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Alice MacLeod #2
Miss Smithers
Aware of her own inner beauty and completely self-assured, Alice enters Miss Smithers pageant to prove her competitors wrong and teach everyone at school an important lesson they won't soon forget. Reprint.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
6 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Susan Juby
20 books314 followers(from her website)
I was raised in Smithers, BC, Canada and lived there until I moved to Toronto at age 20. I had a brief and unsuccessful career as a fashion design student and, after I worked at a series of low paying jobs, such as server, record store employee, etc., I began a degree in English Literature at University of Toronto, which I finished at the University of British Columbia. After graduating I became an editor at a self-help/how-to book publishing company based in Vancouver. Later, I did a master’s degree in publishing.
When I was a kid I wrote fiction but gave it up for a life of crime. Okay, that’s not true, but I did get seriously sidetracked. That time in my life is the subject of my memoir, "Nice Recovery". When I was twenty, until I got myself together and when I was about 26 I started writing, in the morning before work, first on the bus, then in a coffee shop. This writing became my first novel, "Alice, I Think", which was published by Thistledown Press in 2000.
When I first started writing my intention was to write a book about a teenager who doesn't fit in, but doesn't allow that fact to crush her. The Alice MacLeod series is my homage to oddballs. I wanted to create a character who has the courage and integrity to find her own way and define herself independently of other people. I've always admired people who can do that.
After finishing three books about Alice and her family, I decided that my goal is to write every kind of book I love to read. I’ve always loved horse books. I was a lunatic for horses when I was younger. I owned several horses over the years (for a time when I was quite young I was convinced I was a horse, but let's keep that between us) and I became obsessed with an equestrian sport called dressage. I quit riding when I left home to go to college, but part of me always thought I could have been a "contender". (In retrospect, I'm not sure why I would have thought that.) Anyway, I got a nice pay day when Alice, I Think was made into a TV series, and the first thing I did was rush out a buy a horse and start working on a book about two young dressage riders. The story was initially about two girls, but soon I fell in love with a secondary character, a boy named Alex, and the book became mainly about him. That one is called "Another Kind of Cowboy".
I’m also a maniac for detective novels, which led to "Getting the Girl", a comedy about an inept detective and a high school conspiracy he is determined to stop. Book number six is my memoir. I developed a bit of a substance abuse problem when I was thirteen and I ended up getting clean and sober when I was twenty. Nice Recovery is about that time. The book includes information for people with addiction problems and interviews with amazing young people in recovery. My love for satire and the End Is Nigh novels led me to write "Bright’s Light", which is that rarest of things: a funny dystopian novel about young dunderheads in the last fun place on earth and the alien who wants to save them.
"Home to Woefield", as it’s known in the U.S. and "The Woefield Poultry Collective" as it’s known in Canada, is a comedy about a young woman from Brooklyn who inherits a derelict farm on Vancouver Island. It’s the first of my novels published specifically for adults, though I’d say at least half the readers of my other books have been adults. I hope all my readers will like it. (It does contain quite a bit of swearing. Just be forewarned!) I’ve always wanted to be self-sustaining and able to grow my own food. All I lack is land and skill. The sequel, "Republic of Dirt", is scheduled to be published January 2015 by HarperCollins.
My next teen novel is called "The Truth Commission". It will be published March 2015 by Penguin Canada and Viking U.S. The story is about a group of teens who attend an art high school who start a truth-telling club with consequences both dire and funny.
In addition to my writing, I teach creative writ
I was raised in Smithers, BC, Canada and lived there until I moved to Toronto at age 20. I had a brief and unsuccessful career as a fashion design student and, after I worked at a series of low paying jobs, such as server, record store employee, etc., I began a degree in English Literature at University of Toronto, which I finished at the University of British Columbia. After graduating I became an editor at a self-help/how-to book publishing company based in Vancouver. Later, I did a master’s degree in publishing.
