Alice in Rapture, Sort of (Alice #2) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Alice in Rapture, Sort of (Alice #2) Reviews

• 
  Cheryl

  Pretty darn cute. I like how Alice is pretty much ok with herself, and fits in pretty well at school. So many books are about dysfunction, or outsiders, or victims of bullies... Alice's life isn't so perfect that she doesn't have a chance to learn some lessons, but all-in-all she's pretty average and I do believe most girls will be able to identify well with her because they're likely to feel pretty average too.
  
  The messages are rather earnest and obvious, which means that this is also good for reluctant readers of Alice's age, as well as curious younger readers. I don't necessarily recommend it for under age 9 though... I suppose it depends on just how curious the child is about kissing "that way" and gossip and loyalty to friends....
  
  I'm going to keep reading as these are short, sort of comforting in a way, and I want to find out what happens to Pamela (it is, apparently, kinda important to read them in order).
  
  And because I want to keep learning. My mother didn't tell me everything, either. In this book my favorite lesson is actually a recipe. Start some onions sauteing. Add pork chops, fry (simmer) until done. Dump a can of applesauce (two diced, microwaved, smashed apples) on top. Serve.
• 
  Ashley Lynne

  Definitely my favorite of the Alice series [and believe me, i've read them all! been working on it since 6th grade!]
  This one was the first one I read of the series, and none of the others have quite met this one.
  Alice is a regular ol' teenager. You can relate to her. And at the same time, you feel sorry for her for her lack of a mom and the distant relationship with her dad and brother.
  Read this if you just can't seem to relate yourself to anyone else...this book [and the rest of the series, for that matter] will definitely change that!
• 
  BabyLunLun

  I treasure this series so much. Its so fun and I find myself laugh my ass off a couple of times
  
  Alice, Pamela and Elizabeth started their first summer of the boyfriend. And we got to see what mishap their up to and the drama between them and their boyfriend. I know Patrick like Alice but its just so awkward between them. I am kinda sad at the end when Alice decided to break up with Patrick. I hope they reconcile in the next book though
• 
  Liz

  It is the summer between sixth and seventh grade and Alice is happy that she has a group of close friends and, for the first time, a real boyfriend. As the summer unfolds, Alice has fun with her friends, endures the teasing of her tactless older brother, long for a mother to guide her through the mysteries of growing up female (her mother died when she was small), and persists in being herself.
  
  This book is the second of a continuing series about Alice McKinley, her family and friends. These are great stories because although many valuable life lessons are embedded in the narrative, but it never descends into preachiness or obvious moralizing. The earlier books are appropriate for tween readers, but some of the later books deal with issues more age-appropriate to older teens.
• 
  NOT CURRENTLY ACTIVE

  hell yes she don't need no man.
• 
  Leigha

  Child me: 4 stars
  Adult me: 3 stars
  
  *For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
  
  --
  
  ****Mild spoilers****
  
  I think I am turning into an old person. All through this, I kept thinking how they were too young to be thinking about having boyfriends, kissing, among other things and not able to really get into the story because I could not relate at all to the boyfriend/romance stuff. When I was around 12, I had the random crush, sure and 1 'boyfriend' who only walked me home a couple times, but I broke up with him after a month or so because his friends made a bet on who would kiss their 'girlfriend' first and I did not want to kiss. Ah... so innocent back then. Maybe I was the only preteen/young teen who did not get obsessed over having a boyfriend.
  
  It felt like most of this book was just about boyfriend/kissing stuff, which I can understand would be helpful to some people in a similar time of their life. It took about until the middle of the book for me to get more interested in the story line. I liked the parts where she is learning about her mother and the babysitting parts. I like the friendship parts and wish the story went more into the friendship. I liked when she visited her old teacher and when her neighbor was nice enough to care for her.
  
  I am so glad that Alice decides she is not ready for a boyfriend and wants to find herself. I wonder how long that will last.
  
  I really do like the writing style and have high hopes for the rest of the series.
• 
  Nina Chapman

  This was the first book that I read in one day. It was 1993, I was in 7th grade, and I was NOT a reader. At the time it was mandatory for us to read a certain number of books from the library for our English class. I picked this one off of the shelf and gave it a whirl, despite the fact that I wasn't all that studious and only did my homework when I felt like it.
  
  Story short... I devoured it. Like Alice I didn't have a mom, but also like Alice I wasn't super dramatic about it and I appreciated that about her. It validated that yes, you can have trauma as a kid, but you can still feel lighthearted about life. I loved the romance and the friendships and the simple fun within. It was my ideal summer come to life. But it was the voice that mainly drew me in. To me at that time, it came across as honest and real. Alice's concerns may seem trivial to some, but to a middle school aged kid they were spot on. It was the most relatable thing I had read at that point and turned out to be just the escape I didn't know that I was craving.
  
  I'm 39 now. I'm a middle school teacher (English/Drama) and a debut author myself. I wonder what I would be doing right now if I had not picked this book off of the shelf and discovered my love of reading. I've read more books than I can count now, but this will always be one of my all time favorites.
• 
  Jen (The Jenerator)

  Another cutie :)
• 
  Melody Loomis

  The Alice saga continues! I really enjoyed this cute little book and it was nice to read sort of a continuation of "The Agony of Alice". I wish I had realized this was a whole series when I was in junior high. I was reading all the time so how did I miss this?!
  
