Alice Blog

Always Alice

Relate so well to Alice

Question:

 

I read the first Alice book when I, like Alice, was 11. I remember being able to relate so well to everything Alice went through as she grew up, and as I grew up too. So many coming-of-age stories seemed cliched to me, and a lot of them never appealed to me because of how distant they felt from my own life. Not Alice. She worried about things I worried about, she went through embarrassing things too! In one book, I don’t remember which, Alice falls down the stairs and pees herself and a hot senior picks her up to help her out. I remembered that whenever something embarrassing happened to me, nothing could ever be as bad as peeing yourself in front of a hot boy! Now I have finally caught up to Alice, I’m a senior in highschool and so is she. The latest book actually made me cry when Alice graduated, because I can’t believe we made it this far together (I guess it took her a little longer than me) I can honestly say my middle school and highschool life would have been A LOT different if not for Alice. 

Phyllis replied:

Yes, in the last book you will find out what happens to the most important characters.  I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the books.  To show how much things stay the same from one generation to the next, the peeing incident actually happened to my mother around 1918.  She was born into a large farm family that lived far out in the country.  She wanted to be a teacher, and so, to attend high school, her parents had to find a family she could stay with in the city, and she did housework for them to earn her board and room.  After all that, imagine falling down the stairs on her first day of high school and peeing herself!  (With no hot senior around to pick her up!–I tacked that on for Alice.)

Starting with Alice

Question:

 

THANKYOU SOOOO MUCH FOR WRITING THE ALICE SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my school they had boring books and i wanted to read a series. one day i found “starting with alice” and i fell in love with it so i am reading the series. GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Phyllis replied:

 

So glad you found them.  You’ve got a lot of happy reading ahead!

Where can I get the whole series?

Hello! First, let me start of by saying I am ABSOLUTLY in love with the Alice Series! But, I have a slight problem. I really want to read the ENTIRE series, but I can’t find the earlier books ANYWHERE! Can we order them from you, or somewhere else? Why don’t they have them all in book stores or libraries? I’ve been dying to get my hands on them! Thanks in advance!

Phyllis replied:

 I get this question so often that I’ve forwarded your letter to my editor.  In the meantime, all I can tellyou is that the books about her high school years are now published 3 to a set in what we call “Bind-up” editions, beginning with a set called, “I Like Him, He Likes her.”  The middle books have just come out in a new paperback format–the covers are all done by the same artist, but I don’t think they’re in the stores yet.  When the last bind-up is out, and I know the middle books are in the stores, I’ll try to post something on the Alice website explaining it all.  In the meantime, keep watching the Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites–they’ll probably be among the first to have the new editions.

Email from Austria

Question:

 

I am twelve and I’m from Austria.
  I started to read your books when i was nine. Every time when it’s 
christmas, easter or my birthday I tell my parents that I want alice 
books, I love them!
And my friend i my class love them, too!
Alice is so real, she is not just a person in a book, and I just 
wanted to say,  I’m so glad that you wrote (and write) the Alice 
series!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I don’t like reading very much,but I love 
to read Alice!!
But I have a little question: Why did you start to write the Alice 
series at all? What was the inspiration?

Thanks for reading this and much greetings from Austria!!

Phyllis replied:

I love hearing from readers in other countries, and wonder if you are reading the original version or a translation.  I didn’t know when I wrote the first Alice book that it would become a series, but got so many letters asking for more that I decided I would do it as long as I didn’t have to turn out more than one book a year, and Alice could grow slightly older in every book.  The publisher agreed.

Please Don’t Break Them Up

Question:

I loved how raw and amazing Incredibly Alice was.  One of the things that is amazing about this series and the book is the deep connection Alice and Patrick have. I have grown up with Alice and Patrick and seen their relationship develop. the funny moments when Patrick’s parents invited Alice to the Country Club and that was her awkward moment. We saw them break up over Penny. But this book really shows what anchors them together.Pleeease don’t break them up. I know Alice is going to college and might move on and Patrick is going you know where.  But there are three couples that can never be broken up Han/Leia, Ron/Hermione, and Alice/Patrick.

Trying to read the whole series

What happened to the girl?

Question:

 

   I started reading your books last summer, and I absolutely LOVE them!!!!  I can’t wait for “Alice on Board” to come out!!!!!!!! I’m dying to read it, you are pretty much my favorite author ever, and this is definitely, like the best series I have ever read, and my favorite. This series is really amazing to me and has helped me live life better. I have a question for you, What ever happened to the little girl Brian hit with his car? Is she alright? They never said!!!! You’re reply would be much appreciated!!!!!

 

Phyllis replied:

 

That’s a good question, and one I don’t think I ever answered.  I believe that somewhere, in one of the books, Alice and her friends are talking about the accident, and someone remarks that for Brian, his probation of no driving will be over in a year, while for the little girl, it will be a long, slow recovery.  And I left it at that.  In my mind she did, yes, fully recover.  Thanks for bringing this up.  I’m so glad you like the Alice series!

Was he Gay?

Another Alice book?