Alice, I Think

Alice, I Think falls victim to the hype that surrounds it... I was half-way through the novel wondering when I would get to the really funny part; then, I was three-quarters of the way through. For the record, it never came.

I spent the majority of the book shaking my head in despair and horror, asking myself, “Why?”

The funniest part of the book, is when dear Alice invites new “boyfriend” Aubrey to town... to stay... in her home... without telling her parents... after knowing him for mere minutes... because obviously that's the natural thing to do. For me, his whole visit is the highlight of the novel, but unlike Aubrey, who gets to make an early exit, the readers trudge on to witness Alice's other faux pas.

Alice is socially awkward, naive, and oblivious - a winning combination for disaster. For the duration of the novel, I am aghast at the decisions Alice makes; a lot of the time I feel sympathy for her parents (but then again, they also let her go to school in a hobbit costume - which is both admirable and a sign of things to come). As for Alice, I really wanted to shake some common sense into her. At least the Real Life Alice that I know has a sense of humour and is aware of her social ineptitude. Juby's Alice is just misunderstood and as much as I genuinely tried to love Alice, as in real life, “Alice” is someone whom I tolerate not someone whom I understand in the least.