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Alice #16-18
It's Not Like I Planned It This Way
The ups and downs of high school life continue in the second and third bind-ups in the Alice series. In It’s Not Like I Planned It This Way, Alice’s sophomore year is chock full of change, from a new living arrangement, to a possible new relationship, to the newfound freedom that comes with driving. And in Please Don’t Be True, the adventure of growing up continues in Alice’s junior year, when she and her friends deal with issues like a pregnancy scare and a heartbreaking good-bye. But no matter what changes, Alice is as relatable as ever.
816 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2010
52 people are currently reading
1030 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
252 books1,028 followersPhyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 14, 2011
It's Not Like I Planned It This Way just makes me so angry. Alice is just so stupid with her decisions and I'm not quite sure why she even thinks. Her father is getting married to the girl of his dreams and she is so worried that something might happen. And she is the worst driver in the world! Nobody can be as stupid as she is. Alice has to get braces and she thinks it's the freaking end of the world! She gets a boyfriend and he is so over-protective but she likes it. And then out of the blue she just breaks up with him for a reason in which I don't understand!! Her friends are just as bad. One is prude, and the other is just plain out wrong. Every time I read this book I just want to find this girl and slap her head so she thinks straight! The only thing I liked about this book was nothing. I don't know why I'm still reading it though. So take my word and just don't read this book.
March 21, 2016
Full Review On http://thegraduatedbookworm.blogspot.ca/
Overall the book was better than Alice's Freshman year. I really enjoyed the fact that there was a lot of diversity mentioned in the book as a fairly young age at the end of the first book coming into the second. Also the fact that it was all considered very welcoming of each character in the novel. Alice started out in the book very young and naive compared to other characters, like when Sylvia talks about lingerie and romantic evenings with her father.
Also i found that the book sort of jumped into a lot of hot topics very fast. like Alice went from sneaking out of a hotel room to do "things" with boys to where she went right into a relationship with another boy, then ending it for somewhat silly reasons.
I think Alice still has some growing up to do, since she still over analyzes things based on rumors or what was in a magazine, and sometimes doesn't handle it properly.
The book was entertaining in the fact that because she is only 15, she tends to make a lot of mistakes which is normal. I did find however the author be a little repetitive when it came to introducing characters throughout the novel.
Overall the book was better than Alice's Freshman year. I really enjoyed the fact that there was a lot of diversity mentioned in the book as a fairly young age at the end of the first book coming into the second. Also the fact that it was all considered very welcoming of each character in the novel. Alice started out in the book very young and naive compared to other characters, like when Sylvia talks about lingerie and romantic evenings with her father.
Also i found that the book sort of jumped into a lot of hot topics very fast. like Alice went from sneaking out of a hotel room to do "things" with boys to where she went right into a relationship with another boy, then ending it for somewhat silly reasons.
I think Alice still has some growing up to do, since she still over analyzes things based on rumors or what was in a magazine, and sometimes doesn't handle it properly.
The book was entertaining in the fact that because she is only 15, she tends to make a lot of mistakes which is normal. I did find however the author be a little repetitive when it came to introducing characters throughout the novel.
February 16, 2018
this book was written well, I'd give it 2.5 stars for that fact that I just didn't find it that entertaining. 3 books in 1 and I just didn't feel like much happened. Overall not a bad read though, younger age group would probably enjoy this story more.
January 16, 2012
It's Not Like I Planned It This Way
By: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Do you remember the time when you were in high school? Where everything seemed to be a bigger deal than it actually was. The things that you once did and experienced was always the time of your life. I always wonder if I will ever do the things Alice did in her sophmore year. Alice did have a pretty exciting school year.
Alice is a sixteen year old girl juggling with school, boys, drama, and family. Her life is moving way faster than she is ready for. With Lester already out of the house, she is left with her dad and new stepmom.Awkward?? Then her new relationship status changes bewteen single and its complicated. All she wants is her drivers license and getting through the rough patches without any scratches. Will she be able to deal with sophmore year and the challenges and new adventures that lie ahead?
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor captivates and clearly illustrates the life and the mind of a teenage girl. The books that she has written have her own life experiences that make the book far more interesting.Her writing is for all ages and will make the reader feel like they are Alice herself. Naylor's way of writing helps the reader see visual what is happening and how all of the characters emotions play on the pages.