When I was a kid I wrote fiction but gave it up for a life of crime. Okay, that’s not true, but I did get seriously sidetracked. That time in my life is the subject of my memoir, "Nice Recovery". When I was twenty, until I got myself together and when I was about 26 I started writing, in the morning before work, first on the bus, then in a coffee shop. This writing became my first novel, "Alice, I Think", which was published by Thistledown Press in 2000.
When I first started writing my intention was to write a book about a teenager who doesn't fit in, but doesn't allow that fact to crush her. The Alice MacLeod series is my homage to oddballs. I wanted to create a character who has the courage and integrity to find her own way and define herself independently of other people. I've always admired people who can do that.
After finishing three books about Alice and her family, I decided that my goal is to write every kind of book I love to read. I’ve always loved horse books. I was a lunatic for horses when I was younger. I owned several horses over the years (for a time when I was quite young I was convinced I was a horse, but let's keep that between us) and I became obsessed with an equestrian sport called dressage. I quit riding when I left home to go to college, but part of me always thought I could have been a "contender". (In retrospect, I'm not sure why I would have thought that.) Anyway, I got a nice pay day when Alice, I Think was made into a TV series, and the first thing I did was rush out a buy a horse and start working on a book about two young dressage riders. The story was initially about two girls, but soon I fell in love with a secondary character, a boy named Alex, and the book became mainly about him. That one is called "Another Kind of Cowboy".
I’m also a maniac for detective novels, which led to "Getting the Girl", a comedy about an inept detective and a high school conspiracy he is determined to stop. Book number six is my memoir. I developed a bit of a substance abuse problem when I was thirteen and I ended up getting clean and sober when I was twenty. Nice Recovery is about that time. The book includes information for people with addiction problems and interviews with amazing young people in recovery. My love for satire and the End Is Nigh novels led me to write "Bright’s Light", which is that rarest of things: a funny dystopian novel about young dunderheads in the last fun place on earth and the alien who wants to save them.
"Home to Woefield", as it’s known in the U.S. and "The Woefield Poultry Collective" as it’s known in Canada, is a comedy about a young woman from Brooklyn who inherits a derelict farm on Vancouver Island. It’s the first of my novels published specifically for adults, though I’d say at least half the readers of my other books have been adults. I hope all my readers will like it. (It does contain quite a bit of swearing. Just be forewarned!) I’ve always wanted to be self-sustaining and able to grow my own food. All I lack is land and skill. The sequel, "Republic of Dirt", is scheduled to be published January 2015 by HarperCollins.
My next teen novel is called "The Truth Commission". It will be published March 2015 by Penguin Canada and Viking U.S. The story is about a group of teens who attend an art high school who start a truth-telling club with consequences both dire and funny.
In addition to my writing, I teach creative writ
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 2, 2020
Another super fun reread from my youth! This small town Canadian YA is still laugh out loud funny and a wonderful celebration of weirdos. But the book also doesn't shy away from tough stuff. Alice MacLeod is a national treasure. Her type of teen rebellion involves sneaking out to a steak restaurant with her brother because her family is hippie vegetarians. Also she calls her sort of boyfriend "Goose." I highly recommend this if you haven't heard of it. Start with the 1st book Alice, I Think.
April 12, 2012
I'm pretty sure this is the one where she buys the leather pants. Or is the one with Jesus bus? Either way, I think I wet my pants, I was laughing so hard.
July 1, 2017
4.5 stars
Alice continues her coming of age story when she is entered into the Miss Smithers pageant as Miss Rod and Gun Club (ironic since her parents are vegetarians who oppose hunting, slaughterhouses, etc) in an even funnier book than the first in this trilogy: I can see why this one won an award (Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize (2005)). But it's more than just funny as we see various facets of teen concerns and the lives of those around her. I'm looking forward to reading the third book in this trilogy.
