Simply Alice

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Alice Again!
Review: A terrific Alice book! All of Naylor's books are awesome. In simply Alice, it seems like you are part of the story. It's every teen girl's biography! Keep up the good work Phyllis!

Rating:
Summary: "SIMPLY" a treat for Alice fans
Review: Alice McKinely's umpteenth installment begins on the utmost embarassing note that I refuse to spoil for you in my review.

However, I will say this much: after the split between Alice and Patrick, after the plethora of tears and loss of confidence, after heavy friendship support, Alice is going to be okay. She's spending time with herself now, doing things for strictly herself. She's becoming immersed in high school extracurriculars and her "me time" is becoming just that, perhaps a bit too much so. Alice's very best friends, Pamela and Elizabeth, have seen Alice at her worst. They've been there for her, through thick and thin, through good times and bad times. Now, they feel like less important parts of her life. Because Alice's "me time" is spoiling their together time, and they aren't all too pleased about it. Alice senses they are all growing apart. Her abundance of activities is opening new doors and she finds herself making new friends. Like Faith, who has a penchant for black and seems unable to leave her arrogant and abusive boyfriend. Like Molly, with deep blue eyes and short, choppy hair. Both backstage crew and the school newspaper are proving to be fun and exciting. But are they worth the loss of Alice's two very best friends? Must she settle for that ultimatum? Let's hope not. The friendship troubles started out with Alice missing trips to the mall but when Alice forgot about their appointment at the pizza parlor, that fueled the fire. Thanks to her, according to Elizabeth, because she didn't show, they didn't get their discount. Alice knows in her heart that their straying from her is normal, yet it's all too sad just the same. Naylor's peek into Alice's life is enjoyable and as real as its predecessors. You'll understand Alice's hurt over her seemingly estranged friends. "All it makes me want to do is cry," Alice laments.

I find that I'm getting a bit too mature for Alice - ALICE ALONE was the last Alice novel I read that scored at the top of my list. Perhaps this is merely because of the more advanced literature I've been exposed to. But Alice and her realistic, if ever-so slightly sugarcoated teen world will always ring true and hold a special place in my heart.

Rating:
Summary: A Bit Disappointed
Review: Am I getting too old for Alice? Or have I just been exposed to higher quality YA fiction that makes this book a tad... one dimensional?

This is not a bad book. But for the first time, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the other ones in the series. Maybe I need to reread them to try and remember them better to get into the Alice groove.

Newly single, Alice throws herself into a multitude of extra curricular activities to get involved, make new friends and stop herself from missing Patrick. Complications arise when Pamela and Elizabeth are jealous Alice isn't spending as much time with them. To tell the truth, Alice and her friends sounded kind of shallow this time around. And the author's attempt at working in new information to help girls learn about their bodies felt very forced (oh, let's just casually talk about ovaries in the cafeteria).

I love all the characters dearly, and will probably continue reading this series because of that, but in my opinion, this book felt like it was missing something. It still makes me laugh, just not as much as I remember laughing at the earlier volumes. And we're still wondering who Lester will end up with (and Alice for that matter).

Rating:
Summary: Candy from Richview Middle School
Review: At the beginning of the story it talks about her break up with Patrick. She was finally over the break up with him and starting to join clubs. She joined the drama club. She did props, make-up, costumes, and the curtains. Her friends tried to get her to give up drama club to model with them. She said "no!" She stayed in the club and did the play. The story ended with her getting a new boyfriend.
I liked the book "Simply Alice," because it reminds me about when my friends and I hang out. If one of us drop out of a club we all do. Anyways, back to the book, because there were a lot of funny things in it. Like when Alice and her friends were walking to the restroom. Alice fell down the steps and accidently peed on herself. That was so funny. This is why I liked the book "Simply Alice."

Rating:
Summary: Another wonderful book in the series
Review: Being a true, devoted Alice fan, I was both surprised and happy when this book showed up on my door step. I hadn't read an "Alice" book in what seemed like years, but Phyllis Reynolds Naylor swings right back into action like you never even left for a moment.

This semester, Alice is faced with many new situations. Being a "single" for the first time in a long time, Alice finds she doesn't have time for half the things she used to. With Patrick out of the way and Pam and Liz doing their own things, Alice is left feeling confused. With her newspaper job and her interest in stage crew, the audience is taken on wonderful journey that leds Alice to a whole new side of life.

Lester has found new love, Alice a new admirer, her Dad a new hobby and we have front row seats.

Overall, this book was just as good, if not better, than all the other Alice books and I am already counting the days until the next one is released. I recomended this to anyone (and it probablly helps if you have read the other books first!)

Rating:
Summary: Simple to read, simply good!
Review: Coming across the Alice books, I thought at first that it would be a childish series. But looking past the covers of the books, which, some of them may appear to be a bit for the 'younger' kids, I discovered that if I had judged the Alice series by its cover, I would have missed out on a ton of excitement.

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor catches the dreading and adventurous instances in a teenager's life (seemingly basing it on her own youth) and describes it in a simple, realistic way. I find that all the events occuring in each of the books I have read of hers so far, she adds nice humor here and there with believable events that are both life-like and original for a book. Plus, Phyllis has a wonderfully concise, to-the-point writing style with unique language and understandable words.

So, to sum up the book: in "Simply Alice", Alice has entered the second semester of high school and is now experiencing very time-consuming, new things and she can't seem to fit her old friends anywhere in the picture. The novel tones down a bit on all the insanity of Alice's life towards the middle of the book, and then surprising twists and turns occur from there. With a lovesick dad, spontaneous brother, and Alice's 15th birthday coming up shortly; anything is bound to happen!

Rating:
Summary: Simply Alice: Simply Wonderful
Review: I loved the book Simply Alice because Alice is the most real heroine any girl could have. On the back of the hardcover book one reader says she cries sometimes thinking Alice isn't real. I do too!

This book is only 4 young adults though!

Rating:
Summary: Simply Alice
Review: In Simply Alice, Alice just broke-up with her boyfriend and started joining activities to get her mind off things.She gets so involved she doesn't spend much time with her closest pals and suddenly they start to grow apart.Her brother Lester, is having some problems too. He finally finds the love of his and then she dumps him. Trying to get her back gets him in serious trouble and Alice and her friends have to recue him. Her father is the only one who's life is steady and peaceful.

I recommend this book for kids 12-17. I'm thirteen and I've read all the Alice books. The books are so real you think you bump into her someday.

Rating:
Summary: Not your usual pre-teen book
Review: My 12 year old loved this book! When I read it after her, I can see why. The author does a wonderful job of not "talking down" to the reader. She briefly touches on topics such as birth control, hazing and family abuse but in a way that is understandable and real to the young reader. Great way to begin conversation with your child!

Rating:
Summary: simply alice
Review: simply alice is an excellent book. i think this because phyliss renyolds really describes alice as someone you can relate to as a teenager. she makes her go through the trials and tribulations that everyone goes through as a teenager. i mean she breaks up with her boyfriend her friends and herself grow apart and she is really upset. she goes from thinking her life is total havick and to loving her life more than everything. she has mood swings and experiances a ton of things. i rate this author the best book i have read all year. 2003/2004