This book is purely AMAZING! I can relate to this book and all of Naylor's other ones because I can base it on my personal experiences. Alice and I are the same age so it is easy to understand and easy to be interested in the book. I think whoever reads this book will not be dissappointed. The book though, seems like it is mainly for girls. All of the struggles of school, drama, boys, friends, and family in the book people can identify with it.
The trip Alice takes to New York is a big step for her and her friends. A school trip is more than just what she sees. She and her best friends see a couple of days full possiblites and endless excitement. On the first they sneak out of their hotel room and find thereselves walking up and down the big city and eating at a restaurant. Their night out left them hungry for what the next night might lie ahead.
Overall Alice is able to stay true to herself and the people she loves throughout her sophmore year. She has a good understanding on what is best for her and not what others think is best for her. The theme is that if you stay who you are and find what makes you truly happy things will turn out just fine. Its Not Like I Planned It This Way shows kids of the future generation what experiences they could have. Anything can happen to them. Just think this book has a hidden guide book of surviving your teenage years. WOAH!!!
By: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Do you remember the time when you were in high school? Where everything seemed to be a bigger deal than it actually was. The things that you once did and experienced was always the time of your life. I always wonder if I will ever do the things Alice did in her sophmore year. Alice did have a pretty exciting school year.
Alice is a sixteen year old girl juggling with school, boys, drama, and family. Her life is moving way faster than she is ready for. With Lester already out of the house, she is left with her dad and new stepmom.Awkward?? Then her new relationship status changes bewteen single and its complicated. All she wants is her drivers license and getting through the rough patches without any scratches. Will she be able to deal with sophmore year and the challenges and new adventures that lie ahead?
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor captivates and clearly illustrates the life and the mind of a teenage girl. The books that she has written have her own life experiences that make the book far more interesting.Her writing is for all ages and will make the reader feel like they are Alice herself. Naylor's way of writing helps the reader see visual what is happening and how all of the characters emotions play on the pages.
This book is purely AMAZING! I can relate to this book and all of Naylor's other ones because I can base it on my personal experiences. Alice and I are the same age so it is easy to understand and easy to be interested in the book. I think whoever reads this book will not be dissappointed. The book though, seems like it is mainly for girls. All of the struggles of school, drama, boys, friends, and family in the book people can identify with it.
The trip Alice takes to New York is a big step for her and her friends. A school trip is more than just what she sees. She and her best friends see a couple of days full possiblites and endless excitement. On the first they sneak out of their hotel room and find thereselves walking up and down the big city and eating at a restaurant. Their night out left them hungry for what the next night might lie ahead.
Overall Alice is able to stay true to herself and the people she loves throughout her sophmore year. She has a good understanding on what is best for her and not what others think is best for her. The theme is that if you stay who you are and find what makes you truly happy things will turn out just fine. Its Not Like I Planned It This Way shows kids of the future generation what experiences they could have. Anything can happen to them. Just think this book has a hidden guide book of surviving your teenage years. WOAH!!!
September 24, 2012
It’s Not Like I Planned It This Way is a realistic and humorous book that keeps up with a teenage girl living a roller coaster life. Throughout this book, you will laugh, cry and scream with frustration. You will always be trying to untangle one of the many confusing situations that make this book and entertaining read. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor includes lots of emotion and spontaneous characters that made me not want to put the book down. I would recommend this book to any girl who wants to know how to survive school and social situations without having to hide under a rock afterwards.
February 15, 2016
3.75 stars.
This was a bind up of the books that cover Alice's sophomore year of high school as well as a little bit into junior year. I enjoy these books even if there are a few characters I just want to stab and Alice can be pretty dumb at times but they are fun reads. The first book in this bind up was a bore though.
This was a bind up of the books that cover Alice's sophomore year of high school as well as a little bit into junior year. I enjoy these books even if there are a few characters I just want to stab and Alice can be pretty dumb at times but they are fun reads. The first book in this bind up was a bore though.
February 6, 2011
3 of the YA "Alice" books republished as 1 book. Loved all the real life situations that occur in high school!
March 30, 2011
sooooo good!!!the end is the best part i think *Spoiler* RIP grampy....