  As for this book, it was cute, but I feel like it would be one of those books that if I had read it as a teen, I would have had a different reaction than reading it as an adult. Not sure if that makes sense. Like, the scene where the dad just lets the girls be on their own on the beach. I would have thought nothing of it because my mom let me be by myself when I was that age. But as an adult, I'm thinking, no, don't let the kids go to the beach by themselves! What if something happens or those boys take advantage of them?! lol Or maybe it's just because this is an older book. You know, times change, and nowadays, maybe you don't let your almost teenager daughter have that much freedom. Hmm.
  
  The other thing in reading this was that I felt the rising seventh grade girls were a little advanced for their ages. I mean, french kissing? Although to be honest, I never had a boyfriend at that age so what do I know? LOL I do remember being that age though and having boys and girls start to pair off.
  
  The thing that remains true though is the feelings and emotions of Alice. She, I think, is a character that most girls could relate to in some way or another. Or like, Pamela, when she gets mad at Mark for running around with her bra, her angry reaction seemed about right. Or Elizabeth when she is upset and doesn't come outside, says she's sick, etc. That's how kids that age are.
  
  The book had somewhat of a fitting conclusion. I was proud of Alice for realizing that maybe there are things she's not quite ready for and that she needed to take a step back. I'm looking forward to continuing the series. I want to find out what happens to Alice next!
• 
  Joyce

  I'm flying through this series. This book was mainly about Alice's first boyfriend during the summer between sixth and seventh grade. I'm four years older than Alice is in this book, so it was kind of interesting to see her experience all these things that I never have haha. I loved all the realistic and interesting characters - Alice's dad and brother Lester, friends Pamela and Elizabeth, Patrick, etc. The part where they went to a beach house in Ocean City for a week was so cool because I just recently went to one for the first time for a week, and I just got back a few days ago. As with the other books, I remember a lot of details from when I read these books the first time, and they come surging back when I get to a certain part. Alice is the best girl to look for when growing up. She shares all the struggles and relatable questions.
• 
  Jennifer

  This was really good with a positive message for girls - I will definitely recommend. Probably banned due to some REALLY subtle intimations that her 19 year old brother is having sex with his girlfriend. My favorite part is near the end when she says (and I'm paraphrasing since I don't have the book in front of me) that she really likes this guy, probably more than he knows, but it's also time to start liking herself - what do I want, what kind of person do I want to be? I thought that was a great message for young girls.
• 
  Marilena Turquoise

  This is part of my re-reading the Alice series in 2021. Again, I feel like Alice is me or at least, someone I know, the story is so well-written, just what we need to understand the teenagers' agonies and sympathize with them. Again, these lovely 00's vibes, when we were stressed out about guys, when we wanted to impress them even if we had trouble understanding them. This was before technology took over and gosh, I'm glad my teenage years happened then. You'll love the characters with all their flows, even when they are goofy. Do read this!
• 
  Volkert

  Alice and her two friends are hung up on having boyfriends by the time 7th grade begins in September. Although the story is realistically and humorously told, I find the references to kiss, French kissing and a brother's immorality disconcerting, especially since this book is targeted for the elementary level. Not recommended.
• 
  Celinda Reyes

  Everytime I read this book, I fall more in love with it. Alice is such a relatable character & the author really captures what it's like to be a 12 year old girl. This is definitely one of my favkrite series & I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who loves great writing & entertaining stories.
• 
  Madame Jane

  "The Summer of the Boyfriend" is what Alice's Dad calls the summer before Al begins Junior High. Its a rollercoaster summer when the girls decide that they need boyfriends to start seventh grade. I love the friendship trio of Al, Pamela and Elizabeth. They're each different but still get along. The parts with the summer home where hilarious. This series is so heartfelt and honest. Its joining the Ramona series as my favourite.
• 
  Felicity

  I remember getting this book free with a magazine when I was a teenager.
  
  This was an enjoyable read and importantly talks about being clear about boundaries in relationships. Alice is a great main character who is fairly comfortable in her own skin.
• 
  plz read the “about me” Thank you

  I really thought that this book was very funny and I could not stop laughing! :) I really recomend this book to someone who likes comedy, a bit of romance and 6th/7th grade summer stories.
  - Augustina
• 
  Sarah

  This was my favorite book in 4th grade! Even reading it as an adult was enjoyable.
• 
  Booknerdreads Grace Haddad

  Cute!
• 
  Tsippora

  Ahhh it's so cute
• 
  Kelly (kellyreadingbooks)

  All of this series is going to majorly take me back. It is so awkward and cute I can hardly stand it!
• 
  Sophia s

  a little preachy & the character development was spelled out but i just love this series
• 
  Laurie

  Naylor has such a great way of showing how much kids think they know about life and relationships and how little they really know.
• 
  Marie Duke

  This is another banned book I read this year. I have no idea why it would be banned. It's a typical story of rising seventh graders before social media.
• 
  Michelle

  I loved this book. I wish I had payed more attention to it the first time I read it when I was younger lol would have saved me some grief. These books warm my heart.
• 
  Fierymermaidbooks

  “Alice, there’s no way you can make a fool of yourself in front of me. I like you too much for that.”
  
  I love how fun this book is! We get to see Alice in her first relationship! The note to Patrick is hysterical. I really like how she struggles with finding the perfect gift for him because I can never think of a perfect gift for my fiancé. The bra scene was super funny too, and I love how dramatic Pamela is.I think it’s amazing that the author acknowledges all these things that young girls worry about like eating in front of boys, and having to use the restroom on a date. I love how they all went to the beach and Lester brought Patrick! Patrick and Alices date was literally the cutest thing ever! I was so sad when Alice ended things but I get that she is only 12 and needed time to grow 💖 I’m glad that they are staying friends though!
• 
  Lauren

  These books are so cute
• 
  Jessie

  These books are so cute and very relatable.