Making Friends with Alice Dyson

July 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-Alice Dyson is a senior who wants to study and do her homework. She is not someone who would be friends with the school's bad boy; but that all changes one day when a video goes viral of Alice and Teddy Taualai having a dance-off. Alice's quiet life as a bookworm grows more complicated when Teddy wants to become part of it. Alice is a character who is comforted by routine-she is shy and wants to stick to herself and her friend May, but readers learn that life is not always simple. Teddy is the complete opposite of her, and it brings a fun, cutesy feel to this book. This is a lighthearted novel that teens across the globe will relate to. It proves one shouldn't judge everyone by what they see, or hear, on the outside. Gossip, social media, friendship, and relationships are all brought to the forefront, which will make this book appealing to teens. VERDICT Fans of young adult contemporary romance will enjoy this book as they cheer for Alice to come out of her shell and embrace her senior year of high school.-Maeve Dodds, Charlotte Mecklenburg Lib., NC

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2020
Alice Dyson has spent her high school career perfecting the art of invisibility--until the day she unexpectedly befriends Teddy Taualai, and suddenly she's all anyone can talk about. A studious loner living under immense pressure from her mother's unrealistic expectations, Alice avoids everyone except her best friend, May, whom she's known since kindergarten. But then Teddy inserts himself into her life, and Alice finds herself opening up in ways she never has before, including romantically. Alice isn't the only one changing: After years on the sidelines, May craves popularity and begins to act in ways Alice can't understand. As Alice grows closer to Teddy and drifts away from May, she must make choices about who her friends are--and about the kind of friend she wants to be. Alice's voice is charmingly open, honest, and kind, and her loyalty to her friends combined with her deep insecurity render her character fascinatingly layered. At times, Teddy's pushiness feels toxic, and Alice's willingness to return to him seems both unhealthy and out of character. While her relationships with May and Teddy are complex, Alice's relationship with her parents is barely explored, leading to an ending that feels too tidy to be believable. Other than Teddy, whose name and dark skin may cue him as Samoan, most of the characters in the book are White. An entertaining teen romance with a problematic approach to consent. (Romance. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 20, 2020
Australian author Nwosu debuts with an offbeat romance featuring an endearing, mismatched couple. High school senior Alice Dyson doesn’t mind not being popular—having best friend May is enough. But when someone films Alice impulsively engaging in a dance-off with transfer student Teddy Taulalai, around whom rumors swirl, she’s suddenly the source of gossip, even told by a teacher to “surround yourself with only good influences.” As May decides she wants to work her way into the popular crowd, Alice is drawn closer to Teddy, learning that rumors about his failing grades and violent behavior at a previous school are false. Neither Alice nor Teddy is who they appear to be on the outside, and Nwosu adroitly and subtly peels back both characters’ layers to reveal their essences. Alice, known as a studious grind, has a secret plan for the future that has nothing to do with academics; Teddy, more quirky than scary (if a little pushy at times), is still grieving the death of his mother. Told from Alice’s point of view, Nwosu’s novel expresses universal vulnerabilities and ends with a surprising resolution. Ages 12–up.