brinastewart's review against another edition
1.0
It was hard to get through this book. The whole time I tried to understand and connect with Alice but was never able to. I have only concluded that she is very delusional.
librariann's review against another edition
This coming of age novel about 15 year old previously homeschooled Alice suffers from ambiguity issues at the start. It seems dated in clothing and style, but later you discover it's set in present day - although in Canada, which might account for some of the style impairment.
quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
can i comment on this book without using the word "quirky" to describe alice? i guess not ... i remember checking this book out from the library, then losing it behind the bed, not very long after it came out. i found it - happiy - but returned unread. but, after reading another susan juby book, i decided to give it - and potentially the rest of the series - another go. i'm quite glad i did. it's breezy and funny and i do think that alice is a great character that i look forward to spending more time with. bonus canadian points.
maizey21's review against another edition
1.0
The writing style for me, and the conversations and events of the book seemed superficial. Nothing really was simple, everything had to be over-dramatic.
ubalstecha's review against another edition
Alice starts the journal that is this novel at the request of her therapist. She seems to think it is a way to find a future career, but it turns into a chronicle of her day to day existence.
Alice is a poster child for the angsty teen. In therapy because of her inability to make friends, Alice thinks of herself as being far more together than the adults in her life. Her last therapist had a meltdown infront of her. Her current therapist seems to only want to talk about himself. Her parents are hippies. Her mother's folk festival friends are the definition of BC wierd. Her dad's friends are slackers.
This book is not as funny as it thinks it is, but Alice's bang on observations of modern psychotherapy and the joys of living in small town northern BC make this book a wonderful read. The world weary teen girl in your life will identify with Alice quite quickly and may even start to emulate her. You have been warned.
Alice is a poster child for the angsty teen. In therapy because of her inability to make friends, Alice thinks of herself as being far more together than the adults in her life. Her last therapist had a meltdown infront of her. Her current therapist seems to only want to talk about himself. Her parents are hippies. Her mother's folk festival friends are the definition of BC wierd. Her dad's friends are slackers.
This book is not as funny as it thinks it is, but Alice's bang on observations of modern psychotherapy and the joys of living in small town northern BC make this book a wonderful read. The world weary teen girl in your life will identify with Alice quite quickly and may even start to emulate her. You have been warned.
jannie_mtl's review against another edition
5.0
The novel follows a fiffteen-year old girl in British Columbia who has been homeschooled (or rather, "unschooled") and has some issues. It's written in a journal format and she chronicles her efforts towards her life goals in quirky yet intelligent narration. If I had been a teen in the early 2000s, this is a book (a series, actually), that I would have loved. Sort of a [b:Harriet the Spy|232576|Harriet the Spy|Louise Fitzhugh|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172948616s/232576.jpg|1429939]for the new millennium. I plan to pick up the next books in the trilogy.
lauralynnwalsh's review against another edition
OK, first off, I have to say that I am abandoning this book. It is funny and off the wall, but for me, that doesn't last long enough to get me through the book. The voice of the MC is clear. She puts down just about everything; she is bizarre, just for the sake of being bizarre. But I need more than that. Normally, when I find that I am getting annoyed with a book that just doesn't seem to be going anywhere, I look ahead and see if I can find something that will hook me in again. But, by sampling pages here and there, I didn't find any change in the MC. She is still sarcastic and bizarre. Maybe there is some growth there; I am not going to stick around to find it.
Interestingly, though, I can think of 3 former students of mine who I think would LOVE the MC. So, don't be put off by this review. There are some people who love this book; I am just not one of them.
Interestingly, though, I can think of 3 former students of mine who I think would LOVE the MC. So, don't be put off by this review. There are some people who love this book; I am just not one of them.
fantareads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
"I grew up in one of those loving families that fail to prepare a person for real life."
Alice is a weirdo homeschooled kid living in a small town Smithers. Sort of on a whim, she decides she wants to go back to "regular" school and accomplish a few other life goals such as getting a decent haircut, having human contact outside her family, being a feminist (and finding out what that entails other than being nice to fellow females) and some sort of boy-girl interaction. Alice's story, told in diary format, is laugh out loud funny, often in a bit of a dry and dark way. I loved this book in high school and can say as an adult it really captures an authentic 15-year-old voice. It definitely holds up to my good memories.
For non-Canadians who may not have heard of this book, which is the first in a series, it is very much on the same vein as Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, albeit with more of a nerdy main character.
It's Juby's debut book so certainly not as polished as her later stuff but damn it is very funny and heartfelt. Juby writes the best lovable weirdos.
Alice is a weirdo homeschooled kid living in a small town Smithers. Sort of on a whim, she decides she wants to go back to "regular" school and accomplish a few other life goals such as getting a decent haircut, having human contact outside her family, being a feminist (and finding out what that entails other than being nice to fellow females) and some sort of boy-girl interaction. Alice's story, told in diary format, is laugh out loud funny, often in a bit of a dry and dark way. I loved this book in high school and can say as an adult it really captures an authentic 15-year-old voice. It definitely holds up to my good memories.
For non-Canadians who may not have heard of this book, which is the first in a series, it is very much on the same vein as Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, albeit with more of a nerdy main character.
It's Juby's debut book so certainly not as polished as her later stuff but damn it is very funny and heartfelt. Juby writes the best lovable weirdos.