Alice continues her coming of age story when she is entered into the Miss Smithers pageant as Miss Rod and Gun Club (ironic since her parents are vegetarians who oppose hunting, slaughterhouses, etc) in an even funnier book than the first in this trilogy: I can see why this one won an award (Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize (2005)). But it's more than just funny as we see various facets of teen concerns and the lives of those around her. I'm looking forward to reading the third book in this trilogy.
July 9, 2018
This was great when I was 13-years-old and still great now that I am 23.
Miss Smithers is just as funny as I remembered. Until now, I don't think I realized how much these books by Susan Juby influenced me as a person (and as a writer). My internal monologue sounds just like Alice's, and I think that's why I enjoy reading about her so much.
Miss Smithers is just as funny as I remembered. Until now, I don't think I realized how much these books by Susan Juby influenced me as a person (and as a writer). My internal monologue sounds just like Alice's, and I think that's why I enjoy reading about her so much.
January 25, 2015
Long time readers might remember my previous demonstration of fondness for Alice, I Think by Susan Juby. By itself, the book was fantastically funny with some great plot points and characters. So imagine my happiness back in 2005 when I realized a sequel (set a bit after the first novel's events) had been published and was available from my place of employ.
Like many good stories, Miss Smithers starts with an offer that Alice can't refuse--especially if she wants to prove to everyone that she really is a special girl. Being previously homeschooled and a bit of a loner, Alice is surprised when the local Rod and Gun Club asks her to be their representative at the Miss Smithers Beauty Pageant. That is until she hears about the four hundred dollar allottment for clothing. At that point, much to her mother's horror, Alice is prepared to participate in anything.
Unlike higher profile pageants, Miss Smithers has enough events that are varied and vague enough that every participant has a chance of being good at something. Surely that must also include a moderately well-adjusted teen who used to think she was a hobbit, right?
After one botched newsletter distribution and the purchase of questionable attire for a beauty pageant, Alice begins to question her initial (over)confidence at winning Miss Smithers. Of course, it's only then that Alice really starts to learn and grow from her brief experience as a beauty queen.
Like Alice, I Think before it, Miss Smithers has received some negative reviews from people who argue they can't connect with Alice. For my part, I can't understand why as I love Alice who seems to be the embodiment of the simultaneously apathetic and overeager teen found inside everyone.
Other negatives included a review that railed against the discussion of underage sex and drinking found in this book. There are two sides to that issue. As a teen I read a lot of books with characters who had sex and drank. Most of my friends and family will agree these readings had no detriment on my moral code. There are also a lot of books out there that are far more explicit about both topics.
In relation to this novel: yes Alice does get drunk, and yes she does consider sex quite a bit. But she also decides to take a chastity vow and spends a good amount of time contemplating what Jesus really would do. All in the same novel. Like most sixteen-year-old girls, Alice changes her mind a lot. As such, Juby creates a realistic albeit sarcastic protagonist with a well-rounded variety of experiences in this story.
Like the first novel in this trilogy, Miss Smithers does follow a diary format. The "standards" of that genre are adhered to a bit more loosely here with dated entries reading more like the usual prose. Not to worry though, this novel features a different kind of gimmick instead of the diary entries. Interspersed between chapters, Alice includes a handy newsletter (hand typed) detailing pageant events as well as a spreadsheet tallying each entrant's points and progress toward the win. These newsletters are also a great way to look at Alice's increasing maturity throughout the story as she begins to take more pride in the competition and becomes more familiar with each of the contestants.
Equal parts humor and sarcasm make this book a great read for anyone who would never usually pay attention to beauty pageants in books or otherwise.
Like many good stories, Miss Smithers starts with an offer that Alice can't refuse--especially if she wants to prove to everyone that she really is a special girl. Being previously homeschooled and a bit of a loner, Alice is surprised when the local Rod and Gun Club asks her to be their representative at the Miss Smithers Beauty Pageant. That is until she hears about the four hundred dollar allottment for clothing. At that point, much to her mother's horror, Alice is prepared to participate in anything.
