A review by carimz
Alice in Blunderland by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

3.0

Bearing in mind I’ve just read this children’s book as a childless woman in her mid-twenties, I can only apply so much perspective to the analysis of this book.

I started rereading the "Alice" series after sporadically picking these books up throughout my childhood and teen years. I’ve never met a book series that followed a main character throughout so much of their life. This series is unique in that most of the books aren’t entirely plot-heavy and are more driven by the year in the life of Alice, regardless if that year lends itself to a perfectly crafted story arc.

In that way, the books have a sense of realisticness that I don’t get from many books I’ve read. This one, in particular, was humorous and light-hearted, as most children’s books are, but Reynolds-Naylor has a way of capturing a nine-year-old’s voice that is both realistic and enjoyable enough for an adult to read.

That being said, of the two prequels to this series, I felt this was one of the more “filler”/unnecessary additions to the story. I won’t fault it too much as I don’t know the impact this novel has on its intended audiences, but it’s not my favorite Alice book. Even so, I'm excited to continue the series.

3 mysterious boxes to Lisa Shane out of 5