July 22, 2011
I am totally in love with this series! I couldn't put it down! I literally read all 5 books in 2 weeks!
March 8, 2012
I couldn't put the book down. I just felt like i was watching the whole thing on a tv and whenever i stopped, it went on commercial!
March 19, 2018
This trilogy is about Alice's life as she grows up and the experiences she goes through being a teenager. After losing her mother to leukemia Alice's life has consisted of her brother Lester and her father. That is until her father falls in love and marries Sylvia who is now Alice's step mother. And though Alice could not be happier with the new addition to her family, there are challenges that come with it. These books begin with Alice in her beginning years of high school where she deals with a breakup with her first love, living in a house with a new member of the family, dealing with her brother no longer living at home, having braces, having a new boyfriend and learning to drive
I absolutely fell in love with this series and I am excited to keep reading the next books. Through Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's writing and the experiences she wrote based around Alice, I felt as I really connected to the characters and had even experienced some of the same things as Alice. I would highly recommend this book to any reader who is a fan of realistic fiction and for anyone who is looking for great series to read.
I absolutely fell in love with this series and I am excited to keep reading the next books. Through Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's writing and the experiences she wrote based around Alice, I felt as I really connected to the characters and had even experienced some of the same things as Alice. I would highly recommend this book to any reader who is a fan of realistic fiction and for anyone who is looking for great series to read.
January 5, 2025
One of my reading goals this year is to clear out some of the books I’ve owned for years and have not read. I’ve had five of these giant Alice books taking up real estate on my bookshelves for over a decade, so even though I’m way above the target audience of these books, I figure since I purchased them, I need to read them. I also realized that I started with the Sophomore years instead of the Freshman ones. Years ago I had read and loved the Alice books because I was of a similar age as the main character, but since only about a book a year was published and Reynolds wrote three books for each year of Alice’s life, I quickly outgrew them. I had forgotten how the characters acted like characters from the show The Secret Life of the American Teenager with their conversations. While I may be too old for these books, it was like checking in on an old friend. I hope to finish the other four before the year is up.
March 28, 2021
Overall these books can be a little frustrating. Alice makes one mistake after another, and overreacts to everything, much to the annoyance of everyone around her. However, to be fair, this is what a lot of people go through at this age - trying to leave childhood behind, uncovering new emotions and not really knowing how to deal with them, and having what now seems like small steps be huge at the time (like that one night out with friends). Happy to see Alice grow, but more excited for the books to come.
November 2, 2018
this book was about Alice finding herself. it was a write of passage. one thing that I liked about it was the journey she had. I liked how this book was relatable for me since it tells about teen related problems. something that I have learned for this book is that sometimes it takes some good friends, some changes and a couple of bumps on the road to find out who you really are.
November 25, 2021
i really enjoyed this book! it took me a little to read it, but i don’t regret it! i now want to read the rest of the books in the ‘alice’ series 💀 as opposed to other books i’ve read, i probably wouldn’t read it again by choice, but i’m glad i read it at least once. it’s not a bad book, but it’s not one of my favourites that i could read 3-4 times and still not be sick of it.
February 7, 2019
I love this book so much!....I have the whole series. This book and Please Don't Be True are my absolute favorites. I didn't like what happened to Alice's Mom, though. But if it hadn't happened, this book and the next one would've been so much different. Probably not as good as it is now.
July 12, 2019
I wish I had researched this book series before I read it as this is the first Alice book I read and there are a lot of alice books lol
April 23, 2021
Very easy read. Def a teen book
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October 27, 2022I have been searching for this book, I read it in middle school and could not remember for the life of me the title. I begged my father to buy this for me.
March 5, 2024
i DEVOURED this book and there was a lot less secondhand embarrassment than i was expecting, the ending made me sad tho 😭
July 31, 2024
This book will always be five stars.
June 21, 2025
These books were pretty good, some stuff happened that I wish I knew how to handle in high school. In the short span of her sophomore year I not only saw her mature but just be a bubbly teenager.
January 15, 2020
I would say that this book would be better with three different books than just one. I feel this way because the parts of the book are like every 300 pages, enough for a book. Other than that the stories is actually pretty good. I like reading dramas, so this book was a good fit for me.
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December 30, 2011Including Alice- Now I understand the title of the book. including Alice: including her into the new family. So her dad and Sylvia finally get married and Lester moved out so everything's changed. They plan on remodeling the house and she feels like the 3rd wheel who expected all her problems to go away -ha!At least she and Patrick are friends again and shes's trying to be friends with Penny but she's got braces now and Eric (who moved to Texas has already found Emily not that she wanted him to wait on her or anything). I must agree it would be hard for me too if the only thing i was used to was my brother and my dad and all of a sudden my brother moved out and i have a step-mom (i guess i can kid of relate) but it should be easier for Alice since she loves Sylvia and since Sylvia had previously been her teacher. But yea it only makes sense for the situation to be weird and to not know how to act at first- I mean how do you act around a woman who has previously been your teacher but is now your step-mom?
Alice on her way- and Alice finally gets here driver's license( after like the third try) but that's okay and made me relate to this more since in less than a year ill be applying for my permit except ill need someone in the car with me to drive -__- and aww i would love my friends if they did the scavenger hunt for me like they did for alice and i know how she felt beacuse eventhough everyone said happy birthday i hadn't gotten any gifts or balloons and i love how alice didnt stress over her 16th birthday and was so laid-back about it and smh i was counting down to when she would finally break up with sam because he was beginning to smother me too and faith oh faith why did it take a trip to the emergency room to make you realize that ron wasnt right for you and you too pamela i feel so sorry for you for giving hugh a BJ in NY but then when the trip was over and you got back to school he denied knowing you but you should have seen it coming but hey what can i say? Ive fallen in love with the Alice series :)
Alice in the know- so school's over and it's summer time!!!! Poor Lester though he must be heartbroken since Tracy refused his proposal of marriage HM. and Alice's grandfather getting sick in the end(but you have to admit 101 years is along time to live)! and Molly being diagnosed with leukemia!!!! i guess that makes it a horrible summer adding to the fact that Alice's dad thought she should "explore new jobs" but at least she found one at Hecht's department which was fine until she went on vacation without asking and was fired. but yay Alice overcame her fear of flying i was afraid she would have thrown up for a second there and the trip to the beach with Liz and Pam was fun from the beach to jet-skying (even though Alice got stranded haha!) And gosh i really really felt bad for Lester this time but cheers to Alice for throwing a party for him for his 24th birthday. Also lmaooo to the questions Brian sent and Alice should have realized that they weren't website questions but at least they got him back.
Alice on her way- and Alice finally gets here driver's license( after like the third try) but that's okay and made me relate to this more since in less than a year ill be applying for my permit except ill need someone in the car with me to drive -__- and aww i would love my friends if they did the scavenger hunt for me like they did for alice and i know how she felt beacuse eventhough everyone said happy birthday i hadn't gotten any gifts or balloons and i love how alice didnt stress over her 16th birthday and was so laid-back about it and smh i was counting down to when she would finally break up with sam because he was beginning to smother me too and faith oh faith why did it take a trip to the emergency room to make you realize that ron wasnt right for you and you too pamela i feel so sorry for you for giving hugh a BJ in NY but then when the trip was over and you got back to school he denied knowing you but you should have seen it coming but hey what can i say? Ive fallen in love with the Alice series :)
Alice in the know- so school's over and it's summer time!!!! Poor Lester though he must be heartbroken since Tracy refused his proposal of marriage HM. and Alice's grandfather getting sick in the end(but you have to admit 101 years is along time to live)! and Molly being diagnosed with leukemia!!!! i guess that makes it a horrible summer adding to the fact that Alice's dad thought she should "explore new jobs" but at least she found one at Hecht's department which was fine until she went on vacation without asking and was fired. but yay Alice overcame her fear of flying i was afraid she would have thrown up for a second there and the trip to the beach with Liz and Pam was fun from the beach to jet-skying (even though Alice got stranded haha!) And gosh i really really felt bad for Lester this time but cheers to Alice for throwing a party for him for his 24th birthday. Also lmaooo to the questions Brian sent and Alice should have realized that they weren't website questions but at least they got him back.
