Alice McKinley is on the verge of adolescence but, with only an older brother and her father, she's a little short of guidance. She hopes to get the lovely Miss Cole as her teacher, a born substitute mother if ever there was one, but instead winds up with lumpy, bumpy Mrs Plotkin, who makes all her students keep a journal. Angry, frustrated, and constantly embarassed by all the backward progress she's making, Alice is hostile and rude to Mrs Plotkin, while adoring Miss Cole from afar. The funny thing is, though, that as the year progresses Miss Cole seems to be a little shallow and mean, while Mrs Plotkin seems to become nicer and more approachable...
The Agony of Alice is the first in an ongoing series (which apparently goes on to tackle fairly substantial issues), and is a little light-weight to start with. I was reminded throughout of the Katie Nash trilogy, which had a similar scenario but carried it off with a little more weight and accomplishment. I think I'll probably try another Alice book down the track, but not for a while. - Alex
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