Phylis Reynolds Naylor has been writing about Alice since 1988 when I was in junior high and I have been keeping up with her ever since. Alice has come a long way since 5th grade; in Intensely Alice (24th edition), we see her during the summer between her junior and senior years of high school. In a busy summer, she is a bridesmaid in her cousin's wedding (complete with bachelorette party). She visits her boyfriend at his new university. The whole gang volunteers at a homeless feeding kitchen. Her brother asks her to house-sit for a week with her friends. She continues her summer job and looks forward to being an editor of the school newspaper in the fall. A tragedy ends her summer and causes her to contemplate questions of God and faith.
I like following Alice. This edition felt, even with the tragedy, felt a little sparse for material (maybe somewhat like how summers feel for teens). While some events were given in too much detail (trip to visit Patrick and some of the interactions with friends), I would have liked more detail on the tragic events at the end and how Alice learned to deal with them. The idea of "the problem of suffering" was glossed over with no real depth (the religious characters all sounded silly). Overall a fun read.
I like following Alice. This edition felt, even with the tragedy, felt a little sparse for material (maybe somewhat like how summers feel for teens). While some events were given in too much detail (trip to visit Patrick and some of the interactions with friends), I would have liked more detail on the tragic events at the end and how Alice learned to deal with them. The idea of "the problem of suffering" was glossed over with no real depth (the religious characters all sounded silly). Overall a fun read.