May 1, 2012
It’s not like I planned it this way, is the second book in the series. This book is a wonderful book full of adventure and romance. In this book Alice had many things going on in her life. One of the most important things that was going on was that she had to get used to having a step mom around the house. Her new step mom was her seventh grade English teacher. Well she was getting used to a new step mom she also had to get use to many other things including not being the only girl in the house, not having her big brother Lester living with them, and having braces. Even thought there was all of this going on that was not necessarily good she had many things to look forward to. The Jack of Hearts dance(providing I had a date); a school trip to New York; my sixteenth birthday; and- the best of all -my driver’s license.(Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 255) How will everything work out for Alice? Will she get used to having a new step mom? Will she get a date to the dance? Most importantly will she get her driver’s license?
In my opinion this is an amazing book that I would probably read again if it was not so long. I think that the author of this book did a great job writing it because it kept me interested and that's what got me through such a long book like this. I think that if you don’t mind how big a book is then you should read this book because it is a great read. The only thing that might be an issue is that I think you should be at least 13 or 14 to read this book because some parts would not be appropriate for a person younger then that. Overall this is a good book that I think any girl would enjoy reading if they like books like this. I agree with Ashton when she says “ You have made me so happy, sad, angry, delirious with laughter, and it’s all been a great ride.”(Ashton, Back of cover)
On a scale of one to five I would give this book a five. I would give this book a five because it was impressive that the author could keep me interested throughout the whole book. I don’t know if I would read this book again because I don’t like reading books twice. I am definitely going to read the third book. The only thing that I did not love about this book was when it would talk about the plays and stage crew but that part of the book still was not that bad.
In my opinion this is an amazing book that I would probably read again if it was not so long. I think that the author of this book did a great job writing it because it kept me interested and that's what got me through such a long book like this. I think that if you don’t mind how big a book is then you should read this book because it is a great read. The only thing that might be an issue is that I think you should be at least 13 or 14 to read this book because some parts would not be appropriate for a person younger then that. Overall this is a good book that I think any girl would enjoy reading if they like books like this. I agree with Ashton when she says “ You have made me so happy, sad, angry, delirious with laughter, and it’s all been a great ride.”(Ashton, Back of cover)
On a scale of one to five I would give this book a five. I would give this book a five because it was impressive that the author could keep me interested throughout the whole book. I don’t know if I would read this book again because I don’t like reading books twice. I am definitely going to read the third book. The only thing that I did not love about this book was when it would talk about the plays and stage crew but that part of the book still was not that bad.
January 6, 2011
This book is an easy-read, although it has ALOT of pages! The parts that I really liked about this book were that the author talked about Alice's job, and how she explored more of the world and what she learend from her job, Alice's family and what she is dealing with at home, Alice's friends and who she was hanging out with the most, and Alice's problems at school. As you can tell, this book is all about Alice's life. It all revolves around one single girl going through high school and just life! Lots of changes are happening throughout this certain year and this book tells you all about it. I think that this is sort of a girl book because guys probably wouldn't like reading about a girl's life and her drama with her friends and family!
I didn't have any problems with the book, but it's definitely not up there with my favorite books! It's not because it's bad, but because it's kind of just some teenage high school girl's life who hasn't found what she wants to be when she grows up or hasn't accomplished something huge in her life. Alice is just going through what many girls go through. I think the author did a good job writing this book though because it was easy to read and understand what is going on! Overall, I would give this book "It's Not Like I Planned It This Way" a three.
I didn't have any problems with the book, but it's definitely not up there with my favorite books! It's not because it's bad, but because it's kind of just some teenage high school girl's life who hasn't found what she wants to be when she grows up or hasn't accomplished something huge in her life. Alice is just going through what many girls go through. I think the author did a good job writing this book though because it was easy to read and understand what is going on! Overall, I would give this book "It's Not Like I Planned It This Way" a three.
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March 23, 2012Ok so I've just finished the first part of it (its 3 stories combined) and I liked it. I did not read the first 5 or so books cus I just picked 1 random book of this series up at the library. The amazing thing is that, I can still understand what the story is saying! The author probably made it so that the readers can start at almost anywhere and still know what its about.
So I'm gonna start reading on the 2nd and 3rd part and do an update soon!
UPDATED
I've finished the 3 books and I immediately started on the next one! I even went to the library for the sake of borrowing it even though I still have a handful of books I haven't started yet. Well, I bet there are some books that appeal THAT much to everyone, including me!