Unlike higher profile pageants, Miss Smithers has enough events that are varied and vague enough that every participant has a chance of being good at something. Surely that must also include a moderately well-adjusted teen who used to think she was a hobbit, right?
After one botched newsletter distribution and the purchase of questionable attire for a beauty pageant, Alice begins to question her initial (over)confidence at winning Miss Smithers. Of course, it's only then that Alice really starts to learn and grow from her brief experience as a beauty queen.
Like Alice, I Think before it, Miss Smithers has received some negative reviews from people who argue they can't connect with Alice. For my part, I can't understand why as I love Alice who seems to be the embodiment of the simultaneously apathetic and overeager teen found inside everyone.
Other negatives included a review that railed against the discussion of underage sex and drinking found in this book. There are two sides to that issue. As a teen I read a lot of books with characters who had sex and drank. Most of my friends and family will agree these readings had no detriment on my moral code. There are also a lot of books out there that are far more explicit about both topics.
In relation to this novel: yes Alice does get drunk, and yes she does consider sex quite a bit. But she also decides to take a chastity vow and spends a good amount of time contemplating what Jesus really would do. All in the same novel. Like most sixteen-year-old girls, Alice changes her mind a lot. As such, Juby creates a realistic albeit sarcastic protagonist with a well-rounded variety of experiences in this story.
Like the first novel in this trilogy, Miss Smithers does follow a diary format. The "standards" of that genre are adhered to a bit more loosely here with dated entries reading more like the usual prose. Not to worry though, this novel features a different kind of gimmick instead of the diary entries. Interspersed between chapters, Alice includes a handy newsletter (hand typed) detailing pageant events as well as a spreadsheet tallying each entrant's points and progress toward the win. These newsletters are also a great way to look at Alice's increasing maturity throughout the story as she begins to take more pride in the competition and becomes more familiar with each of the contestants.
Equal parts humor and sarcasm make this book a great read for anyone who would never usually pay attention to beauty pageants in books or otherwise.
December 10, 2008
Horrible! Horrible! Horrible. This book is just plain weird!!!?!
August 28, 2024
This was a reread for me, having initially read it as a teenager. Although the plot line with the Miss Smithers pageant is interesting, I didn't find it quite as laugh-out-loud funny as the first book. Alice is still the incredibly quirky (and a little snarky, but mostly naive) teenager of hippie parents, however she's starting to come a bit more into her own, socializing outside of her family and starting a few extracurriculars/hobbies. One of my favourite moments is still , and I can picture that whole scene (as well as the aftermath) all too well. Although it hasn't aged perfectly, it's still an enjoyable read, and I'll likely reread the third one soon too.
February 6, 2023
This really seemed like a fully fleshed out person living in a small community. Kind of like a more real Beverly Cleary book. One section captured how I still feel as an adult who came from a small community trying to deal with urban sophisticates. In this case, it was her and her brother trying to navigate a steakhouse and a salad bar. The cringe brought me to any time that I am doing something out of my comfort zone in public.
Alice, the main character, handles it well but the feelings resonate. I think this would still be a book that hits some points but I think it maybe dated soon.
Alice, the main character, handles it well but the feelings resonate. I think this would still be a book that hits some points but I think it maybe dated soon.
March 5, 2022
nothing bad to report. I enjoy this series, it is not going to disappoint in my estimation. interested to see how the last book will end. This is a safe choice if you are interested in a contemporary coming of age story, but it's not here to blow your socks off.
June 20, 2019
Alice McLeod is moving up in the world. She attends an alternative high school, and finally has both a female friend and a boyfriend. She's been trying to branch out and become more active, rather than sitting home writing all the time. When a family friend asks Alice to be the Rod and Gun Club's representative in the Miss Smithers pageant, she goes against her ultra-liberal parents' wishes and joins the race.
Alice learns just how far she has to go when she begins to attend different pageant events. But the main thing she learns is that she needs to work on developing her interests and personality, because the other girls seem to have much more going for them than Alice does. This prompts Alice to set out on a quest to discover herself - by joining a Christian organization (where she signs a 'Virgin until Marriage' pledge, much to her parents' dismay), trying alcohol, and attending parties. Along the way, Alice chronicles her adventures and observations in articles for her 'zine. It's not supposed to be for public viewing, but due to a misunderstanding, gets distributed far and wide. Can Alice survive the embarrassment of publication of her private thoughts? And will the Miss Smithers contest free her from her outcast status?
Alice is a transparent heroine, easy to like. Her wry sense of humor is hilarious. For instance, her parents are militant vegetarians, and one night Alice and her brother sneak out to a restaurant and order steaks so they can try meat. The events that follow had me rolling with laughter. Alice never takes herself too seriously, and her sense of wonder at experiencing normal teen behavior is refreshing. The contrast between Miss Smithers and typical real life is intriguing. Alice's parents are so liberal that she has to defend her views whenever she dabbles in a conservative activity. Usually, it's parents who are straight-laced and young men and women who want to spread their wings, but it's the other way around here, which results in comedy.
Though this novel continues the story that began in Susan Juby's Alice, I Think, each book does stand alone. If you're interested in a humorous look at high school from an alternative viewpoint, Miss Smithers fits the bill perfectly.
Alice learns just how far she has to go when she begins to attend different pageant events. But the main thing she learns is that she needs to work on developing her interests and personality, because the other girls seem to have much more going for them than Alice does. This prompts Alice to set out on a quest to discover herself - by joining a Christian organization (where she signs a 'Virgin until Marriage' pledge, much to her parents' dismay), trying alcohol, and attending parties. Along the way, Alice chronicles her adventures and observations in articles for her 'zine. It's not supposed to be for public viewing, but due to a misunderstanding, gets distributed far and wide. Can Alice survive the embarrassment of publication of her private thoughts? And will the Miss Smithers contest free her from her outcast status?
Alice is a transparent heroine, easy to like. Her wry sense of humor is hilarious. For instance, her parents are militant vegetarians, and one night Alice and her brother sneak out to a restaurant and order steaks so they can try meat. The events that follow had me rolling with laughter. Alice never takes herself too seriously, and her sense of wonder at experiencing normal teen behavior is refreshing. The contrast between Miss Smithers and typical real life is intriguing. Alice's parents are so liberal that she has to defend her views whenever she dabbles in a conservative activity. Usually, it's parents who are straight-laced and young men and women who want to spread their wings, but it's the other way around here, which results in comedy.
Though this novel continues the story that began in Susan Juby's Alice, I Think, each book does stand alone. If you're interested in a humorous look at high school from an alternative viewpoint, Miss Smithers fits the bill perfectly.
October 23, 2011
Being in a pageant, isn't that something that every girl has wanted to do. Well in the book Ms. Smithers by Susan Juby that is exactly what Alice McLeod gets to do. This is a fiction book for young adults I would ecspecially reccomend it to teenage girls.
In this book that takes place in Smithers, Alice McLeod a 16 year old girl has the chance to be in a pageant for her town and to become Ms. Smithers. Unlike most girls though Alice wasn't very excited about this, she was just in it for the $400 you get to buy clothes. She doesn't have really any talents, she is socially akward and she is homeschooled which you can add to be about 0 social life. Well, except for her boyfriend Goose ( I bet from the name you can tell what kind of person he is already). This is a book about her experience in the pagaent world. She gets stood up by the coolest girl in school, gets a jesus bracelet, ate dinner at a steak house and lived to tell and learns she may be a virgin till she gets married. Things are looking up for her.
I liked this book and thought it was funny but some of the language and content were questionable. A quote from the book that showed the funny side was "I'd always avoided Emma before, sensing deep and numerous issues, but I looked down at my bracelet and thought, what would Jesus do?" Something I learned form this book is to Just be yourself and let others think what they want. Overall it was an okay book I would reccomend it to teenage girls.
