.
Bottom Line: This is likely a case of "it's not the book, it's me". This story is well written, and Greg is a great character. I just had a hard time being fully invested when I kept feeling like I knew what was coming.
**Copy provided for review
October 4, 2016
A pesar de que el principio es un poco lento, las transcripciones y las "pistas" que tiene te van adentrando más en la trama.
Las transcripciones estan vistas desde el "futuro", y hablan de algo que paso al final del libro, pero nunca mencionan que es. Y eso te deja con las ganas de seguir y seguir.
En cuanto a Greg es un personaje muy interesante. Esta aracnofobia que tiene es super grave, es terrible y "hermoso" ver como el mundo se desarrolla ante sus ojos.
Como dije en un momento, este libro te puede dejar impactado por su final.
Las transcripciones estan vistas desde el "futuro", y hablan de algo que paso al final del libro, pero nunca mencionan que es. Y eso te deja con las ganas de seguir y seguir.
En cuanto a Greg es un personaje muy interesante. Esta aracnofobia que tiene es super grave, es terrible y "hermoso" ver como el mundo se desarrolla ante sus ojos.
Como dije en un momento, este libro te puede dejar impactado por su final.
May 5, 2015
A stunning debut novel. This book has it all, dysfunctional families, phobias, bullying and an underlying story of love. A sad and sometimes uncomfortable book which tugged at my heartstrings and one I would certainly recommend
May 12, 2018
Hi by Warpaint. 2014.
Up all night
You wore your falling heart
And opened up to us
And now we know the place you left
You sailed the saddest smile
And turned it inside out
Your mother
She knows your face
Can do without
In the middle of the day
We find love
In the middle of the day
We find love
Or is it ;
You said the saddest mind ?
In any case, I would turn it around, flip it over, change that a little bit. I would say, you said the quietist mind. Since I am not averse to inverting things myself. And it is about that a little bit, being quiet inside your head.
I needed to pick a book, retreat into myself, be in my own head for a while and just read. Let it go Joker style. I am glad I chose this one. I withdrew, not forfeiting anything, I pulled back into my shell. At last alone in my head, I read. And I read I read until I wasn't reading anymore. This gorgeous book.
As it happens with a turn of a page; I opened this and
I immediately fell in love with this book, first with the cover then with the name, the title I mean, and then with the story itself.
You know, there are some overly hyped books that have everyone talking about them. I think to myself they can't possibly live up to the hype. That much hype. That's normally the rule, right? I thought this can't possibly be as great as everyone says it is. Look, what they have been saying. Yet this was such an exception and it was without doubt exceptionally good. It quickly became personal and one of my personal favorites.
That being said, however. It's an odd little book. It's funny, after having just finished it, I still don't know how I feel about it. I am particularly ambivalent about the ending. It wasn't ambiguous or anything like that. It was very clear about what it needed to be. But. You have to be better than your ending, you know? Oh, you do know.
I can't decide whether I love this book or just loathe it. I loved it, without question. Yet I question that love. Or maybe I just loathe it; just hold a mirror to what I just wrote. It's like a coin is still spinning in the air, twisting round and round, and round it goes. One moment I like it, then the other side is up, then not so much. So I remain undecided. I mean, it is good and very readable. But it made me feel too much without making me feel the night. Not sure, how a coin got up there, considering I didn't toss any.
Here's the thing, one true thing, this is a very saddening novel. In fact, in some ways, it is the saddest, saddest book I have ever read. Though I think it is an important work that needs to be read widely. All we could use a bit understanding when it comes to mental illness. We all could use a bit of understanding of each other regardless of anything.
The most haunting and poignant thing for me was, the way our protagonist encountered casual brutality and the way he recounted all the violence and abuse he witnessed on his pages in an almost nonchalant manner, was nothing short of mind-blowing. It was equal parts both mesmerizing and fascinating. And all of it heart-breaking and every little bit of it devastating. In that, the whole thing heavily reminded me of Perks of Being a Wallflower. But make no mistake, our hero is a very unreliable narrator and a bit of judgemental jerk. He was kind of an asshole. So take everything he says with a grain of salt. Or maybe with an entire jar of salt.
I just wish there were much more interactions between Alice and the Fly. But then if that were the case, then this would have been a completely different book and would have missed the point. But hey, I was right about the name. It was based on Her. Just don't tell Alice this isn't her wonderland anymore. But this is still her month. Stop raging against her.
I think I read somewhere there was a twist ending. Maybe they just meant the ending, which was a bit of a downer. I am not giving anything away. It's all in burbs and the foreboding was obvious from the get-go. Even before you read the first page.
So,
There was no twist, only an ending.
I think I'll read this again.
Looks like Warpaint has been right after all
they have a right of it
and a right to wage this war
seems to me like Warpaint are always
Right.
Forever listening to them. Are they listening to me?
It is only in the night, I can still paint this war. It's at night this warpaint is mine.
December 26, 2018
I feel as though two stars might be too low; however, three is definitely too high... so maybe a 2.5.
