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Alice Murphy's Preservation
Fifteen-year-old Alice Murphy is an independent-minded, offbeat young lady. Blunt, goofy and somewhat naïve, Alice longs to connect to the world around her. She has trouble fitting in at school and frequently says the wrong thing at the wrong time. Her English teacher, Mrs. Sinclair, labeled her as a B student on the first day of class and can’t see her any other way. She has a crush on lacrosse team star, Jim Flaherty, a boy who approaches life with a type of confidence and certainty that Alice has never known.
While writing an article for the Glenwood High School News on the lacrosse team, Alice unwittingly stumbles upon a school scandal. Jim and several of his teammates arrive at one of their games drunk and now face disciplinary measures. Alice goes to Dean Rothschild’s office to schedule an appointment to interview him about the incident. While there, Alice and several members of the lacrosse team witness a confrontation between Dean Rothschild and his alcoholic wife.
As an act of revenge, Jim organizes a production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", a play about belligerent alcoholics. Jim plans to humiliate the dean by stylizing two of the main characters in the play to represent Dean Rothschild and his wife. Jim asks Alice and her best friend Craig, a theater aficionado, to become involved with the production.
Guided by her sardonic wit and compassion, the bumbling Alice navigates her way through high school. Through the play, she comes to terms with her identity and learns to stand up for what she believes in.
While writing an article for the Glenwood High School News on the lacrosse team, Alice unwittingly stumbles upon a school scandal. Jim and several of his teammates arrive at one of their games drunk and now face disciplinary measures. Alice goes to Dean Rothschild’s office to schedule an appointment to interview him about the incident. While there, Alice and several members of the lacrosse team witness a confrontation between Dean Rothschild and his alcoholic wife.
As an act of revenge, Jim organizes a production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", a play about belligerent alcoholics. Jim plans to humiliate the dean by stylizing two of the main characters in the play to represent Dean Rothschild and his wife. Jim asks Alice and her best friend Craig, a theater aficionado, to become involved with the production.
Guided by her sardonic wit and compassion, the bumbling Alice navigates her way through high school. Through the play, she comes to terms with her identity and learns to stand up for what she believes in.
- GenresFictionYoung Adult
310 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2014
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717 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 15, 2018
I received this book for free as part of a giveaway hosted by GoodReads.
The Preservation of Alice Murphy is an odd book. It is an odd story about an odd girl who focuses much too much on her own oddness. Rather than being driven by the actions of the titular character, Alice allows herself to be swept up in the actions and thoughts of others, too scared of making too much attention to herself to swim against the current. When I first began reading this book, I was not sure I would like it, because Alice seemed in the beginning to be such an uninspired character, but the more I read and looking at the world through Alice’s eyes, I found myself relating to her very personally.
The Preservation of Alice Murphy follows a teenage girl with very severe social anxiety over a handful of weeks as she assists in the production of a play. Alice is a girl who is often forgotten by her peers, due to how much she worries about how others see her. She lacks motivation, as those who matter don’t seem to expect anything from her, and she’s too afraid that the extra effort to rise above those expectations will only draw her peer’s scorn. When she witnesses her school’s Dean being yelled at by his drunk wife, however, she is suddenly swept up in a production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?” The boy she has a crush on is out for revenge, and her best friend is overly caught up in his own inspiration to fully realize it, and Alice finds herself going along with whatever is asked, even as she begins to question whether the whole things is a good idea. Through the experience however, she’s slowly pulled from her shell as she makes new friends, mends a fraying relationship with her sister, and slowly comes to realize that some people’s opinions aren’t worth the brain matter they’re stored in. Although Alice’s journey to find herself will likely take a much longer time than the book allows her to tell her story, this story is progress for her, and sometimes progress is all you can ask for.
This is not the best book ever written, but it is certainly not the worst. It starts slow and ends with a fizzle, but the story in between is painfully real for so many people. Everyone knew an Alice Murphy growing up, and for some people, we were unfortunately an Alice Murphy ourselves. She is the scared teenager who lives in others’ spotlight, too nice to stand up for herself and too scared to be seen as anything more than a punching bag by many of her peers. She seems boring at first glance simply because that is what is easiest. If she doesn’t stand out, she’s less likely to be faced with difficult social problems. However, this only means that those who do notice her often prefer to ridicule her for her glaring awkwardness. Alice Murphy’s preservation shows just how cruel high school, and life in general can be for the less socially gifted, where even the people who she is expected to be able to lean on, whether intentional or (more often) accidentally, can cause as much pain as the biggest bullies. And in a lot of ways, the weakness in Alice’s character is a sort of strength in her overall development. By being a boring and frustrating character, she perfectly embodies that person who we all hoped not to be but oftentimes found ourselves stuck as.
Many people will pass this book over because of Alice’s character. Admittedly, this is understandable. This book is not for everyone. Many will find this book boring and slow, and others will be annoyed by Alice’s complete refusal to grow a backbone. For some, they may even dislike this book simply because of how many painful memories it might dredge up from their own days in high school. But, if you have the time, I think this book does deserve a chance. I really did enjoy this book once I got into it, and I found many of its weaknesses becoming pillars of how real story was. Few have the sort of mind-blowing experiences that we’ve come to expect from books set in high school. Its much more likely that we experienced a few personally memorable the overall fleeting events, like the ill-fate play of this novel. I cannot formulate a good way to defend this book, but I do feel it deserves to be defended, if only I could formulate my feelings into words. So, instead I will just say this: This is a very decent book. Alice is a girl who has a good heart, and her story is one of modest triumph, even if it is difficult to get through at times. Although you may not give it a raving review, anf it may not be the sort to stick with you for years to come, it is not something you will regret reading, either, if you only give it the chance to worm its way into your heart.
The Preservation of Alice Murphy is an odd book. It is an odd story about an odd girl who focuses much too much on her own oddness. Rather than being driven by the actions of the titular character, Alice allows herself to be swept up in the actions and thoughts of others, too scared of making too much attention to herself to swim against the current. When I first began reading this book, I was not sure I would like it, because Alice seemed in the beginning to be such an uninspired character, but the more I read and looking at the world through Alice’s eyes, I found myself relating to her very personally.
The Preservation of Alice Murphy follows a teenage girl with very severe social anxiety over a handful of weeks as she assists in the production of a play. Alice is a girl who is often forgotten by her peers, due to how much she worries about how others see her. She lacks motivation, as those who matter don’t seem to expect anything from her, and she’s too afraid that the extra effort to rise above those expectations will only draw her peer’s scorn. When she witnesses her school’s Dean being yelled at by his drunk wife, however, she is suddenly swept up in a production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?” The boy she has a crush on is out for revenge, and her best friend is overly caught up in his own inspiration to fully realize it, and Alice finds herself going along with whatever is asked, even as she begins to question whether the whole things is a good idea. Through the experience however, she’s slowly pulled from her shell as she makes new friends, mends a fraying relationship with her sister, and slowly comes to realize that some people’s opinions aren’t worth the brain matter they’re stored in. Although Alice’s journey to find herself will likely take a much longer time than the book allows her to tell her story, this story is progress for her, and sometimes progress is all you can ask for.
This is not the best book ever written, but it is certainly not the worst. It starts slow and ends with a fizzle, but the story in between is painfully real for so many people. Everyone knew an Alice Murphy growing up, and for some people, we were unfortunately an Alice Murphy ourselves. She is the scared teenager who lives in others’ spotlight, too nice to stand up for herself and too scared to be seen as anything more than a punching bag by many of her peers. She seems boring at first glance simply because that is what is easiest. If she doesn’t stand out, she’s less likely to be faced with difficult social problems. However, this only means that those who do notice her often prefer to ridicule her for her glaring awkwardness. Alice Murphy’s preservation shows just how cruel high school, and life in general can be for the less socially gifted, where even the people who she is expected to be able to lean on, whether intentional or (more often) accidentally, can cause as much pain as the biggest bullies. And in a lot of ways, the weakness in Alice’s character is a sort of strength in her overall development. By being a boring and frustrating character, she perfectly embodies that person who we all hoped not to be but oftentimes found ourselves stuck as.
Many people will pass this book over because of Alice’s character. Admittedly, this is understandable. This book is not for everyone. Many will find this book boring and slow, and others will be annoyed by Alice’s complete refusal to grow a backbone. For some, they may even dislike this book simply because of how many painful memories it might dredge up from their own days in high school. But, if you have the time, I think this book does deserve a chance. I really did enjoy this book once I got into it, and I found many of its weaknesses becoming pillars of how real story was. Few have the sort of mind-blowing experiences that we’ve come to expect from books set in high school. Its much more likely that we experienced a few personally memorable the overall fleeting events, like the ill-fate play of this novel. I cannot formulate a good way to defend this book, but I do feel it deserves to be defended, if only I could formulate my feelings into words. So, instead I will just say this: This is a very decent book. Alice is a girl who has a good heart, and her story is one of modest triumph, even if it is difficult to get through at times. Although you may not give it a raving review, anf it may not be the sort to stick with you for years to come, it is not something you will regret reading, either, if you only give it the chance to worm its way into your heart.
February 9, 2018
3.5 stars
Fifteen-year-old Alice Murphy just doesn't seem to fit in. Her schoolmates think she is socially awkward. An incident in the principal's office leads to Alice's crush, lacrosse player Jim Flaherty, wanting revenge. Jim organizes a play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, to humiliate the principal and his wife by basing the characters on them. Alice becomes involved in the production and questions if fitting in is more important that standing up for what you believe in.
Alice is a character that most of us can relate to in some way. I think growing up at times you feel awkward and feel like you never say the right thing. The writing is simple but charming at the same time. The book does a nice job portraying what it feels like to be the outcast in school.
The ending was a little unsatisfying. I appreciate the direction the author went but the story just seemed to end rather abruptly. It just didn't feel like a proper sendoff for a character I had grown to appreciate. The ending just didn't feel fully developed.
I won a free ebook in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
Fifteen-year-old Alice Murphy just doesn't seem to fit in. Her schoolmates think she is socially awkward. An incident in the principal's office leads to Alice's crush, lacrosse player Jim Flaherty, wanting revenge. Jim organizes a play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, to humiliate the principal and his wife by basing the characters on them. Alice becomes involved in the production and questions if fitting in is more important that standing up for what you believe in.
Alice is a character that most of us can relate to in some way. I think growing up at times you feel awkward and feel like you never say the right thing. The writing is simple but charming at the same time. The book does a nice job portraying what it feels like to be the outcast in school.
The ending was a little unsatisfying. I appreciate the direction the author went but the story just seemed to end rather abruptly. It just didn't feel like a proper sendoff for a character I had grown to appreciate. The ending just didn't feel fully developed.
I won a free ebook in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
August 2, 2018
Alice Murphy's Preservation by Maria Kennedy is an intriguing book. The protagonist, Alice, is a teenager with a complex social anxiety that keeps her looking and thinking about her world more than participating in it.
Once you understand a few of the things that keep Alice anxious, your empathy kicks in. Stretching herself, Alice is to assist with a play production. Just as anyone who has ever helped or performed with a production, you understand that keeping to yourself becomes increasingly difficult.
The pacing of this novel is a bit uneven and even slow in parts. Hard to say if this is intentional or not. While the story explores the internal world that holds Alice back, it meanders through Alice's life, allowing you to remember how rough being a teenager can be.
Once you understand a few of the things that keep Alice anxious, your empathy kicks in. Stretching herself, Alice is to assist with a play production. Just as anyone who has ever helped or performed with a production, you understand that keeping to yourself becomes increasingly difficult.
The pacing of this novel is a bit uneven and even slow in parts. Hard to say if this is intentional or not. While the story explores the internal world that holds Alice back, it meanders through Alice's life, allowing you to remember how rough being a teenager can be.
November 2, 2018
I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. I could identify with Alice, for sure, having suffered social anxiety myself. I actually enjoyed this book until the end. The ending blew it for me. What happened with Ben? What were the consequences of the fire alarm? I would have loved to see a new relationship formed between Alice and her sister, Regina.
February 8, 2020
* I won this book from a GoodReads giveaway *
I did enjoy this book, but I am really disappointed with how it ended. It was just so abrupt. I need more information! Did Alice win the contest? Did she get with Ben? Did her and Regina build a closer relationship? What happened with Craig after she ruined his big night?? Ugh. I wish books weren’t allowed to end like this.
I did enjoy this book, but I am really disappointed with how it ended. It was just so abrupt. I need more information! Did Alice win the contest? Did she get with Ben? Did her and Regina build a closer relationship? What happened with Craig after she ruined his big night?? Ugh. I wish books weren’t allowed to end like this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2018
Oh, Alice! I adore her because she's quirky and awkward and sooo self conscious. Join her journey as she navigates sophomore year. You won't find her disappointing.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
March 7, 2018
Very good book! One of those stories where you just can't put the book down until your finished. I love how it ends! I will definitely be reading more of this authors books! She did a great job :)
April 11, 2018
I truly enjoyed seeing Alice come into her own ! I really enjoyed this coming of age novel and seeing where Alice was headed in life.
June 16, 2018
The storyline kept my interest throughout
September 4, 2025
I wrote this book. My opinion is biased.
December 8, 2015
A GoodReads GiveAway
Here’s another YA novel stogged chock-a-block with teenage angst. Fifteen year old Alice Murphy is at a “fragile age.” Except for Ben, she has no true friends and her relationship with her sister is — at best — wobbly.
Nevertheless, Alice is sufficiently perceptive to realize one of her hobbies [?] is less than ideal. Alice collects phone numbers she finds scribbled on walls and other such places. In her own words: “It was a pathetic thing, I think, to keep a list of phone numbers.”