So, this series is basically about the protagonist, Alice and her life. We follow her in this book through her schooling years. I really like books like this because I can relate to them to a certain extent, unlike those fantasy or over the top stories where you can fantasize and dream of being the protagonist but are not exactly realistic at all.
I recommend this series to everyone, especially teenage girls!
So I'm gonna start reading on the 2nd and 3rd part and do an update soon!
UPDATED
I've finished the 3 books and I immediately started on the next one! I even went to the library for the sake of borrowing it even though I still have a handful of books I haven't started yet. Well, I bet there are some books that appeal THAT much to everyone, including me!
So, this series is basically about the protagonist, Alice and her life. We follow her in this book through her schooling years. I really like books like this because I can relate to them to a certain extent, unlike those fantasy or over the top stories where you can fantasize and dream of being the protagonist but are not exactly realistic at all.
I recommend this series to everyone, especially teenage girls!
January 27, 2016
So this book took me sooo long to finish because it was so big, but it was an amazing book over all! I enjoyed how there was always something for Alice (main character) to do, she always had something to do in her life weather it was her job, friends, family, brother or school. Phyllis really made Alice sound like a normal teenage girl with the typical problems but she put a twist on it when her dad got re married and her brother moved out and everyone got sick on Christmas. I'm writing this review as I sit on my couch when I should really be studying for exams that I have the next few days, I have never written a review but I really wanted to start! I've loved reading since I was little and always have a book in my hand. I only rated this book a three out of five because I found that it really dragged on, even if Alice always had something to do, it seemed like she was doing it over and over again. I have one other book by the same other that continues Alice's life as a senior and I am looking forward to reading, but I do not think its the next one for me because then it will another long book for me to read and I am currently not reading as much as I hoped to this year!
December 15, 2013
Alice McKinley has just started her sophomore year filled with hopes for the coming year. Her dad is finally getting married to her former english teacher Sylvia Summers. Her big brother, Lester is finishing grad school. And Alice has finally turned 16, which means she can get her license soon. However, Alice soon realizes that life has its ups and downs, and she begins to build her own character through the challenges she faces.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's style is easy to catch onto from the beginning. She narrates through first-person point of view from Alice. This lets you get know Alice's character and feel the same struggles she feels when facing her challenges. Naylor, also, uses a very simple vocabulary throughout the book. This creates a very easy reading book, especially for a younger audience.
I would recommend It's Not Like I Planned It This Way to readers who enjoy more realistic books, especially in a high school setting. I'd also recommend the book to high school aged girls.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's style is easy to catch onto from the beginning. She narrates through first-person point of view from Alice. This lets you get know Alice's character and feel the same struggles she feels when facing her challenges. Naylor, also, uses a very simple vocabulary throughout the book. This creates a very easy reading book, especially for a younger audience.
I would recommend It's Not Like I Planned It This Way to readers who enjoy more realistic books, especially in a high school setting. I'd also recommend the book to high school aged girls.
March 7, 2014
Starting off sophomore year, Alice McKinley is ready to take on the new challenges that life will throw at her. Whether it be her friend, family, or schoolmate drama she is growing up due to the experiences she is involved in. The fact that her entire life is changing, her brother moving on to the next steps in his career, her father getting remarried, and her ever changing relationship status, aids this growth as she continues on.
Naylor's simplistic techniques in writing make her stand apart. She takes broad ideas and writes in such small, everyday words. Not once will there be a need for a dictionary while reading this book, allowing a range in ages for an audience. Naylor chooses a new method of writing for this book- creative freedom and elaborate plot twists. Originally, the events in the book were relatable, attracting teenage girls, but now with more fictional events, Naylor evokes previous reader's imagination.
It's Not Like I Planned It This Way is great for teenage girls with a few hours on their hands willing to read an optimistic fiction on high school.
Naylor's simplistic techniques in writing make her stand apart. She takes broad ideas and writes in such small, everyday words. Not once will there be a need for a dictionary while reading this book, allowing a range in ages for an audience. Naylor chooses a new method of writing for this book- creative freedom and elaborate plot twists. Originally, the events in the book were relatable, attracting teenage girls, but now with more fictional events, Naylor evokes previous reader's imagination.
It's Not Like I Planned It This Way is great for teenage girls with a few hours on their hands willing to read an optimistic fiction on high school.
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