The whole concept of the main characters crime was very suspenseful in how it was teased throughout the book...however, the ending was a bit of a disappointment in terms of wow factor although i understand its subtle nature might have been the intent of the author. This book did have interesting representation of the main character and how he processed the events happening around him. Other characters were significantly less developed and focused on and even the "love interest" was vague in the readers understanding of her. I think this is an interesting book and the only reason i am giving it a two stars (eh 2.5) is because the writing style and conventions were not my cup of tea and i would not really recommend it but i would encourage giving it a read if the book happens to fall into your lap.
The whole concept of the main characters crime was very suspenseful in how it was teased throughout the book...however, the ending was a bit of a disappointment in terms of wow factor although i understand its subtle nature might have been the intent of the author. This book did have interesting representation of the main character and how he processed the events happening around him. Other characters were significantly less developed and focused on and even the "love interest" was vague in the readers understanding of her. I think this is an interesting book and the only reason i am giving it a two stars (eh 2.5) is because the writing style and conventions were not my cup of tea and i would not really recommend it but i would encourage giving it a read if the book happens to fall into your lap.
February 24, 2015
Greg, a central character with schizophrenia and a bit of arachnophobia on the side, whose wellbeing is (strangely) ignored by his family following an earlier violent episode with his sister. At the behest of his teacher he begins keeping a diary while becoming increasingly obsessed with the titular Alice.
As far as the Greg's concerned, I found the use of the schizophrenia felt less subject matter than a device to drive the plot - occurring outside of situations where I would have expected it to. Perhaps I'm reading too much of myself into this but if I had arachnophobia I wouldn't even be looking at a run down wooden shed, let alone venturing into one; or lying on the ground under a bridge - where it's reasonable to imagine spiders feeling at home.
James Rice takes tons of tried and tested tricks of the trade throughout the text, which is interesting to see: the book itself is written as a collection of diary entries, interspersed with police interview transcripts, the pace is (nicely) chopped up with flashbacks, and plot details are revealed effectively. It even has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Literally (to use the term in it's most literal sense, the book being divided into 3 parts).
It is, however, the ending that let the book down. Although the pace picked up nicely, the outcome of the book was too predictable once the flashbacks had been flashed; it felt anticlimactic, and the final chapter, an attempt to add some poetic conclusion to the story, felt out of place.
Despite the clear enjoyment reading this has given a lot of other reviewers, I'm left wondering if I enjoyed it or not - if the system allowed it, this would sit at 2.5 stars.
As far as the Greg's concerned, I found the use of the schizophrenia felt less subject matter than a device to drive the plot - occurring outside of situations where I would have expected it to. Perhaps I'm reading too much of myself into this but if I had arachnophobia I wouldn't even be looking at a run down wooden shed, let alone venturing into one; or lying on the ground under a bridge - where it's reasonable to imagine spiders feeling at home.
James Rice takes tons of tried and tested tricks of the trade throughout the text, which is interesting to see: the book itself is written as a collection of diary entries, interspersed with police interview transcripts, the pace is (nicely) chopped up with flashbacks, and plot details are revealed effectively. It even has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Literally (to use the term in it's most literal sense, the book being divided into 3 parts).
It is, however, the ending that let the book down. Although the pace picked up nicely, the outcome of the book was too predictable once the flashbacks had been flashed; it felt anticlimactic, and the final chapter, an attempt to add some poetic conclusion to the story, felt out of place.
Despite the clear enjoyment reading this has given a lot of other reviewers, I'm left wondering if I enjoyed it or not - if the system allowed it, this would sit at 2.5 stars.
February 26, 2016
RESEÑA COMPLETA ➜ http://goo.gl/uyU7pT
Primero que nada tengo que decirles que el libro NO es lo que aparenta. En Facebook les pedí que me dijeran de que creían que trataba al ver la portada y nadie logro adivinarlo, ni siquiera yo pues al principio pensaba que iba a ser un romance juvenil normalito pero el libro fue de todo menos lo que yo me imagine.
Y aunque te devolviera la sonrisa en ese momento, en mi imaginación o en la realidad, en el
fondo no importaba, porque incluso con mi enfermedad y mis temblores y mi dolor de cabeza y mis dientes castañeando no dejé de sonreír durante los tres días siguientes.
En él se nos presenta a Greg, un chico antisocial que sufre de dislalia y esquizofrenia. Greg toda su vida ha estado obsesionado con las arañas, para él no hay peor cosa que las arañas y por más que el intenta controlarlo no puede evitar verlas en todas partes hasta que un buen día conoce a Alice, una compañera de escuela que ayudará a aclarar los pensamientos de Greg.
Hasta aquí la novela sigue con tintes de un romance juvenil pero las cosas comienzan a cambiar poco a poco y la realidad que Greg nos presenta no es tan real como el autor nos quiere hacer creer.
A veces nuestros fantasmas metafóricos pueden parecer la raíz de todo mal pero no lo son, sólo representan una barrera entre nosotros y nuestros problemas reales.
No voy hablarles más del libro pues siento que es de esos libros que mientras menos uno sepa de él más va a gustar, así que no me queda de otra que dejarlos preguntándose por la verdadera temática del libro pero eso sí, les diré que sin duda este es un libro que sorprende.
RESEÑA COMPLETA ➜ http://goo.gl/uyU7pT
Primero que nada tengo que decirles que el libro NO es lo que aparenta. En Facebook les pedí que me dijeran de que creían que trataba al ver la portada y nadie logro adivinarlo, ni siquiera yo pues al principio pensaba que iba a ser un romance juvenil normalito pero el libro fue de todo menos lo que yo me imagine.
Y aunque te devolviera la sonrisa en ese momento, en mi imaginación o en la realidad, en el
fondo no importaba, porque incluso con mi enfermedad y mis temblores y mi dolor de cabeza y mis dientes castañeando no dejé de sonreír durante los tres días siguientes.
En él se nos presenta a Greg, un chico antisocial que sufre de dislalia y esquizofrenia. Greg toda su vida ha estado obsesionado con las arañas, para él no hay peor cosa que las arañas y por más que el intenta controlarlo no puede evitar verlas en todas partes hasta que un buen día conoce a Alice, una compañera de escuela que ayudará a aclarar los pensamientos de Greg.
Hasta aquí la novela sigue con tintes de un romance juvenil pero las cosas comienzan a cambiar poco a poco y la realidad que Greg nos presenta no es tan real como el autor nos quiere hacer creer.
A veces nuestros fantasmas metafóricos pueden parecer la raíz de todo mal pero no lo son, sólo representan una barrera entre nosotros y nuestros problemas reales.
No voy hablarles más del libro pues siento que es de esos libros que mientras menos uno sepa de él más va a gustar, así que no me queda de otra que dejarlos preguntándose por la verdadera temática del libro pero eso sí, les diré que sin duda este es un libro que sorprende.
RESEÑA COMPLETA ➜ http://goo.gl/uyU7pT
April 25, 2016
Let me start this review with "wow!"
Ok... now that that's out of the way! I loved this book from start to finish. I haven't devoured a book in less than 24 hours in a very long time but, despite my busy work schedule, I did just that with Alice and the Fly.
On the surface, this book is fairly simple. Greg is a kid with issues--issues that appear to be a deep phobia of "them" (I won't tell you who/what "they" are... that's part of the appeal) but really Greg has a lot more going on. There's a lot of tangible pain and loneliness there. A teacher at school encourages him to keep a journal which is what you think you're reading, until you realize his entries are actually letters to a girl called Alice.
Throughout the book, you get a real sense that something horrible is coming, partially from the police interviews between some of Greg's entries. You know he's done something terrible but, until the very end, you have no clue what. Several times in the book I found myself going "oooohhhh, THAT'S what he's done" only to find out I was completely wrong.
I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was great, the characters were realistic with realistic desires and reactions. Nothing felt fake or phony as it does in a lot of YA fiction which I suppose Alice and the Fly would be categorized as. Looking forward to reading more by James Rice.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ok... now that that's out of the way! I loved this book from start to finish. I haven't devoured a book in less than 24 hours in a very long time but, despite my busy work schedule, I did just that with Alice and the Fly.
On the surface, this book is fairly simple. Greg is a kid with issues--issues that appear to be a deep phobia of "them" (I won't tell you who/what "they" are... that's part of the appeal) but really Greg has a lot more going on. There's a lot of tangible pain and loneliness there. A teacher at school encourages him to keep a journal which is what you think you're reading, until you realize his entries are actually letters to a girl called Alice.
Throughout the book, you get a real sense that something horrible is coming, partially from the police interviews between some of Greg's entries. You know he's done something terrible but, until the very end, you have no clue what. Several times in the book I found myself going "oooohhhh, THAT'S what he's done" only to find out I was completely wrong.
I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was great, the characters were realistic with realistic desires and reactions. Nothing felt fake or phony as it does in a lot of YA fiction which I suppose Alice and the Fly would be categorized as. Looking forward to reading more by James Rice.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2016
Basic Info
Format: Hardback
Pages/Length: 304pgs
Genre: Young Adult; Metal Illness.
Reason For Reading: Liked the cover.
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: Obsession
Cliff Hanger: No
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 3.5 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 9
Plot: 7
Characters: 7
World Building: 6
Flow: 7
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 7
Ending: 5
Total: 6
In Dept
Best Part: Nice cover art!
Worst Part: Too quick near the end.
Thoughts Had: So he really did that?! or...
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: n/a
Recommending: eh
Short Review: I HATE when an author writes an event that makes you question if it really happened or not. I dislike getting to the end and be like so wait he/she really did that. Dislike greatly. The build up to the event thou was great. Little freaked out about the Them part. The family in this book was messed up thou. Mother was a bit crazy as well. I would have liked a longer ending but it was okay.
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: No.
Best Friend Material: Alice
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