Outrageously Alice

'Outrageouly Alice' is the 9th book in the Alice series written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. The book was published on May 1, 1997 by Simon and Schuster. The story follows the main character, Alice McKinley, as she grows up in Silver Spring, Maryland. Things are changing all around Alice. Her brother's ex-girlfriend is getting married; her boyfriend, Patrick Long, is turning into a jerk; a new boy in school is showing attention to her best friend, Elizabeth Price; and Pamela, her other best friend is dealing with a painful family crisis. Nothing ever seems to happen to Alice. Alice's attempts to spark up her life always seem to end up more embarrasing than outrageous.
Plot
It is the fall of eigth grade and Alice Mckinley is tired of the monotony of life. The story starts off with Alice deciding that, like her friends, she needs to join extra cirricular activities too. The activities she chooses are Camera Club and Explorers' Club. Then, Alice attends a lingerie shower held for her brother's ex-girlfriend, Crystal Harkins. Alice seems disturbed of what she gets to see.
On Halloween, Alice dresses up as a showgirl for the haunted house in her school's gym, wearing black suede platform shoes, black net stockings, a black sarong-type skirt, an orange jersey top and a peacock feather headdress. Halfway through the evening though, Alice is french-kissed (by someone she doesn't see) in a dark broom closet. Later, she learns from her best friend, Elizabeth Price, that it was Patrick Long, her boyfriend since sixth grade, who had kissed her. Pamela Jones, Alice's other best friend, suggests that Alice try outlining her eyes with green eyeliner. Although Alice is overjoyed when she comes to school next day, Patrick tries to hide his disappointment. Justin Collier, a new boy in school, is flirting with Elizabeth when Pamela and her get into a fight for saying the wrong things about each other. When Pamela (now heartbroken because of her parents separating) later comes to Alice's house, though, the two friends make up.
The next morning, Alice and Pamela dye their hair green, much to Alice's father's dismay, and go to school. Again, Patrick doesn't seem happy. After school, Alice is angered to see that her dad sent her older brother to pick her up because of what she had done. Father and daughter get into a heated argument, compromising at the end. When Alice looks at a picture of her with green eyeliner in Camera Club, she decides to stop wearing eye liner. Patrick, finally, is more comfortable. Later, Alice learns that Patrick placed two lemon halves on her breasts while she was asleep last summer. Still, she decides to forgive him after he apologizes.
Since Alice is going to be a bridesmaid in Crystal's wedding, Crystal takes Alice to her aunt's for Alice's fitting. While they are driving home, Alice learns that not everybody uses the missionary position while having sex, not quite understanding what a missionary position is. At home, she learns from her dad that it is a sex move, where the woman is on the bottom and the man on top. The next day, Alice's father falls down from a ladder, causing Alice to panic and call Sylvia Summers, her dad's current girlfriend and her seventh grade teacher. Fortunately, Mr. McKinleys seems to have suffered no damage.
The story ends with Alice attending Crystal's wedding. Alice starts to dance with the groom's younger brother, Danny, when she feels that Danny is acting inappropriate. She decides to dance with her father, instead, stating that they made an outrageous couple.
Characters
* Alice Kathleen McKinley is the main protagonist and narrator of the story. She is an intelligent and open-minded thirteen year old girl. Her mother died of leukemia when Alice was four (or five; she can never remember). Alice often feels as though she doesn't know how to "be a woman" because of this. She has reddish blond hair and green eyes. Alice is a reporter for the school newspaper 'The Edge' in high school. Alice wants to be a psychiatrist, psychologist, or school counselor as mentioned in several books. Her father and older brother call her 'Al'.
* Benjamin McKinley is Alice's father, and usually the perfect person for Alice to turn to for advice. At the beginning of the series he was portrayed as a "shy" kind of person. He is torn by the death of his late wife, but manages to find confidence to date again later and finds Sylvia Summers, Alice's seventh grade teacher.
* Lester McKinley is Alice's brother. There is a seven-year age difference but Alice feels very close to him. Even so, Lester is often too busy to deal with Alice and shies away from most of her questions, or answers them sarcastically. He is studying philosophy, soon to be graduating with a master's degree. Lester has a number of girlfriends. His relationship with Crystal Harkins ends after she marries.
* Elizabeth Price is a devout Catholic who is very uncomfortable knowing that boys know she sweats, digests, and other things. She has strong opinions about sex, and is quite philosophical. Alice and Pamela are always understanding of her feelings. Her friends describe her as beautiful because of her long dark hair and thick eyelashes. She is one of Alice's two best friends.
* Pamela Jones is an outgoing girl whom Alice met in 6th grade. She bounces between two boys (Brian Brewster and Mark Steidmeister) when it comes to relationships. Pamela sometimes says things about adulthood and sex that can shock Elizabeth. She has the most difficult home life due to her parents' messy separation and divorce. She is insightful when it comes to boys and has short, blonde hair and blue eyes. She is one of Alice's two best friends.
* Patrick Long is Alice's boyfriend. He is described to have reddish-orange hair. Patrick likes Alice for who she is and feels uncomfortable when she tries to bring change in herself. He decides to french kiss Alice in a dark broom closet in their school gym on Halloween.
* Sylvia Summers is Benjamin's (Alice's father) girlfriend. She was Alice's seventh grade teacher. Sylvia always seems to be having to choose between Benjamin and Jim Sorringer, the vice principal of the school Alice attends, since Jim has feelings for her too.
* Crystal Harkins is Lester's now married ex-girlfriend. She asks Alice to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. In the book, Crystal states that she is over Lester but still misses some of the good things about him.

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