The other (other) "L" word

I picked this up about a year ago, impressed by the heft and page count and, admittedly, its heart-on-its-sleeve title.  As I read it, I learned that the Alice books are a long-standing series of small novels chronicling the pre-teen and teen years of a Maryland girl from grade school to her 18th year.  Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is perhaps better known for penning the classic young adult book, Shiloh.

Alice is about to start her freshman year right: she's got two loyal best friends, prim Elizabeth and rebellious Pamela; her intelligent boyfriend Patrick; and a supportive family that includes a protective dad and a wise-cracking brother, the college-aged Lester.  Alice even gets to host the first party of the year, making her popular among her wide group of friends.  But challenges await her: first, a new girl named Penny catches Patrick's attention, then Elizabeth and Pamela start acting secretive around her, and then Alice undergoes a disturbing hazing ritual.  However, nothing can keep Alice down for too long.  She's always there for her brother whenever he lands in trouble, and she's incredibly supportive of her father getting married to her old grade school teacher.  All her trials give her opportunities to ponder the meaning of relationships of all kinds - what one can get out of them and what one must give in return.  Although she struggles to achieve this balance, her heart is always in the right place.

This collection covers three novellas, all with their own plotlines and character arcs: Alice Alone, Simply Alice, and Patiently Alice.  All these titles are a much better representation of the themes and tone of the stories than the angsty honesty of I Like Him, He Likes Her.  I was, in truth, prepared for something a little more searing, something that spoke more to quiet desperation.  Was I disappointed that I didn't get any of that?  Yes.  Was I disappointed in the resulting story?  Absolutely not.  Even so, this dichotomy - my perception vs. reality - colored my reading experience of this book, at least initially.

Alice is an unassuming, perky, occasionally klutzy do-gooder who wholeheartedly jumps into whatever she's doing at the moment.  This might strike one as a dull description of a main character, but believe me when I say that it's incredibly easy to like Alice.  This world and its inhabitants, somewhat broadly drawn, is likewise involving; at the very least, it is the literary equivalent of comfort food.  It is charming.  It is fun.  It delivers on all counts: high emotions, real drama, girl-bonding, and every so often a Heartfelt Lesson.  Characters that stand out are Lester, often used for comic relief but also has depth; Elizabeth, a goody-two-shoes who reveals a traumatic incident in her past, resulting in the book's most brutal passage; and Sylvia, Alice's future step-mom who shares a sweet bond with her future step-daughter.  Alice's antics (mostly) range from silly to sweet to sticky, making for an overall quaint feeling that is almost reminiscent of an early Baby-Sitter's Club book.  And yet, its characters are refreshingly candid about topics like sex and sexual attraction - in theory and usually in practice.  When Elizabeth brings condoms to camp for her friends to share, just in case, she is teased but if anything the readers are meant to admire her for her forthright thinking.  And when one of Alice's friends reveals that she is not a virgin, Naylor presents it without judgment.  

I find this difference in tone to be mildly distracting - Naylor doesn't quite pull it off in my mind.  It's weird thinking of sweet, virginal Alice as being aware of - for example - how good she feels going bra-less in a slinky dress.  Weird, but not unbelievable.  If readers can overcome this awkwardness - or, a better way to put it, if they are invested in the character, then they will be rewarded.  

I'm not quite won over by the story of Alice, but I do love the idea of tracking a character's growth and development throughout her most impressionable, malleable years.  It's definitely worth a look.  Rating: 4 sleepovers out of 5.