Review Alice The Brave #7

Alice the Brave (Alice #7)

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

WILL ALICE'S SECRET RUIN HER PERFECT SUMMER?

It's August, and the whole gang is having a terrific time, hanging out at Mark Stedmeister's swimming pool -- except Alice, who has a secret even from her best friends Pamela and Elizabeth. Alice is deathly afraid of deep water, and just as afraid of what will happen if her secret gets out.

When disaster strikes, it's even worse than Alice imagined. How can she face her friends? And how can she face her boyfriend, Patrick, who's coming home from summer vacation and looking forward to joining the eighth grade swim team with Alice?

Aladdin 1996

Crys: Oh Alice, the insecurities of being a new teen seem to not phase her in the same way it does her friends. The main reason is because of her innocent nature. I've read reviews that claimed she was unrealistic, but I can promise you that I teach high school juniors that display the same level of innocence (I know, surprising, right?)

In the latest Alice adventure readers experience her ultimate fear - she is afraid of the deep end of the pool. Who knew that Alice could not swim? I think I missed that tidbit in the past novels, but at this point in her life, it is an issue. Why? Teen boys - they like to throw girls into the pool.

What is a girl to do? Turn to her older brother. In this novel, I really enjoyed the interaction between Alice and Lester. While he seems like a cad in the other novels, in this one readers are treated to his tender side, the one that reminds us that he does love his sister. He "breaks" into Crystal's pool in order to teach Alice a thing or two about fear, and conquering them, and before we know it, readers will feel like they too have conquered something amazing, even if it is just the deep end with Alice.

I love the honesty in the Alice books. While some may say they are not appropriate, I 100% disagree. Naylor takes care when discussing what it is like growing up, and Alice represents it in a wholesome way. When I feel down, I reach for an Alice book because I am sure of a couple of things: (1) I will laugh, (2) I will shake my head, and (3) I will finish the novel with a smile on my face.Long live Alice!

Sarah: Yet another example of why this series should have been put to pasture several books ago. Lacking the charm of the Alice that appeared in the original this Alice comes across as scripted and flat. The story is uninspired, trying to hard to reel in the young adult crowd with its sexual references.

Emma: Another great adventure with Alice! In this installment Alice learns to overcome her fear of swimming and has to come to terms with growing up. I love reading these books because I think there is really something in each one that everyone can relate to.

Lynne: The "Alice" series was probably what I checked out of the library most often when I was in elementary and junior high school. Out of all the books in the series, this is one that stands out most in my mind, besides the silly cartoonish covers that were printed on the Library bound 1980's editions of these books. Naylor was to finish the series when Alice turned 18, but unfortunately, I turned 18 before she did and I do not read them anymore...

Lindsey: Alice is in the summer before 8th grade in this book, and not a whole lot happens. Highlights include Alice overcoming her fear of deep water (hence Alice the Brave) and Elizabeth reading racy portions of "Arabian Nights" and then feeling guilty about it.