In this book that takes place in Smithers, Alice McLeod a 16 year old girl has the chance to be in a pageant for her town and to become Ms. Smithers. Unlike most girls though Alice wasn't very excited about this, she was just in it for the $400 you get to buy clothes. She doesn't have really any talents, she is socially akward and she is homeschooled which you can add to be about 0 social life. Well, except for her boyfriend Goose ( I bet from the name you can tell what kind of person he is already). This is a book about her experience in the pagaent world. She gets stood up by the coolest girl in school, gets a jesus bracelet, ate dinner at a steak house and lived to tell and learns she may be a virgin till she gets married. Things are looking up for her.
I liked this book and thought it was funny but some of the language and content were questionable. A quote from the book that showed the funny side was "I'd always avoided Emma before, sensing deep and numerous issues, but I looked down at my bracelet and thought, what would Jesus do?" Something I learned form this book is to Just be yourself and let others think what they want. Overall it was an okay book I would reccomend it to teenage girls.
December 12, 2013
So Alice has been persuaded to enter the Miss Smithers contest as the candidate of the Rod and Gun Club, in spite of her family's militant vegetarianism and violent pacifism. (Her mother would bomb a lab which was using animals as test subjects.) Her mother is opposed because it is about as opposite to feminism as you can get, but Alice agrees, partly for that reason. The whole book is set around the pageant events: the fashion show where Miss Deschooling is forced into a hand crocheted bikini (too small), the charity curling bonspiel where none of the underprivileged children want to partner the candidates, the talent show (blind assembling of a horse bridle), the speech (you're supposed to tell the truth about your aspirations and civic involvement, Alice) and the Sweetheart Ball where Alice's father & his rock/punk band provide the music. Along the way Alice discovers the danger of alcohol, the unexpected places one finds friends and how weird life really is. She also signs a chastity pledge, resolves to have it off with her boyfriend at the first opportunity, and begins to value her mother.
This is a real teen book, but I enjoyed it very much and only stopped to view things from an outside adult perspective a few times. I told a friend about the book and he said there was an 'Alice' in his group at Simon Fraser U. She got herself together in the end and Alice will, too.
This is a real teen book, but I enjoyed it very much and only stopped to view things from an outside adult perspective a few times. I told a friend about the book and he said there was an 'Alice' in his group at Simon Fraser U. She got herself together in the end and Alice will, too.
January 22, 2016
Someone told me not to read this book, that it wasn't a very good one, but for some reason, I did anyway. It's not really a book that I would recommend, but it did have some funny parts- the restaurant scene, some of the commentaries. Very confused teen girl, which is the point, and she also has some very confused adult figures in her life. Topics: fitting in, peers, teens and sex, teens and alcohol
The person who told me not to read this book said that they kept reading it, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. I also saw one of the other reviewers echo that same thought.
Another reviewer said that this series was best read in middle age, not in the teen years, and there is probably some validity to that thought.
Favorite quote: "If someone comes to you seeking, like, personal solace, for instance, don't pray for world peace. Pray for the seeker. Talk to that seeker... I'm sure that would have a more immediate effect than praying for world peace, which, let's face it, is a bit of a long shot."
The person who told me not to read this book said that they kept reading it, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. I also saw one of the other reviewers echo that same thought.
Another reviewer said that this series was best read in middle age, not in the teen years, and there is probably some validity to that thought.
Favorite quote: "If someone comes to you seeking, like, personal solace, for instance, don't pray for world peace. Pray for the seeker. Talk to that seeker... I'm sure that would have a more immediate effect than praying for world peace, which, let's face it, is a bit of a long shot."
November 24, 2010
Alice MacLeod is a sixteen-year-old Canadian girl. After several years of homeschooling, she now attends the alternative school. She has few friends and considers herself a total misfit. She never would have considered participating in the local beauty paget, but when the Smithers Rod and Gun Shop needed a representative, Alice agrees to be a contestant. The $400 clothing allowance motivated her step outside her comfort zone. Pagent activities inspire her to socialize with new people and to write about her experiences in a Zine. Read this book to find out what happens when this Zine gets distributed. Will the fallout be enough to make Alice withdraw from the pagent or will she face her angst?
June 19, 2008
Title: Miss Smithers
Author: Susan Juby
Copyright date: 2004
Publisher: Harpertrophycanada
How many pages: 344 pgs
Category: Fiction
I learned about this book from: the TV series
Comments: As I read more into this series, I find that I have a lot in common with Alice. Besides the hippie mother and the smart brother, I am Alice to a tee...which is why this series intrigues me so much...I have even thought about going to some thrift stores while reading this. :P
Author: Susan Juby
Copyright date: 2004
Publisher: Harpertrophycanada
How many pages: 344 pgs
Category: Fiction
I learned about this book from: the TV series
Comments: As I read more into this series, I find that I have a lot in common with Alice. Besides the hippie mother and the smart brother, I am Alice to a tee...which is why this series intrigues me so much...I have even thought about going to some thrift stores while reading this. :P
August 30, 2007
Decent sequel to Alice, I Think. The continued exploits of a social-skill-less homeschooled teenager in a small Canadian town, in her first year of regular school and while she enters a pageant. Contains some brilliant one-liners and the main character is fun to read/sympathize with/be horrified about.
March 13, 2015
Am trying to find a funny teen book for my girlfriend and her niece. This was not as funny as I'd hoped, but I still found myself laughing out loud a few times at this book. I would definitely read other books by this author. And I'll be shipping this book to my girlfriend, because I think that it's just what they need.
February 25, 2008
Alice, oh Alice. You gotta love her and her witty thoughts. Her speech for the Mother Daughter Tea was priceless. I am in love with Alice, she is smart and her clothes is really original and creative.
March 23, 2011
Alice returns, and she isn't a social outcast anymore. She has $400 clothing allowance and has entered the Miss Smithers beauty contest. Her thriftstore style, kooky friends, and a prematurely published 'zine has catapulted her into a whirlwind of adventures and activities.
January 7, 2012
Precisely what I expected from Juby. Great fun to read. It's a sequel but I don't think you have to have read the first book to understand it; although you'll probably want to after reading Miss Smithers. Quirky and Canadian. Just how I like my books.
February 18, 2012
I think I would have enjoyed this book more had the narrator been even the least bit likable. She was so arrogant, never admitted a mistake and seemed to have a hard time fathoming that she isn't the center of the universe. She doesn't even try to be likable.
March 11, 2012
I liked the was Juby made the book in a 'diary' format. It gave the book a nice touch. I think the author could have described Alice a bit more. For example; how tall is Alice? Other than that I really enjoyed it.
February 22, 2013
This book is dangerous - in that people around you will be staring as you barely hold it together from laughing. Some of the most unique, and ridiculous yet endearing characters to make onto the pages of a YA novel. Must read!
May 5, 2015
I enjoyed this book which is so easy to relate to the teen age angst of a Canadian girl growing up in a small town. Alice's family, friends, acquaintances are such a mixed bag - quirky, silly, goofy, funny.
August 3, 2007
It was an honest to god classic book. The book was a totally new idea and it was executed beautifully; the teen angst was played to it's most delightful humor.
February 16, 2008
it's great go fare!
March 29, 2008
A good equal sequel to Alice, I Think. Going upwards and onwards, plan to read the third book Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last. Alice is just as...interesting as always.
August 9, 2008
Alice is incredibly self-centered, which gets obnoxious at times, but is not unrealistic because I know quite a few teens who would fit that bill. Another quick, light, enjoyable read.
July 24, 2009
Way too long winded. Way too boring. It tries to make a profound statement and fails miserably.
May 29, 2010
SOOOOOOO GOOOD!!!! a must-read kinda book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews