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Alice #13
Alice Alone
There's a new girl in town, and she's making Alice very nervous. The start of ninth grade -- high school! -- is every bit as exciting, and challenging, as Alice had hoped, and feared, it would be. She finds her self-confidence rising, and plummeting, depending on each new situation. Classes are definitely more interesting, but algebra is proving to be nearly impossible. Patrick is in the accelerated program so they aren't in the same classes anymore. And while she's thrilled to be chosen to work on the school newspaper, she finds that between an increased homework load and reporting assignments, she can't always join Patrick when he wants to go out. But the new girl in town, Penny, can...and does. Penny is everything Alice isn't -- perky, petite, and cute as a button, and she doesn't hide her interest in Patrick. Alice senses her seemingly perfect relationship with Patrick starting to crumble, along with her self-confidence, and suddenly, Alice feels big and awkward and not particularly attractive. Could it be possible that Patrick could like someone else besides her? She can't imagine life without Patrick in it. But Patrick's behavior isn't the only thing that is baffling Alice. Elizabeth's nearly hysterical reluctance to go to her piano lessons has Alice and Pamela completely bewildered, until Elizabeth breaks down and shares an awful secret she's kept from everybody since she was seven... And as Alice struggles to keep her jealousy of Penny at bay, she watches her father handle unsettling news regarding his fiancé. Alice learns what trust is all about, and how confidence in yourself, and in others, is the most important thing of all.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2001
16 people are currently reading
675 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
245 books1,034 followersPhyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
November 18, 2008
It's been years since I first commiserated with the agonies of Alice's sixth grade year. An immediate favorite character I eagerly read the first three or four Alice books. I picked up Alice Alone at the library assuming I'd missed only a couple of books only to discover, to my astonishment, it was the 13th in the prolific Naylor's series! Now a freshman in high school, Alice sure has changed, and not for the better. I'm no prude but a large part of Alice's charm was her awkward naivety. Innocent no more, the novel opens with Alice's father agreeing to a co-ed sleepover. Things only get worse from there. Frequent references to sex and a description of the tingling Alice gets in her breasts while french kissing boyfriend Patrick mean there would be no place for this one in an elementary school classroom. While I understand the desire to relate to today's youth I would be hesitant to recommend any of the Alice books, even the early, unassuming ones, for fear that a child would continue perusing the series. I feel as though Naylor has sold out to the Paris Hilton generation and left Alice's simple charm in the dust. To add to that, the book lacks depth. Parents talk as though reading from a textbook manual, Alice's thought are stereotypical and thus, not believable. Boo! Why rush the growing up process? There's more than enough of the MTV variety material out there and far too little of the Likes of early Alice.
September 19, 2018
Alice alone is about a girl who is starting high school and there is a new girl named Penny, a flirtatious girl named Penny, who makes Alice nervous because she thinks her boyfriend, Patrick, will leave her for Penny. There is also something going on with her friend Elizabeth. She had been hiding a secret she had since she was seven. Along with all of this she has algebra which is very hard for her. High school is just a mess.
This book was okay to me. it had a lot of drama and things going on I could barely keep up with all of it. If you can focus on a lot of things at once and like drama I recommend this book to you.
This book was okay to me. it had a lot of drama and things going on I could barely keep up with all of it. If you can focus on a lot of things at once and like drama I recommend this book to you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2007
Wow, why didn’t anyone tell me about the Alice books sooner? I picked this one up because it was on the free book shelf, and I wanted something light to read on the subway home. It’s not quite light – it deals with a breakup, and that’s never pretty. But Alice’s voice is fantastic, and I adore all of her relationships. I would read a hundred Alice books just to watch her incredibly healthy realistic relationship with her father and her wonderful older brother Lester, and her two interesting, individualistic best friends, Elizabeth and Pamela. I adore Alice. She is strong and interesting and flawed and clever and totally human, and I just went to the library and took out three more Alice books.
I am told that the Alice books start when she is young, and Naylor is planning to keep on writing Alice through college. I cannot wait to find them all and read them. I have a new favorite kidlit voice.
Alice is awesome.
I am told that the Alice books start when she is young, and Naylor is planning to keep on writing Alice through college. I cannot wait to find them all and read them. I have a new favorite kidlit voice.
Alice is awesome.
December 12, 2023
best series ever 10/10
September 18, 2021
Alice is finally in high school! This is probably the last GREAT Alice book. High school Alice books were less enjoyable to me because they focus so much on Alice's extracurricular activities. I also was involved in a lot of school clubs but they're not the most interesting to read about.
The co-ed sleepover: I can't believe Ben would allow this in his house! I know I sound like Aunt Sally but even with Lester supervising, it seems a little much. The party marks the first time Penny and Patrick are openly flirting, leading to heartbreak for Alice.
The break-up: I was surprised how realistically the split was described. I know exactly how Alice feels when she told her dad "it feels worse than being sick, worse than throwing up." And even though it takes two, I would feel the same amount of resentment to Penny that Alice does. In fact, she's more mature than I would have been. Patrick is pretty jerky, typical of a fourteen/fifteen year old boy.
Thanksgiving: The hilarious incident was classic Alice, just like something that would happen in the earlier Alice books. And it provides some great scenes with Lester and Ben.
Gwen starts becoming part of the gang in high school and I remain annoyed that Naylor has her use the word "girl" in almost every sentence.
Elizabeth's confession SPOILER: This really came out of nowhere. I doubt it was planned from the earlier books and even takes away from her charming naivete. It does set up the conflicts Elizabeth has with her parents in later books. Maybe Naylor wanted to include sexual abuse storyline?
It's weird to remember that Alice and Patrick broke up in the first semester of ninth grade so they were really just a couple in middle school. Alice & Patrick are always brought up as this big love story but steady dating in high school is a lot different than middle school.
The co-ed sleepover: I can't believe Ben would allow this in his house! I know I sound like Aunt Sally but even with Lester supervising, it seems a little much. The party marks the first time Penny and Patrick are openly flirting, leading to heartbreak for Alice.
The break-up: I was surprised how realistically the split was described. I know exactly how Alice feels when she told her dad "it feels worse than being sick, worse than throwing up." And even though it takes two, I would feel the same amount of resentment to Penny that Alice does. In fact, she's more mature than I would have been. Patrick is pretty jerky, typical of a fourteen/fifteen year old boy.
Thanksgiving: The hilarious incident was classic Alice, just like something that would happen in the earlier Alice books. And it provides some great scenes with Lester and Ben.
Gwen starts becoming part of the gang in high school and I remain annoyed that Naylor has her use the word "girl" in almost every sentence.
Elizabeth's confession SPOILER: This really came out of nowhere. I doubt it was planned from the earlier books and even takes away from her charming naivete. It does set up the conflicts Elizabeth has with her parents in later books. Maybe Naylor wanted to include sexual abuse storyline?
It's weird to remember that Alice and Patrick broke up in the first semester of ninth grade so they were really just a couple in middle school. Alice & Patrick are always brought up as this big love story but steady dating in high school is a lot different than middle school.
September 23, 2023
September 2023 reread.
What a dip Patrick is in this book. Alice often talks about his maturity but he definitely comes across as a high school freshman here. He wants to date other girls in addition to Alice, and yet still wants her to have the same feelings for him? That’s not how it works, pal. Alice actually handles the breakup with real maturity. She still has her moments but shows a lot of growth in this book.
I laughed aloud during the Thanksgiving dinner with the refugees scene just like I have each time I’ve reread this.
This book is the first time we see Molly (Alice’s new friend on stage crew).
While I don’t retract my 2019 comments, this feels more like a classic Alice book than the last two volumes did.
October 2019 reread.
Here is where the shift for me occurs with the Alice books. There are still laugh out loud funny moments and touching family scenes. This is still a great series. It's just ... not the same series I've been reading for twelve books.
Is it the switch to high school for the character? Is it a new editor? Is it a switch from the juvenile to young adult division of the publishing company?
I'm not sure. I continue to enjoy the series (both when I initially read them as a teenager and on re-reads as an adult) but these later volumes lose some of the charm of the earlier books.
What a dip Patrick is in this book. Alice often talks about his maturity but he definitely comes across as a high school freshman here. He wants to date other girls in addition to Alice, and yet still wants her to have the same feelings for him? That’s not how it works, pal. Alice actually handles the breakup with real maturity. She still has her moments but shows a lot of growth in this book.
I laughed aloud during the Thanksgiving dinner with the refugees scene just like I have each time I’ve reread this.
This book is the first time we see Molly (Alice’s new friend on stage crew).
While I don’t retract my 2019 comments, this feels more like a classic Alice book than the last two volumes did.
October 2019 reread.
Here is where the shift for me occurs with the Alice books. There are still laugh out loud funny moments and touching family scenes. This is still a great series. It's just ... not the same series I've been reading for twelve books.
Is it the switch to high school for the character? Is it a new editor? Is it a switch from the juvenile to young adult division of the publishing company?
I'm not sure. I continue to enjoy the series (both when I initially read them as a teenager and on re-reads as an adult) but these later volumes lose some of the charm of the earlier books.
May 17, 2016
I'm so, so glad this one went the way it did (spoiler alert for the rest of the review).
I liked Patrick a lot in the books before this, even though he seemed pretty unrealistic for a twelve- and thirteen-year-old boy—just way too sophisticated and together. I felt like the way he talked to Alice, and the way Alice described all their moments together, they sounded more like a couple in their twenties (because even older teenagers just aren't that well-scripted in real life). However—and this was a big "however" for me—Patrick was only good as long as things were good, and as soon as he did something that bothered Alice, he became a total ass. He was constantly gaslighting her and dismissing her thoughts and feelings, and in this book, Alice finally recognizes and addresses it. It was sad to see their sweet relationship end, but I'm so glad it did and I am loving watching Alice learn about herself in the process.
I liked Patrick a lot in the books before this, even though he seemed pretty unrealistic for a twelve- and thirteen-year-old boy—just way too sophisticated and together. I felt like the way he talked to Alice, and the way Alice described all their moments together, they sounded more like a couple in their twenties (because even older teenagers just aren't that well-scripted in real life). However—and this was a big "however" for me—Patrick was only good as long as things were good, and as soon as he did something that bothered Alice, he became a total ass. He was constantly gaslighting her and dismissing her thoughts and feelings, and in this book, Alice finally recognizes and addresses it. It was sad to see their sweet relationship end, but I'm so glad it did and I am loving watching Alice learn about herself in the process.
August 30, 2017
Child me: 5 stars
Adult me: 4 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
--
Drama. Drama with the new girl.
Adult me: 4 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
--
Drama. Drama with the new girl.
July 23, 2017
Alice struggles with a tough breakup that leads to some depression, and the author does a good job of really making me feel for her. I love how she gradually finds herself again and survives without Patrick. I also love how supportive and wonderful Lester was after the breakup, using some of his philosophy as well as simple comfort to make Alice feel better. The secret about Elizabeth was sad but believable and it can explain the way she is. I wonder if the author intended this from the first time she wrote about her. I wonder how long Patrick and Penny will last. I don't like Penny. I loved the scene with the former prison women coming for Thanksgiving.
December 12, 2013
I grew up reading this series. Year by year, i would rush to buy the newest Alice book and read it within a couple of days. As an adult now, I realized I missed a few of her life moments. The last 4 books, to be correct. So as i passed I like Him, He likes Her (a compliation of Alice #13-15) at Barnes and Noble, i couldnt help but recommend it to my younger cousin. She bought it, but I noticed she left it in my room. I figured If she's not going to appreciate it, I will ^.^ I just finished Alice Alone. I loved it just as much as I did when I read it years ago!
November 29, 2018
Alice Alone by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is a amazing book it's about a girl name Alice was a funny, vulnerable voice expresses every girl fears about what is "normal" in an imperfect world. Alice continues to be a refreshingly honest character with realistic adolescent highs and lows.
August 20, 2024
I thought it was good. I really got attached to it the further I got into it and I definitely want to read the series start to finish because I absolutely love Alice’s life and I want to be able to live vicariously through the whole thing!!!! Also, Patrick, when I find you so help me God.
May 26, 2016
This is one of the most intense Alice books yet- lots of drama packed into 200 pages. These still feel like Degrassi episodes - and I mean that as a high compliment.
April 23, 2021
3 Stars... Not a middle grade book
This was my first "Alice" book and I must say I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. The overall break up story wasn't anything special, but there was something about the writing that made me want to keep reading. I actually liked Alice (although she was a bit too dramatic at times), her family, and friends. I did however think that some things were inappropriate given the fact that Alice is only 14. Ex. the french kissing, breast tingling, wondering if going all the way would have secured the relationship, a lot of sex this and sex that, a prostitute that discusses how she became a prostitute and sexual assault. For such a short book a lot took place and it turned out to be a lot more "mature" in content than I thought it would have been. Some of it I get, but some of it just should not have been there (breast tingling----really?).
Anyway, this wasn't that bad, but it wasn't great so 3 stars it is...
This was my first "Alice" book and I must say I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. The overall break up story wasn't anything special, but there was something about the writing that made me want to keep reading. I actually liked Alice (although she was a bit too dramatic at times), her family, and friends. I did however think that some things were inappropriate given the fact that Alice is only 14. Ex. the french kissing, breast tingling, wondering if going all the way would have secured the relationship, a lot of sex this and sex that, a prostitute that discusses how she became a prostitute and sexual assault. For such a short book a lot took place and it turned out to be a lot more "mature" in content than I thought it would have been. Some of it I get, but some of it just should not have been there (breast tingling----really?).
Anyway, this wasn't that bad, but it wasn't great so 3 stars it is...
December 27, 2017
Alice is in high school now, and high school is not without drama. There's a new girl named Penny who Alice does not like and Alice finds herself growing apart from Patrick, especially when he seems to be getting closer to Penny. I could relate to this book a lot, not so much with myself, but I was always that friend who was there to listen to all the drama my best friend had in her love life. Yep, a lot of drama in this book.
February 3, 2018
I read a whole bunch of the books in the Alice series at once. Honestly, I'm a little iffy about the plot to this specific book, but the characters were always well rounded and wonderful, the plot kept me going (under the understanding that this was a character driven series), and everything was pretty relatable.
December 3, 2025
The nostalgia of this series ❤️
I forgot how terrible the beginning of high school is for Alice. I certainly don’t miss feeling the pain she felt in this book, but I think it’s great Naylor depicts Alice handling a shitty situation with such grace… even if I want to scream at and shake some characters on her behalf!!
I forgot how terrible the beginning of high school is for Alice. I certainly don’t miss feeling the pain she felt in this book, but I think it’s great Naylor depicts Alice handling a shitty situation with such grace… even if I want to scream at and shake some characters on her behalf!!
March 11, 2017
Thought the series started to slump a little. This book renewed my faith in it. I remember those feelings of inadequacy at that age, and feeling like I just didn't quite fit with others. Definitely made me excited to read what happens next in Alice's life!
May 11, 2018
Alice's first big break up. Once again, the writing and reactions of a 14 year old girl feel so realistic.
September 25, 2018
Just not as fun as the others, imo. Driven more by issues than characters. I'm still reading, but they're getting a little harder to find and I may give up before we're done.
July 10, 2019
Sherry, North River patron, July 2019, 5 stars:
I liked it a lot.
I liked it a lot.
July 18, 2020
Probably shouldn't have jumped into a series on book 13, but I find Alice to be tremendously immature and overdramatic.
January 17, 2021
Great books! I love the reality of it!
March 21, 2021
A devastating first heart break, and how growing up is hard to do
September 22, 2021
Another home run!
July 28, 2023
It was a great book that I could easily relate to my life!
August 26, 2015
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Alice Alone.
Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, New York, 2001.
240 pages. $7.99 ISBN 978-1-4391-3229-6 (eBook).
Grades 7-9; Ages 12-14.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s beloved Alice is back and ready to begin high school. With her boyfriend Patrick at her side, Alice feels confident that this will be her best year yet. When Alice hosts a coed sleepover at her house, her brother Lester ends up with chaperone duties and her friends are thrilled. The whole crowd, including her old friend Donald Sheavers, shows up for the big night. Less thrilling for Alice is the new girl, Penny, who has her eyes on Patrick. Worse yet, Patrick seems to return Penny’s interest. When things finally come to a head and Alice and Patrick break up, Alice loses her self-confidence and wonders how she will navigate high school alone.
In an attempt to erase her pain by helping others, Alice tries to invite a needy family to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. A miscommunication results in her inviting three prior female offenders: a former prostitute and drug addict as well as two thieves. Scared to admit her mistake, Alice tells her Dad and Lester that she’s invited three “refugees” to dinner. The hilarity that ensues helps lighten the mood of the harsher themes Naylor is addressing and opens the way for Alice and her family to discuss her actions and learn from them.
This book is likely to cause some controversy. As Alice grows up, so do her problems and this book deals with more mature themes than the younger Alice novels. The themes of dating and fidelity are a big part of the first half of the novel. Sexual abuse and prostitution are topics discussed in the second half of the novel. Gossip and the true nature of friendship play a role throughout. These are tough themes, but, Naylor manages to address them with a sensitivity and realism that readers will believe and parents will appreciate. Many positive life lessons are embodied in the story including: the idea that a girl should not give power over her happiness to a boy, the idea that life is always changing and sometimes change is painful, and the idea that people are complicated and everyone has both good and bad inside them. About three-fourths of the way through the book a friend discloses to Alice that she was sexually abused as a child and Alice urges the friend to tell her parents. “They need to know because they love you, and it’s a part of you that’s hurting” (p. 212). While the resolution to this subplot was a little too simple, its introduction can open the door for dialogue on this difficult issue. Also, the inclusion of parents in the solution to the problem presents a very pro-family message that readers’ parents can appreciate.
Through changing friendships, algebra struggles, drama club meetings, and school newspaper assignments, Naylor leads Alice through her first semester of high school in the sympathetic and realistic style readers have come to expect. Although confronting issues and themes of a more mature nature, in the end the positive messages of hope, family bonds, and self-reliance triumph over loneliness, self-pity, and despair. Alice Alone is entertaining and yet still real – a mirror for today’s teen girls who will see themselves in the struggles of Alice and her friends. From Alice they can learn independence, gratitude, and acceptance of self. Fans of the series will enjoy Alice Alone for its wit and accessibility. Recommended for the YA/Teen section of a public library or junior high and high school libraries.
Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, New York, 2001.
240 pages. $7.99 ISBN 978-1-4391-3229-6 (eBook).
Grades 7-9; Ages 12-14.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s beloved Alice is back and ready to begin high school. With her boyfriend Patrick at her side, Alice feels confident that this will be her best year yet. When Alice hosts a coed sleepover at her house, her brother Lester ends up with chaperone duties and her friends are thrilled. The whole crowd, including her old friend Donald Sheavers, shows up for the big night. Less thrilling for Alice is the new girl, Penny, who has her eyes on Patrick. Worse yet, Patrick seems to return Penny’s interest. When things finally come to a head and Alice and Patrick break up, Alice loses her self-confidence and wonders how she will navigate high school alone.
In an attempt to erase her pain by helping others, Alice tries to invite a needy family to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. A miscommunication results in her inviting three prior female offenders: a former prostitute and drug addict as well as two thieves. Scared to admit her mistake, Alice tells her Dad and Lester that she’s invited three “refugees” to dinner. The hilarity that ensues helps lighten the mood of the harsher themes Naylor is addressing and opens the way for Alice and her family to discuss her actions and learn from them.
This book is likely to cause some controversy. As Alice grows up, so do her problems and this book deals with more mature themes than the younger Alice novels. The themes of dating and fidelity are a big part of the first half of the novel. Sexual abuse and prostitution are topics discussed in the second half of the novel. Gossip and the true nature of friendship play a role throughout. These are tough themes, but, Naylor manages to address them with a sensitivity and realism that readers will believe and parents will appreciate. Many positive life lessons are embodied in the story including: the idea that a girl should not give power over her happiness to a boy, the idea that life is always changing and sometimes change is painful, and the idea that people are complicated and everyone has both good and bad inside them. About three-fourths of the way through the book a friend discloses to Alice that she was sexually abused as a child and Alice urges the friend to tell her parents. “They need to know because they love you, and it’s a part of you that’s hurting” (p. 212). While the resolution to this subplot was a little too simple, its introduction can open the door for dialogue on this difficult issue. Also, the inclusion of parents in the solution to the problem presents a very pro-family message that readers’ parents can appreciate.
Through changing friendships, algebra struggles, drama club meetings, and school newspaper assignments, Naylor leads Alice through her first semester of high school in the sympathetic and realistic style readers have come to expect. Although confronting issues and themes of a more mature nature, in the end the positive messages of hope, family bonds, and self-reliance triumph over loneliness, self-pity, and despair. Alice Alone is entertaining and yet still real – a mirror for today’s teen girls who will see themselves in the struggles of Alice and her friends. From Alice they can learn independence, gratitude, and acceptance of self. Fans of the series will enjoy Alice Alone for its wit and accessibility. Recommended for the YA/Teen section of a public library or junior high and high school libraries.
April 10, 2016
After a much-needed six month hiatus, I am back at it with my read-through of the Alice series. Binging the first twelve was not my best idea, but now I'm ready to tackle the second half the series: the high school years.
Alice Alone is one of the most memorable books in the series. In addition to detailing the rocky transitional months of beginning high school, it also covers a pivotal moment in Alice's life: her breakup with longtime boyfriend and major dud Patrick Long.
There's a new girl in town named Penny, and she sets her sights on Patrick. Alice gets involved in a bunch of extracurriculars, and doesn't have as much time for Patrick as she did in junior high. And in the words of poet Justin Bieber, "I've been so caught up in my job, didn't see what's going on", Alice's unavailability leaves Patrick right in the palm of Penny's hand.
Naylor handles the breakup really well. The slow buildup as Alice realizes she's losing Patrick, but can't do anything to stop it, is appropriately gut-wrenching. And Alice immediately starting to feel so ugly and unlovable following the breakup is so on point and so painful:
It's also interesting that the breakup occurs only about 60% percent through the book; there's a whole third part in which Alice starts to learn how to go and love herself post-breakup. Bieber would have been proud.
The overall message is that you can survive a breakup, and come out stronger and healthier on the other side. Breakups suck, especially when you have to ride the bus to school with your ex the next day. Alice handles it all so gracefully and honestly. I don't imagine it would take the sting off anyone's own breakup, but it might help to know that you're not the first, or the last, to go through it and come out the other side.
Alice Alone is one of the most memorable books in the series. In addition to detailing the rocky transitional months of beginning high school, it also covers a pivotal moment in Alice's life: her breakup with longtime boyfriend and major dud Patrick Long.
There's a new girl in town named Penny, and she sets her sights on Patrick. Alice gets involved in a bunch of extracurriculars, and doesn't have as much time for Patrick as she did in junior high. And in the words of poet Justin Bieber, "I've been so caught up in my job, didn't see what's going on", Alice's unavailability leaves Patrick right in the palm of Penny's hand.
Naylor handles the breakup really well. The slow buildup as Alice realizes she's losing Patrick, but can't do anything to stop it, is appropriately gut-wrenching. And Alice immediately starting to feel so ugly and unlovable following the breakup is so on point and so painful:
"My knees suddenly looked fat to me. Fat knees. How could I expect Patrick to like a girl with fat knees? I sucked in my breath and spread my fingers out over each kneecap. My fingers looked short and stubby, and my nails were uneven. How could Patrick like a girl with stubby fingers? ... Now that Patrick didn't love me anymore, I most be unlovable."
It's also interesting that the breakup occurs only about 60% percent through the book; there's a whole third part in which Alice starts to learn how to go and love herself post-breakup. Bieber would have been proud.
The overall message is that you can survive a breakup, and come out stronger and healthier on the other side. Breakups suck, especially when you have to ride the bus to school with your ex the next day. Alice handles it all so gracefully and honestly. I don't imagine it would take the sting off anyone's own breakup, but it might help to know that you're not the first, or the last, to go through it and come out the other side.
December 31, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I first read this book when I was 10 years old. At the time, the voice of the protagonist spoke to me in a way that I can not properly describe. I clung to the words like a manuscript for my own life, Alice’s pain was my pain- I could empathize with her. Because of this, Alice Alone would mark the moment in my life that I became a reader or the book nerd that others around me would start to call me.
I received a copy of this book for Christmas and was understandably excited to dive into the book that had awoken my love for books. Quickly I realized I felt different about this story. There were moments that made me uncomfortable thinking about my 10 year old self reading. As a mother, I of course then imagined my young children reading the same words and felt equally uncomfortable. Much like 23 years ago however, I couldn’t put the book down. I kept reading and once again found myself thinking back to my past and the things I empathized with then I still did today. Only this time, I was on the other side of those problems. I have lived through them and found that I was no longer looking for answers from Alice but wanting to provide them to her.
After reading through this a second time around I searched through the internet for information on this book. To my surprise I found that the Alice series is the 2nd most banned series in school libraries and in the top 10 for most banned books. This book was my way of getting through a tough spot when I was 10. I couldn’t help but think, what if other young girls needed to know they weren’t alone? Overall, Naylor is an exceptional writer and has the guts to put on paper things that might make others uncomfortable. The beauty of reading though, the words you read almost always find a way to transform into what you need to hear in your current moment. Trigger Warning: Some things are politically incorrect. Mentions of sexual abuse of a child.
I received a copy of this book for Christmas and was understandably excited to dive into the book that had awoken my love for books. Quickly I realized I felt different about this story. There were moments that made me uncomfortable thinking about my 10 year old self reading. As a mother, I of course then imagined my young children reading the same words and felt equally uncomfortable. Much like 23 years ago however, I couldn’t put the book down. I kept reading and once again found myself thinking back to my past and the things I empathized with then I still did today. Only this time, I was on the other side of those problems. I have lived through them and found that I was no longer looking for answers from Alice but wanting to provide them to her.
After reading through this a second time around I searched through the internet for information on this book. To my surprise I found that the Alice series is the 2nd most banned series in school libraries and in the top 10 for most banned books. This book was my way of getting through a tough spot when I was 10. I couldn’t help but think, what if other young girls needed to know they weren’t alone? Overall, Naylor is an exceptional writer and has the guts to put on paper things that might make others uncomfortable. The beauty of reading though, the words you read almost always find a way to transform into what you need to hear in your current moment. Trigger Warning: Some things are politically incorrect. Mentions of sexual abuse of a child.
April 27, 2011
So I saw this monstrous book on the shelf and saw it was 600 pages about a girl named Alice as a freshman in high school. I bought it. (Insert joke here). However, what I didn't realize was that it was a compilation of three books by the author which I guess is part of a series where Alice is the main character. So I read the first one, Alice Alone.
It was alright I guess. I like these kind of stories because I read about things that I didn't really have much experience with when I was in high school. Man, girls cry a lot. At least they do in their bedrooms it seems. This story in the life of Alice revolved around the main theme of breaking up with her long time boyfriend, Patrick, and how she dealt with it. I'm a guy, I couldn't really relate to all the inner conversations Alice had with her close knit group of friends but it was entertaining seeing how the opposite sex operates.
I'm not sure how I was able to read this so quickly (3 hours in two different sittings), because the story line was not moving. It was day to day stuff basically and there was no climatic build up. The end was blah as well as the story never really ended. I read the first page of the second book in my big book which is titled, "I Like Him, He Loves Her" and it looks like it picks up relatively close to where the first one ended.
On the inside cover, there's a list of The Alice Books and I counted 25 and when I typed in "Alice Alone" here on goodreads, it came up as Alice #13. Does that mean I missed a lot of stuff by not reading the first 12? Didn't seem like it as I started reading but maybe it's something worth investigating over the summer.
It was alright I guess. I like these kind of stories because I read about things that I didn't really have much experience with when I was in high school. Man, girls cry a lot. At least they do in their bedrooms it seems. This story in the life of Alice revolved around the main theme of breaking up with her long time boyfriend, Patrick, and how she dealt with it. I'm a guy, I couldn't really relate to all the inner conversations Alice had with her close knit group of friends but it was entertaining seeing how the opposite sex operates.
I'm not sure how I was able to read this so quickly (3 hours in two different sittings), because the story line was not moving. It was day to day stuff basically and there was no climatic build up. The end was blah as well as the story never really ended. I read the first page of the second book in my big book which is titled, "I Like Him, He Loves Her" and it looks like it picks up relatively close to where the first one ended.
On the inside cover, there's a list of The Alice Books and I counted 25 and when I typed in "Alice Alone" here on goodreads, it came up as Alice #13. Does that mean I missed a lot of stuff by not reading the first 12? Didn't seem like it as I started reading but maybe it's something worth investigating over the summer.
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