Alice develops a crush — can I still say crush? — on one of her school’s bad boys and that interest leads to her involvement with an in-school production of "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" The play itself, to some degree, is likely in production for a wrong reason.
Which wrong reason?
Come on, now. You’ll have to read to find out.
Tormented because she senses that the intended presentation of the play is not strictly an artistic one, Alice finds a way to change the play’s direction.
On the very brink of the opening curtain, so to speak, Alice…
Read the book. See how Alice preserves her integrity.
Here’s another YA novel stogged chock-a-block with teenage angst. Fifteen year old Alice Murphy is at a “fragile age.” Except for Ben, she has no true friends and her relationship with her sister is — at best — wobbly.
Nevertheless, Alice is sufficiently perceptive to realize one of her hobbies [?] is less than ideal. Alice collects phone numbers she finds scribbled on walls and other such places. In her own words: “It was a pathetic thing, I think, to keep a list of phone numbers.”
Alice develops a crush — can I still say crush? — on one of her school’s bad boys and that interest leads to her involvement with an in-school production of "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" The play itself, to some degree, is likely in production for a wrong reason.
Which wrong reason?
Come on, now. You’ll have to read to find out.
Tormented because she senses that the intended presentation of the play is not strictly an artistic one, Alice finds a way to change the play’s direction.
On the very brink of the opening curtain, so to speak, Alice…
Read the book. See how Alice preserves her integrity.
April 4, 2016
I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program for an open and honest review. This was an interesting read chronicling the experiences of an awkward high school student as she navigates the social nuances of peer interactions and works to identify what she believes in/stands for. I enjoyed the writing style, especially the character's inner monologues, however at times it felt a bit excessive and contrived (there were times when Alice started to annoy me but perhaps that is because I am no longer in my teen years - I'm sure I would have related to her much better ten years ago!!). The ending definitely threw me off, but overall it was a great story of personal growth and moral development.
October 22, 2015
Alice Murphy is a rather awkward 15 year old who doesn't quite fit in with the others in high school. Although she is active on the school paper, there is rarely any controversies to report on.
One day, she witnesses the behavior of the principal's alcoholic wife in the school office. Alice goes along when a plan is hatched to perform a play about belligerent alcoholics.
In the end, Alice's conscience impacts on the way the school play turns out.
Marie Kennedy captures the voice of a 15 year old really well. Naturally, the issues with an older sibling are part of the story.
Thank you GoodReads for the book.
One day, she witnesses the behavior of the principal's alcoholic wife in the school office. Alice goes along when a plan is hatched to perform a play about belligerent alcoholics.
In the end, Alice's conscience impacts on the way the school play turns out.
Marie Kennedy captures the voice of a 15 year old really well. Naturally, the issues with an older sibling are part of the story.
Thank you GoodReads for the book.
November 25, 2015
I received this book free from a GoodReads give-away. It has been many years since I was in high school but this book brought up memories! Hopefully I wasn't as awkward as Alice, but I am sure some of the feelings she goes through were similar to what so many teens go through. Alice much better at explaining her feelings and it was so easy to relate to her. An awkward teen trying to find her place in the world of high school and never quite managing to do so. By the end of the book she didn't really care any more. So much wisdom out of a 15 year old. My favorite quote from her was "books mean different things to different people." Describes my feelings about reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2015
Received this through the Goodreads giveaways.
Although I'm not the target audience for a high school coming-of-age story, hence the rating, I do like how author Kennedy pulled it off. Having the protagonist (Alice) develop from a ghost into someone with some backbone is satisfying after enduring the mundane life of high school again.
Reminds me of Mockingbird before it was recently trashed with the sequel, which may/may not elicit the V A P O R W A V E cover art.
Although I'm not the target audience for a high school coming-of-age story, hence the rating, I do like how author Kennedy pulled it off. Having the protagonist (Alice) develop from a ghost into someone with some backbone is satisfying after enduring the mundane life of high school again.
Reminds me of Mockingbird before it was recently trashed with the sequel, which may/may not elicit the V A P O R W A V E cover art.
August 19, 2015
a goodreads giveaway that more like a 2 3/4 stars. the way the author wrote the thoughts of the main character and the main character thoughts were best part of the book and having the book end the way it was is one of the type of endings I like to end. yet the story throughout most of it didn't draw my attention much to it.
April 10, 2016
This book was interesting. I found it to be written well with good characters and a good plot.
*won as a GoodReads Giveaway*
*won as a GoodReads Giveaway*
Want to read
February 7, 2018Placeholder
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
Want to read
February 8, 2018I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. It is a Kindle book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews